St. Matthew's Church Blackmoor & Whitehill

When the Curate George Jelf became first Vicar in 1869 there were a few small hamlets in his new parish. Whitehill would have had a few big houses.

The post 1945 era saw the beginnings of what is now a considerable expansion of the village of Whitehill. The latest developments, since 1970, have brought the population to well over 4000. The area known as Bordon - after Bordon army camp - has developed more, and the two villages have grown into each other. However, Whitehill is in the parish of Blackmoor & Whitehill in the Portsmouth Diocese and Bordon is a separate parish in the Guildford Diocese.

Before leaving Blackmoor visitors might like to wander a few steps in both directions!

As you come out of the churchyard, on your right is the village war memorial in the form of cloisters (pictured above). Next, you come to what was the School House, and the old school building (now used as a village hall).

In the other direction, to the south of the church you pass some cottages built in the 1970s, and then the original estate cottages. The end one is still called 'Nurse's Cottage'. Just beyond, you see the familiar shape of a hop kiln, now part of a private house and also incorporating other farm buildings. On the far side of the road are two buildings-, that behind a high stone wall is the present Vicarage, that to the left was the Vicarage until a few years ago. The smaller building had been the Vicarage Stable block.

The new School (Church Aided) was built in the 1960s, and lies down the road to your left as you face the Vicarage, about a quarter of a mile. It serves the children of Blackmoor and of part of Whitehill (also in the Church's Parish), as well as other children of St. Matthew's.