HAT guided walk to 2nd World War in Bishops Waltham

HAT VISIT TO THE 2^ND WORLD WAR IN BISHOPS WALTHAM – Friday 21^ST JULY 2023

In 2021, the Bishops Waltham Society received a grant from the Hampshire Archives Trust to set up a partnership of local history groups in the east Winchester area wanting to record and archive local memories.  As a result we are very happy to be able to offer members a guided walk illustrating the stories recorded of the 2nd World War in Bishops Waltham by Trish Simpson-Davis  followed by tea in the United Reform Church.  This is going to be an unusual walk as we will be hearing the social history of Bishop Waltham through the voices of elderly local people who were children at the time.  The walk will take an approximately 1 mile(1.6km) circular route around the back streets of the town taking in about a dozen places of interest.

We will meet at the Basingwell Street Listening Bench at 1.45 p.m. to hear about local families’ preparations for war  in 1939 and then Trish will take us on a roughly circular tour of the town describing, amongst many other reminiscences, how Nut Cameron watched the 1940 bombing raid on Claylands brickworks as the Blitz started on Portsmouth and Southampton, how a Messerschmidt ‘landed’ in the Palace ruins, the secret life of Mr Petersen the Schoolmaster, of  a time of evacuees, rationing, air raids, rabbits and children who saw everything and were told to say nothing! We will also peek at Admiral Cunningham’s home where he planned the Navy’s role in the 1944 Normandy landings and learn of the thousands of troops massing in the area, ready for D-Day.  All difficult to imagine now but brought to life for us by  the memories of those who lived through it, captured before they were lost. Our afternoon will finish with tea and cake at the United Reform Church also in Basingwell Street, where Trish will be happy to answer any further questions about the project and our walk.

There is parking in the centre of Bishops Waltham at the Basingwell Street carpark but this is always very busy so it is suggested that guests use the Jubilee Hall car park situated on Little Shore Lane which is off of Shore Lane on the B2177 towards Wickham.  Parking here is free up to 3 hours, 80p for 3 hours and £1.20 for 4 hours or more.  Walk between the front of the Hall and the playground  turning  left onto Little Shore Lane and after approximately 100yds diagonally to the right next to the Christian Fellowship Meeting Hall is the Listening Bench.  The 69 bus also stops here between Winchester, Wickham and Fareham.  There are lots of coffee shops, cafes and pubs in Bishops Waltham and it still has the novelty of many individual and unusual shops so you may wish to spend the morning here before our walk, it is a very pretty little town which retains its charm.

Guests should be aware that a medieval town has medieval pavements and roads and was not built with traffic in mind, so please be aware of uneven surfaces and cars!  We are also limiting our numbers to ensure everyone who comes has a chance of hearing the fascinating commentary, so to ensure your place please book early.  The cost will be £12.00pp including tea and a copy of the booklet Around Bishop’s Waltham in the Second World War – which contains wartime stories from around the area that can be explored by car, and will be shared between the United Reform Church, the Bishops Waltham Museum Trust, the Bishop’s Waltham Society and the Bishops Waltham Area Oral History Group

If we have too many applicants Trish has kindly agreed to run another group later in the year.

Booking; either e mail events@hampshirearchivestrust.co.uk or by post marked HAT events organiser to  236 Hunts Pond Road Titchfield Hants PO14 4PG. Payment is by Bank Transfer to HAT account sort code 30-99-71 account 00361865 or by cheque to Hampshire Archives Trust, subject line Bishops Waltham tour. Phone number for enquiries 01489 573056