Great Places to Live: Petersfield, Hampshire

Nestled in the glorious countryside of the South Downs National Park in Hampshire is the ancient market town of Petersfield. From rolling hills to bustling market towns, the South Downs National Park’s landscapes cover 1,600km² of breathtaking views and hidden gems. Within a 15-minute car journey of Petersfield you can find Butser Hill National Nature Reserve, Queen Elizabeth Country Park and the National Trust-run Uppark House and Garden.

Founded in the early 12th century, Petersfield is a delightful place to live, work and raise a family. In the centre of town, enjoy the lively town square with its twice-weekly markets, two annual fairs in June and November, Petersfield Museum & Gallery, the Physic Garden, and the Norman church of St Peter’s. There is also an open-air heated pool, a football club, social club, golf course, train station and community hospital. There are many great pubs, cafés and restaurants in Petersfield and the surrounding villages. At Heidi’s Patisserie you can try an array of delicious cakes, pastries and savoury delights or take the kids down to Petersfield Heath & Lake where you can feed the ducks, go fishing, hire a boat, and let the kids run off some energy in the lake play area before having an ice cream at the lakeside eatery, The Plump Duck. 

A collection of quaint bed and breakfasts dotted around Petersfield host those visiting for a weekend of walking or cycling within the pretty network of lanes and public footpaths which give visitors access to beautifully preserved countryside in every direction.

Petersfield is ideally situated for access to London which is just over an hour away by car or train. Even closer is the beautiful South Coast, with Portsmouth, only a 20-minute drive, and its historic dockyard and cross-Channel ferries, Chichester where you can visit the 12th-century Chichester Cathedral and marvel at the ancient Roman Palace, or Southampton with direct crossings to the Isle of Wight and home to SeaCity Museum, with an interactive model of the Titanic, which departed from Southampton in 1912.

An outstanding location for families, the Petersfield area boasts Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ primary and secondary schools, as well as many nurseries and pre-schools.

Nurseries: The Little School by the Lake Nursery, Jigsaw Montessori nursery, The Little School Day Nursery at Pooh Corner, Old Dairy Farm Nursery, Busy Bee Nursery school

Pre-Schools: Peter Pan Pre-School, Herne Farm Pre-School

Primary Schools: Sheet Primary School, Steep Primary School, Langrish Primary School

Secondary Schools: The Petersfield School

Independent Schools: Ditcham Park School an independent day school for boys and girls aged 2½ to 16 years, Churcher’s College a co-educational independent day school for girls and boys aged 3 to 18 years.

Causeway Park is the ideal location nestled in the outskirts of Petersfield for you and your family. An exclusive selection of one-, three- and four-bedroom homes priced at £300,000 to £699,999 and available to purchase through the Help to Buy scheme - you could even move in for Christmas!

Featured home: Plot 50, ‘The Oakfield’, a three-bedroom, semi-detached home priced at £439,950. Ready to move into. Stamp Duty worth £11,997 paid. Upgraded kitchen & flooring worth £6,500 included. The interior features include a spacious, open-plan lounge and dining room that has French doors, leading to a spacious southwest-facing garden. There's also a sleek modern kitchen with a feature bay window and a breakfast bar area. Upstairs the master bedroom features an en suite bathroom with cool clean lines and a large walk-in wardrobe, a second double bedroom, a single bedroom and a family bathroom. This home comes with two parking spaces. From David Wilson Homes.