Page 3 - church-heights
P. 3
“The river where salmon swim…
The woods where damselflies hover…”
A Peaceful Rural Retreat
Church Heights is located in a commanding position, in ‘Old
Bishopstoke’ – a peaceful rural retreat minutes from the bustle of
Eastleigh and beyond.
Recorded in the Domesday Book, the village is characterised
by its woodland, Stoke Park Woods, originally owned by the
Bishop of Winchester. King John of England hunted in the
woods – and King Henry VIII used them as a fenced deer hunt.
Now, Stoke Park Woods is a playground for energetic young
families and also a site of special scientific interest. Take a walk
along Water Vole Way beside the beautiful River Itchen as it
flows gently through the village, with its thatched cottages.
Bishopstoke is a wonderful place to raise a family: the village
offers an infant school, junior school, Girl Guides and Scout
group, as well as the Y-Zone Youth Centre.
The village also has a pub, post office, a range of local shops –
including a butcher’s producing award-winning sausages – two
doctor’s surgeries, a veterinary surgery, a dentist’s and two
pharmacies. It’s a self-contained village with a real sense of
community, illustrated by its May fête and September carnival.
2 3
