Binsted, Bentley & Selborne

The Binsted, Bentley & Selborne ward encompasses a large rural area in East Hampshire, characterised by farmland, woodland, and scattered villages. The landscape includes parts of the Weald and the Hampshire Downs, with a network of quiet lanes and footpaths. The settlement pattern is defined by these separate historic villages, each with its own community, rather than a single population centre. Agriculture and forestry remain visible land uses across the parish.

The ward is notably associated with the naturalist Gilbert White, whose 18th-century studies in Selborne helped found modern ecology. The area includes ancient woodlands and the distinctive, steep beech hangers on the chalk slopes near Selborne. Local governance focuses on maintaining the rural character, managing development pressures, and supporting community facilities like village halls and churches that serve the dispersed population.