Kingsclere and Whitchurch Rural District

51.32330°N 1.24889°W / 51.32330; -1.24889

Kingsclere and Whitchurch
Rural district
Area
• 1951	77,394 acres (313.2 km2)
Population
• 1939	17,791
• 1971	27,545
History
• Created	1 April 1932
• Abolished	31 March 1974
• Succeeded by	Basingstoke and Deane
Status	Rural district
• HQ	Kingsclere
Contained within
• County	Hampshire

Kingsclere and Whitchurch Rural District was a rural district between 1932 and 1974 in Hampshire, England.

The district was formed as a merger of the abolished Kingsclere Rural District, centred on Kingsclere, and Whitchurch Rural District, centred on Whitchurch.

Kingsclere and Whitchurch Rural District was in turn abolished in 1974, with its area becoming part of Basingstoke District, which was renamed Basingstoke and Deane in 1978.^[1]

Premises

The council had its offices in a converted and extended early eighteenth century house at 24 Swan Street in Kingsclere.^[2]

Parishes

The district contained the following civil parishes:^[3]

• Ashmansworth
• Baughurst
• Burghclere
• East Woodhay
• Ecchinswell and Sydmonton
• Highclere
• Hurstbourne Priors
• Kingsclere
• Laverstoke
• Litchfield and Woodcott
• Newtown
• Overton
• St Mary Bourne
• Tadley
• Whitchurch

Character

The northern part of the district was within the North Wessex Downs, which was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty shortly before the council's abolition.^[4] The district included Highclere Castle.