Monthly Archives: February 2023

FLOWERS and foliage will fill Andover’s High Street as the popular gardening fair makes a return. The High Street will be filled with an array of colours during the event which returns on Monday, May 1 from 10am to 3pm.

There will be a full day of outdoor activities  and hand-picked local exhibitors will offer a wide selection of plants, gardening ornaments, accessories and gifts for visitors to buy. The knowledgeable stallholders will be happy to chat about their plants and offer their expertise and guidance to green-fingered gardeners as well as those ready to sow seeds for the very first time.

Children can look forward to lots of free activities including storytelling, face painting, seed planting and outdoor games.

There will be live music to enjoy throughout the day and street food and drink stalls will be available to keep everyone feeling refreshed.

The event will be conveniently located in front of the Guildhall, where many of the shops on the High Street and inside the Chantry Centre will be open.

The event is a short walk away from Andover bus station and parking in Andover is also free on bank holidays, making this a great opportunity to pop into town to make the most of the event and support local businesses and organisations.

It’s great to finally have the new footbridge open just downstream at Tufton; it’s such a picturesque setting and key to some of the most popular walking trails to the south of Whitchurch.  

The new 22 metre footbridge replaces a previous concrete structure that was closed due to its condition and is one of around 3,000 footbridges that Hampshire Countryside Service look after to provide access to our beautiful countryside and landscapes. The River Test’s rare chalk habitat here is home to species such as water-crowfoot, several hundred different types of water invertebrates, and otters.  

Walkers are Welcome co-ordinators and volunteers and members of the local walking group who supported the project joined local Parish and Town Councillors, the County Council’s Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services, Councillor Russell Oppenheimer and the Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP to celebrate the new crossing.

  Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP said: “This charming new bridge is a real tribute to the collaboration between the local community and Hampshire County Council to solve a problem and enhance the beautiful river. Bravo to Hampshire Countryside Services and the local community for producing something to delight everyone who loves the River Test for generations to come.”

Whitchurch walking trails