Whitsbury

thumb|left|The Cartwheel inn Whitsbury is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, close to Fordingbridge. Whitsbury is a part of a group of villages on the edge of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

==Overview== The village of Whitsbury consists of a straggling village street running roughly north/south with timbered and thatched houses. The parish was originally in Wiltshire, but was transferred to Hampshire in 1895. There are several tumuli on Whitsbury Down and an Iron Age hillfort, known as Whitsbury Castle, overlooks the village. The land rises generally from south to north, reaching a height of 120 metres at Whitsbury Castle Ditches, and Iron Age hill fort. Whitsbury Wood and Whitsbury Common are to the east and south of the village respectively. The only inn in the village is the Cartwheel Inn. There used to be a shop, a small post office, and a village school, located just to the south of Major's Farm. The school was demolished during the 1950s and there is no sign of it now. The main employment is based upon the very successful equine and agricultural industry, comprising 4 major yards of racing stables, stud. Consequently, the people-intense nature of these businesses has allowed Whitsbury to retain a charm that has been lost in many other villages and communities. William Hill, of betting shop fame, owned a stud farm in Whitsbury, and is buried in Whitsbury. The Gold Cup winner Desert Orchid was trained in Whitsbury.