One of our favourite guides, Andrew Negus, took 25 of us round the town of Petersfield in May. Our last visit there was 4 years ago and this town never fails to prove very interesting.
Petersfield is a market town dating back to the 12th century with a population today of approx 15,000. It lies at the northern edge of the South Downs. The town’s market square has an 18th century statue of King William III on horseback.
The Petersfield Physic Garden is a private garden which is open to the public without charge, providing a green oasis in the centre of the town. It was originally owned by John Bowen, who, in 1988, gave the garden to the Hampshire Gardens Trust. The garden that we see today was created in a 17th century style
Andrew arranged an extra special treat for us by taking us into the Petersfield Bookshop, where we were given a talk by the current owner. It is a family business that was started over 100 years ago. They specialise in secondhand and antiquarian literature. It was a real treasure trove and definitely worth a longer visit..
