Discover East Hampshire

Friday, 18 March, 2022

Articles for the Herald and Post

To coincide with the start of English Tourism Week, Damian is taking the opportunity to highlight some of the wonderful places and events here in East Hampshire that not only make it a fantastic place to live but also to visit.

Through a series of videos, Damian will tour some East Hants highlights, from the wonderful and historic museums, the brewing heritage and burgeoning wine producing sector, the fantastic walking and cycling paths and events, the unique literary heritage, access to popular heritage transport sites and experiences, to the fabulous festivals and entertainment venues across the area.

East Hampshire is bursting with beauty and vitality, and the videos will share a few of the reasons why it remains a popular area for so many people.

Museums and Galleries - Video #1

There are wonderful and historic museums and galleries here in East Hampshire, including the recently expanded and refurbished Petersfield Museum. Home to 22,000 objects, photographs and documents, the museum is on the site of the former Courthouse and Police Station and offers a wide range of temporary art and history exhibitions, talks and workshops – for adults and children alike.

There is so much to enjoy, from the Bedales Historic Dress Collection, the paintings and sketches of celebrated artist and local resident Flora Twort, the Edward Thomas Study Centre created in honour of the renowned poet who took much inspiration from the natural beauty around his home in Steep, to the ‘Peoples of the Heath’ archaeology project that is investigating and conserving one of the largest Bronze Age barrows cemeteries in the South of England.

If you’re interests lie more in nature, then a trip to Gilbert White’s House and Garden in Selborne is a hidden gem. The house and its grounds are where White, the grandfather of ecology developed the technique of nature study that he called ‘watching narrowly’. Through this method he was able to recognise the interconnectedness of things and was one of the first to practice ecology, recognise the concept of food chains, and practice phenology – comparing the annual change in natural events – so important to our current understanding of climate change.

Today the house is also home to the Oates Collection, a fascinating record of the work and lives of Frank and Lawrence Oates, the latter who famously said ‘I am going out and may be some time..’ as he left fellow explorers towards the end of Scott’s Antarctic Expedition.

Thousands of school children, adults and families visit each year to see the original manuscript of Gilbert’s great work – the Natural History of Selborne – and to learn about and to enjoy nature from a programme of events and activities. A visit will mean you’ll be following in the footsteps of famous naturalists such as Charles Darwin, David Attenborough and Chris Packham!

And across in Alton, you will find The Curtis Museum, with a substantial local history collection, including the Alton Buckle, the finest piece of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship found in Hampshire.

Founded by botanist William Curtis, its permanent exhibitions include a rare Roman enamel cup, ancient Saxon burials, hop picking and brewing, the 1643 Battle of Alton and the notorious tale of Sweet Fanny Adams.

While there, it’s possible to also visit its sister venue – the Allen Gallery – which houses an outstanding collection of pottery, porcelain and tiles dating from 1250 to the present day.

Named in honour of artist William Herbert Allen, the gallery hosts regular exhibitions of his watercolours and oils, and has a delightful garden to spend some time in.

And pottery is something that Grayshott Pottery really understands. One of the few remaining working potteries in the UK producing English stoneware, the team of skilled potters produces around 1200 pieces each day using two tonnes of clay sourced from Stoke on Trent.

As well as a busy gift shop bursting with wares and the well established Kiln café, they also run pottery workshops on site for those keen to give throwing a go.

And there’s more on offer with a visit to the Selborne Pottery, established more than three decades ago by Robert Goldsmith, and making individual pieces of stoneware which is hand thrown and decorated.

And I will be looking at both Jane Austen’s House and Chawton House in more detail in a later video, exploring the wonderful literary heritage we have here in East Hampshire

Links to the places mentioned above:

https://www.petersfieldmuseum.co.uk/

https://gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk/

https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/curtis-museum

https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/allen-gallery

https://www.grayshottpottery.com/

https://selbornepottery.co.uk/

https://janeaustens.house/

https://chawtonhouse.org/

Other useful web links:

https://petersfieldartsandcrafts.org.uk/

https://www.liphookartsandcrafts.org.uk/