Catherington, Blendworth and Lovedean Village Guide

Where are Catherington, Blendworth and Lovedean?

These three smaller villages sit around Horndean on the edge of the South Downs. This guide explains what each village has, which councils cover it, and where its history comes from. It also links to the walking trails the parish council has published.

Which council covers Catherington, Blendworth and Lovedean?

All three are covered by Horndean Parish Council. The parish council's councillors page lists four parish wards: Catherington, Kings and Blendworth, Downs and Murray. It also lists council representatives on the Catherington Village Residents Association and the Lovedean Village Residents Association. For Lovedean, EHDC's major developments page lists a site on James Copse Road, Lovedean, with its parish given as Horndean. EHDC's election results show a district ward called Horndean Catherington and another called Horndean Kings and Blendworth, as set out in our councillors and voting guide. For the district ward that covers Lovedean, check EHDC's Who is my local councillor? page. On 13 November 2025 EHDC designated Horndean as a neighbourhood area, according to its neighbourhood plan page.

What is Catherington known for?

Horndean Parish Council's Catherington Trail map says life in the village centres on the village school, the Farmer Inn, the seasonal village pond and All Saints Church, flanked by Catherington Down and Catherington Lith. It says the church has medieval origins dating to the twelfth century, was restored in the Victorian period, and has a restored wall painting of about 1350 showing St Michael weighing souls. It also says the actor Edmund Kean is buried in the churchyard. The trail map describes Catherington House as a Grade II listed building of the mid eighteenth century, formerly the seat of Admiral Samuel Hood. The church's own page on A Church Near You lists a 9.30am Holy Communion service most Sundays, and gives the address as Catherington Lane, PO8 0TD. It shows the Revd Richard Hutchins as Vicar.

For schools, Ofsted lists Catherington Church of England Infant School at 316 Catherington Lane, PO8 0TD, with an overall outcome of Good from an inspection on 14 May 2024. Kingscourt School is an independent school at Catherington House, 182 Five Heads Road, PO8 9NJ. Ofsted's page shows it as closed to Ofsted inspection because it is now inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. For its fees and current inspection result, check the school's own website and the Independent Schools Inspectorate site.

What are Catherington Lith and Catherington Down?

According to the parish council's conservation areas page, Catherington Lith Local Nature Reserve is a 30 acre ancient woodland between the A3(M) and Catherington Lane, used in the Second World War for evacuation plots for people from Portsmouth. It has remnants of chalk grassland and hosts The Living Woodland Fair each May. The trail map says the Lith is a semi-ancient woodland that was once part of the Forest of Bere and has a sculpture trail. Catherington Down is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest covering 32 acres of chalk grassland, with rare flowers including round-headed rampion, pyramidal orchid and wild thyme. Parsonage Field has its own car park opposite Catherington Infant School and links by footpath to the Down. See our walking routes guide for more.

What is Blendworth, and how does it relate to Horndean?

Blendworth is closely tied to Horndean village centre. The parish council's Blendworth Trail map covers both Blendworth and Horndean village centre, with suggested trails of 1.5, 2.2 and 2.4 kilometres. It says Holy Trinity Church dates to 1851, designed by the Habershon practice along with its rectory, and that the churchyard includes Second World War and Commonwealth war graves. The same map describes the old Blendworth church of St Giles falling out of use once the larger Holy Trinity replaced it in the mid 1800s, and being demolished by the 1960s, leaving the foundations visible. The Holy Trinity page on A Church Near You says the church is about 400 metres from the centre of Horndean, forms one of three churches in its benefice with St Michael's, Chalton and St Hubert's, Idsworth, and holds a service most Sundays at 11am.

Historically, Blendworth had its own parish. Rowlands Castle Parish Council's history page says the Parish of Rowlands Castle was formed in 1932 from Blendworth Parish, Idsworth Parish and parts of five others. Today Blendworth is part of Horndean parish for the parish council, and its trail map names the nearby St Hubert's Chapel at Idsworth as Grade I listed and dating to at least 1053.

What about Lovedean?

Lovedean is a village on Lovedean Lane. Wikipedia says the name comes from a 1594 marriage, when Isabel Norton married Thomas Loveden and part of the Manor of Catherington came with her dowry. The Catherington Trail map notes that the steep scarp slope of the South Downs lines Lovedean Lane, with footpaths climbing toward Broadhalfpenny Down. The parish council's proposed developments page links a Taylor Wimpey presentation for Oakwood Rise, Lovedean. For village halls, see our community halls and clubs guide.

Quick answers

Which parish council covers Catherington and Blendworth? Horndean Parish Council has a Catherington Ward and a Kings and Blendworth Ward.

Is Lovedean part of Horndean parish? EHDC's major developments page lists a Lovedean site as being in Horndean parish.

What is Catherington Lith? A 30 acre ancient woodland local nature reserve, with a Living Woodland Fair each May, according to the parish council.

When was Holy Trinity Church, Blendworth built? The parish council's trail map says 1851.