Bishop's Waltham

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Bishop's Waltham
Market town
Bishop's Waltham High Street
Bishop's Waltham Location within Hampshire
Population	6,723 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid reference	SU554174
District	City of Winchester
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Southampton
Postcode district	SO32
Dialling code	01489
Police	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Winchester
List of places UK England Hampshire 50°57′13″N 1°12′42″W / 50.9536°N 1.2118°W / 50.9536; -1.2118

Bishop's Waltham (or Bishops Waltham) is a medieval market town situated at the source of the River Hamble in Hampshire, England.^[2] It has a foot in the South Downs National Park and is located at the midpoint of a long-established route between Winchester and Portsmouth. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, a Scheduled Ancient Monument under English Heritage management, and a well-preserved high street with many listed buildings which now house independent shops.

Bishop's Waltham's long history includes a roll call of Medieval and Tudor kings and queens who visited the town to stay at the palace. The name of the town is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words: "wald" (forest) and "ham" (settlement).^[3]

Modern day Bishop's Waltham has a population of over 6,723^[4] and is the largest settlement in the Winchester district outside the city itself. It is home to an infant and junior school.