Petersfield, Hampshire
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Template:GBdot Petersfield is a market town in the English county of Hampshire, situated on the northern border of the South Downs. The town was founded at the end of the 11th Century. It grew as a coach stop on the Portsmouth to London route, and today is situated on both the main rail and road link between the two cities. Petersfield is twinned with Barentin in France, and Warendorf in Germany.
The artist Flora Twort, the agriculturalist John Worlidge, the actor Alec Guinness, and the cricketer John Small all lived in Petersfield at some point.
Petersfield holds regular markets twice weekly, as well as monthly farmer's markets and 'French Markets' with stalls from Petersfield's twin town Barentin.
Petersfield is also the location of well known independent schools Bedales and Churcher's College, as well as the state school TPS (The Petersfield School).
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Attractions
Museums
Petersfield boasts the world's first Teddy Bear Museum. There are also several other museums in the town including the Flora Twort Gallery, based in her old studio, and the Petersfield Museum, which is concerned with the history of the town and is situated in the town's old Courthouse.
Nature
Petersfield is surrounded on all sides by countryside and so has a great deal of scenery and foot/bridle paths.
Close to the town and situated on the South Downs is Queen Elizabeth Country Park, which incorporates Butser Hill (the highest point on the downs), and has a wide variety of scenery from chalk hills to pine forest.
Within the town is Petersfield Heath, a large area of heathland with a lake which offers boating and fishing amongst its activities.
Cinema and Theatre
Petersfield's Festival Hall shows many plays and concerts during the year, and there are plans to construct a small cinema in the building.
Pubs and Bars
Petersfield offers a good range of Public Houses and Bars to suit all tastes, from historic coach stops to trendy modern bars, one nightclub and coffee houses.
Sport
Petersfield has a wealth of clubs and teams for most sports. Several players have gone on to lead successful professional sporting careers, such as footballer Maik Taylor and rugby player Tim Rodber.
There are various sports venues, such as the Taro Centre, a leisure centre containing swimming pools, squash courts, a gymnasium and other facilities. The town also has tennis courts, an open air pool, and many playing fields and local golf courses.
Teams
- Association Football - Petersfield Town F.C.
- Cricket -
- Hockey -
- Rugby - Petersfield R.F.C
- Swimming -
Government
The East Hampshire District Council offices are in Petersfield.
Petersfield is part of the constituency of East Hampshire. Its Member of Parliament is Michael Mates, a Conservative.
Transport
Petersfield is located on the mainline rail link (the Portsmouth Direct Line) between Portsmouth and London. It is served by Petersfield railway station.
The town is also on the main road (the A3) link between Portsmouth and London. Another major road, (the A272) runs between Petersfield and Winchester, Hampshire's County Town.
Geography
Petersfield is located at Template:Coor dms (51.0000, -0.9333)1.
Petersfield is situated on the northern border of the South Downs, and Butser Hill, the highest point on the downs is only 3 miles from the town.
External links
- Petersfield Online (http://www.petersfield-online.co.uk/)
- East Hampshire District Council (http://www.easthants.gov.uk/)