St Mary Bourne is a village and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. It lies on the valley of the Bourne Rivulet, a tributary of the River Test, 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Andover.

Governance

The civil parish of St Mary Bourne is part of the Burghclere, Highclere and St Mary Bourne ward of Basingstoke and Deane borough council. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district of Hampshire County Council. The ward includes Binley, and the hamlets of Swampton and Stoke further up the Bourne rivulet valley.

Geography

The village is in a rural area of downland, with a mixture of farms and woodlands nearby. The Bourne Rivulet flows through the centre of the village and has been known to flood.

Vitacress is an agriculture company headquartered in St Mary Bourne. The business, which was founded in the 1950s by Malcolm Isaac, is Europe's largest provider of watercress and also grows and packages washed rocket, spinach and other salad greens.

Landmarks

It has thatched houses and in the south part of the village is the flint and stone church of St Peter. The church is notable for its 12th-century Tournai font.

Further reading

• Reverend Stephen Pakenham, with additional material by Canon Martin Coppen The Story of St Peter's Church, St Mary Bourne: A Short Guide for Visitors, 2009 (available from the church)
• A Full Church Guide (available from the church)