Welcome to Binsted Village Home Page

 

The original of Binsted Village's weathercock logo lives on the tower of our 12th-century church.  He's there to show website visitors which way the wind blows in Binsted. 

Our village landscape inspires and continually renews the community of residents and friends of Binsted.  We also welcome the many friendly visitors who come for a walk through Binsted into our National Park woodland, a meal in the Black Horse, or a stay in the B&B, or to the Church, the Binsted Strawberry Fair, Arts Weekend...

Binsted's red rooster crows to make people aware, and to help
them enjoy, this once ordinary, now extraordinary, lovely place. 

Renowned writer and journalist Valerie Grove says of our village:  "Binsted is a wonderful, mystical place, a little gem held in the past, vitally important in the life story of Laurie Lee, most of whose poems were  inspired here.  Here is an extraordinary example of a parish unblemished by the modern world, with woodlands and wildflower meadows, and the exquisite little Norman church whose timeless quietness and beauty must surely be left undisturbed in the 21st century." 

Here is a video made in 2022 by a historian about our lovely Grade II* listed 12th-century church.  This is the short version video: a facinating longer film version can be watched on this link.  The 'Grey' Arundel Bypass route would be 70 metres from the churchyard, raised up on a viaduct, destroying its ancient tranquility and with it the thousand-year life of the community that has lived farmed married and died here.  

Another recent feature of Binsted's cultural heritage is our carved oak Waymarker.  It can be found beside a winterbourne stream at a junction of old ways in the central fields of this scattered-settlement parish.  It celebrates Binsted's folklore and biodiversity.  Richard Vobes speaks of Binsted's "ancient waymarkers" but of course this was more recently carved by a local artist; our truly ancient waymarkers are the centuries-old pollarded oaks and beeches in key locations including on Parish Boundary Banks.  

The video below was made by www.droneswork.co.uk in 2018, when Binsted Village was threatened by 'Option 5A' for the Arundel Bypass, to help people see why Binsted is so well loved and should be protected. Highways England's present Preferred Route, the 'Grey' route, takes an altered route which is even more destructive; the video still gives a good idea of Binsted's village and landscape, and of what would be lost if severance, noise and pollution destroy the peace it has known for more than a millennium.