You can get interactive directions to Bishop's Waltham by clicking here.
Settlement of what is now Bishop's Waltham goes back to at least the 7th century AD although it didn't get its name until the 10th century when the manor was given to the Bishop of Winchester. Even though it was razed by the Danes in the 11th century, by the time of the Doomsday book Bishop's Waltham had a population of about 450, far larger than the average village of the time.
Bishop's Waltham Palace was built in the early half of the 12th century and was used as by Henry II in 1182, had Richard the Lionheart stay there in 1194 and saw the death of William of Wykeham in 1404. The most notable chapter of the Palace's history was in 1644 when 200 Royalists were besieged during the Civil War; the following year Cromwell had it destroyed.
For the next 250 years, Bishop's Waltham slowly prospered, increased in population and collected many fine examples of arhitecture: A Grammar School in 1679 and Vernon Hill House in the late 17th century. By 1801, the census recorded a population of 1773, increasing to a little over 3000, a hundred years later. The village gained its first bank in 1809 and the railways arrived in 1863 - though sadly only to last 99 years until 1962.
Through the 20th century, Bishop's Waltham slowly turned into the vibrant village we see today: Mains drainage in the 60s, new houses and car parks in the 70s, and a museum and new school in the 80s.
