Beech Village Hampshire

Beech Village in Hampshire England

Join Us On Nextdoor

  • Home
  • Village Hall
    • Village Hall
    • History of Beech Village Hall
  • Booking the Hall
    • Booking the Hall
    • Your perfect wedding venue
    • Children’s parties
    • Wedding and party suppliers
    • Covid 19
    • Finding the Hall
  • Village Events
    • Village Events
    • Events Archive
  • Clubs & Classes
    • All Beech Clubs & Classes
    • Beech Art Group
    • Beech Gardeners
      • Beech Gardeners news
    • Beech Ladies
    • For Children & Young People
  • Community
    • Volunteering
    • 100 Club – 2020/21
    • Neighbourhood Watch
      • About Beech Neighbourhood Watch
      • Neighbourhood Watch Contacts
      • Confidential Email Database
      • Scams and Hoaxes
      • Neighbourhood Watch news
        • NW Seasonal Advice
  • St Peter’s
    • St Peter’s Church, Beech
    • A brief history
    • Photo gallery
    • Church news archive
  • About
    • About Beech Village
    • Finding Beech
    • Beech Parish Council
      • Visit The Beech Parish Council Website
    • Local information
    • Managing the Village Hall charity
      • Managing the Village Hall charity
      • Management Committee
      • Chair’s Reports
    • Gallery
      • Photo Gallery
      • Photo Competition 2011
    • Privacy Statement
  • Contact
    • Village Hall problem reporting
    • Contact Us
    • Location

About Beech Village

The Parish of Beech is located in the north-eastern area of Hampshire approximately eleven miles south of Basingstoke, fifteen miles east of Winchester and two miles from the market town of Alton. Beech is close to, but outside, the northern boundary of the South Downs National Park.

St Peters Church Beech

St Peters, Beech Parish Church

The village has a linear nature, sitting largely within a narrow valley that descends (by minor road) for almost two miles from Alton Abbey, which at 217 metres (712ft) is one of the highest points in Hampshire, to the Alton – Basingstoke trunk road at 106 metres (348ft).

The area in which Beech is situated is primarily rural. The parish totals 526 hectares (1262 acres) and is a broad mix of woodland, farmland and, in the village area, residential developments. In the past, the area has had an agriculturally based economy, although this influence has declined with modern farming practices.

The village is now primarily a residential area, serving surrounding business areas with little commercial activity within the village boundary. Beech is a growing village with, at present, some 600 villagers living in 205 houses. The establishment of the South Downs National Park is expected to have a major impact on Alton (which falls just outside the Park) and its surrounding villages in terms of increased housing development.

Although Beech’s origins can be traced back to the 12th century, modern Beech took shape in the 1890s when the local landowner began to sell off small parcels of land for housing – much of it in the colonial style of wood and corrugated iron construction. This process continued in the period between the First and Second World Wars. The parish church was built in 1902 and the existing village hall was established nearby in 1932. Since the 1960s the colonial-style housing has gradually been replaced by modern housing stock.

Beech has a wikipedia entry here.

Alton Abbey

Alton Abbey

Alton Abbey

Situated at the top of Kings Hill, The Abbey is a Benedictine Monastery in the Church of England. The Community dates its foundation from the ordination of the Revd Charles Plomer Hopkins, who was appointed as River Port Chaplain of Rangoon in Burma in 1884.

In order to fulfil the need for a house in which the active work was not pursued, a plot of land, called Kingswood Copse, was purchased at Beech, outside Alton in 1895. The first monastic inhabitants of Kingswood Copse lived in tents and wattle huts, until a corrugated iron monastery could be built. The last of the wattle and iron buildings were not demolished until the beginning of the 1980s.

More information on Alton Abbey can be found by following the link to the Website www.altonabbey.org.uk.

Inside Alton AbbeyThe Friends of Alton Abbey was established in 1980 as a registered charity (No.284876) to raise funds to support the charitable work of the Abbey and, in particular, to contribute to the cost of projects which the Community is unable to finance but which are essential to their life of witness and service.

Membership of The Friends is open to anyone who supports the Object, namely to support the charitable work of Alton Abbey. The current minimum subscriptions are – Annual Member, £20.00 per annum; Life Member, a single payment of £200.

A Create Design Studio Website
© 2021
How We Use Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.