Whitchurch Association Trustees would like to inform residents and visitors that the Winchester Street car park alongside the Silk Mill will be closed on Monday 20th Jan 2025 between 9am and 4pm, to enable Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council to complete essential tree work on their land behind the Gill Nethercott Centre.

Any cars left overnight will need to be removed before 09.00 as a chipping machine will be in operation in the access road to/from the car park throughout the day.

Access will remain open to people on foot wishing to use the centre/Silk Mill; there will be banksmen in place whilst the chipper is in operation.

This essential tree and groundwork is necessary to comply with the requirements of the management plan that was a condition of the original planning permission for the Gill Nethercott Centre and meets with Natural England requirements for conserving the SSSI habitats.

The Whitchurch Christmas Display Trail is a little fun map that you can follow as you wander around Whitchurch to see the displays/lights.

For extra challenge use What3words app to cross off locations!

Download the trail map here

Lookout! Santa’s About……. Wednesday 4th December – Kings Walk, Firs Way, Oakland Road, Lower Evingar, Bellevue. Thursday 5th December – Lynch Hill Park, Hillside, The Green. Friday 6th December – Daniel Road, McFauld Way, Neuvic Way, The Knowlings, Micheldever Road Sunday 8th December – Test Road, Winchester Road, Mill Springs Wednesday 11th December – Park View, Richard Adams Way Thursday 12th December – Hartley Meadows, Caesars Way Weekday Routes – 6.30pm – 8pm            Weekend Routes – 6pm – 7.30pm

Overton Bridge Club would like to let residents know that they are moving from the Gill Nethercott Centre to their new base at Whitchurch Sports and Social Club on Monday 25 November.

We play duplicate Bridge each Monday between 7.00 p.m. and 10.00 p.m.  New members are welcome with coaching available to anyone wishing to learn or brush up.  We usually mix couples each week, but if you wish to play with the same partner each week, we can accommodate you.

Modest membership fees.

If you would like to come along or find out more, please contact David O’Neill at david.oneill748@btinternet.com

NEW PATH OPENED

Yesterday saw Whitchurch residents, councillors, the HCC Maps Officer and HCC Countryside Strategic Manager and special guests from the Railway Ramblers and The Watercress Way all coming together to celebrate the official opening of the Whitchurch Railway Cutting as an official public right of way; an initiative of a long-term resident of Bere Hill.

Please read on……

Martin’s quest to have the abandoned Didcot to Southampton railway cutting at Whitchurch, formally designated as public footpath began in late 2014 when he picked up the phone and started a dialogue with the landowners, Hampshire County Council. He followed up with a formal application submitted in early 2015 and as we came out of lock down Martin began the long, laborious process of collecting resident’s evidence of use forms, confirming that locals had enjoyed uninterrupted, informal access pretty much from the date the railway line was dismantled in the 1960s.

Just before Christmas, after an eight year wait, Martin heard that his application on behalf of the community had been successful. This extraordinary section of the old DNSR railway, a valuable recreation amenity and wildlife habitat and such an important part of our local industrial heritage, will now be preserved as a public right of way with the town’s footpath volunteers assisting with the ongoing vegetation cutting and maintenance.

Thanks go out to all residents involved in supporting Martin’s application and a special mention to the mapping team at HCC who couldn’t have been more helpful and to Jonathan Woods, HCC Countryside Strategic Manager for the decision to dedicate the path; I’m sure it will be very well used.

Calling all residents. Please sign the petition by following this link. https://Chng.it/sw8Bt8jPTd