Easton, Hampshire

Easton is a village in Hampshire, England, situated on the River Itchen, 2¾ miles north east of Winchester.

In 1870-72, John Goring's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Easton like this:

:"EASTON, a village and a parish in Winchester district, Hants. The village stands on the river Itchen, near the Southwestern railway, 2¾ miles NE by N of Winchester; is small and uninteresting; and has a post office under Winchester. The parish comprises 2,734 acres [11 km²] . Real property, £3, 656. Pop., 455. Houses, 106. The property is much subdivided. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £514.* Patron, the Bishop of Winchester. The church is late Norman; has a rich south doorway, and an apsidal vaulted chancel; contains a monument to Bishop Barlow's widow, recording that her five daughters were all married to bishops; and was restored in 1850. There is a Wesleyan chapel."

In 2006 Easton remains a small village but underwent limited development during the inter and post-war period. The population has grown by about 300 since John Goring's time. Around ten additional houses have been built since 2000, and the land price has rocketed, although planning restrictions are very strict. The church mentioned in the above passage still stands and operates. There are two pubs in the village (The Chestnut Horse and The Cricketers), a small auto-garage and a village hall. The hall performs various functions including crèche services, WI meetings, a pavilion for the village cricket team and is the venue for an annual pantomime. The hall is soon to demolished and rebuilt, using funds from The National Lottery and independent donors.

Many events happen in Easton crèche, including the Annual Pantomime (mentioned above). The pantomime is loved by all members of the village, whether they take part, or go along to support their friends! Another annual event is the summer fete, where stalls are run, produce sold, games played and money raised.