Circuit 26-6
Superintendent Minister
Revd Andrew Baguley
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Meon Valley

The last Bishop of Winchester to reside at Bishop's Waltham left in a dung cart disguised as a farm labourer! He was escaping from Oliver Cromwell's troops after unsuccessfully defending his palace, which was torn down and never rebuilt. Bishop's Waltham was at the peak of its importance during the medieval period when it was the seat of the bishops of Winchester. The palace once stood in an enormous park of some 10,000 acres. Most of the remains to be seen today date from the 12th and 14th centuries. There are substantial parts of the Great Hall and three-storey tower, and the moat which once surrounded the palace can be seen in places. A brick wall which once encircled the palace is still in place. Nearby is the abbot's fish pond.

The Circuit is set in the beautiful Meon Valley and extends from the village of Hambledon in the east to Shirrell Heath in the west. Other village chapels serve Soberton Heath (with Soberton and Newtown) and Swanmore . The growing residential area of Waltham Chase is served by a modem worship centre from which many ministries reach into the community. The town church of Bishops Waltham is a joint Methodist/URC witness. The Circuit enjoys excellent relationships with the Anglican Deanery and the Catholic and independent churches. There is a strong Churches Together.  The circuit is pioneering new forms of Church in nearby Wickham and through a parallel congregation at Hambledon. The circuit churches have strong missionary links through members serving abroad.

Almighty God, release the river of your Spirit through the Meon Valley