Andover Charlton & Bourne Valley

Charlton & Bourne Valley is a ward on the northern edge of Andover in the Test Valley borough. The Charlton portion contains mainly housing estates, a primary school, and a small local centre serving day-to-day needs. Street patterns and community facilities reflect postwar and later development around older lanes that link into Andover town. Local governance sits with Test Valley Borough Council and parish arrangements for some community services remain in place.

The Bourne Valley runs through the area as a corridor of water channels, meadows and wetland pockets. Paths follow the stream and round former gravel pits known locally as Charlton Lakes, offering access for walking and informal wildlife observation. The valley supports wet grassland and reedbed patches that change with the seasons and help manage local surface water. The combination of residential neighbourhoods and accessible green space gives the ward its character within Test Valley and provides a clear edge between built-up Andover and the surrounding countryside.