IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Street, ALTON, GU34 3JH

Contrasting building styles in Selborne's main street, opposite the Gilbert White Museum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selborne

Home, and now museum, for the famous naturalist Gilbert White (1730-93). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selborne

The full title of Gilbert White's famous book is "The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne" although the antiquities section is often omitted (see shared description below). Seen here is the original manuscript, preserved at The Wakes - Gilbert's birthplace and latterly his home for many years, and where this book was written.

East and West Plestor Cottages are listed together by English Heritage as Grade II buildings, see http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1094532&searchtype=mapsearch Though now just two properties, they were originally a row of three cottages and date from the mid C18th. They are adjacent to Image] and close to Image The photo was taken from beside one of the gates into the churchyard. The Green in front of these cottages and the church is called The Plestor.

Plestor House is on the corner of the High Street and the path to the church in Selborne. It is EH Grade II listed http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1175030&searchtype=mapsearch and dates originally from the late C18th with some alterations dating from c.1900 To its left (behind it in the photo) is another pair of Grade II listed buildings, Image] The house and cottages take their name from "The Plestor", the Green in front of the church onto which they front.

The famous naturalist Gilbert White was curate of Selborne and lived here at "The Wakes" for many years, including those when he wrote "The Natural History of Selborne". "The Wakes" is the large area of land to the southwest of the house, although the house itself shares the same name. It dates originally from the C16th, although it has had many additions and modifications up until the C19th. It is EH Grade I listed http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1174798&searchtype=mapsearch The parkland ("The Wakes") has a separate EH listing http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1000871&searchtype=mapsearch The house itself now houses a museum, not only celebrating the life and work of White, but also of two C19th/20th explorers, Frank Oates (1840-75) and his nephew Captain Lawrence Oates (1880-1912). The latter perished on the ill-fated Scott expedition to the South Pole, leaving the hut in which they were sheltering with the famous words “I am just going outside and may be some time.” For Gilbert White & his masterwork, see shared description below:

The former home of the naturalist Gilbert White in Selborne is now a museum to his life and work, and also houses a museum to the memory of Lawrence Oates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Oates the Antarctic explorer who perished on the ill-fated Scott expedition and also to his uncle, Frank Oates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oates who explored Africa, and died there of a fever. A member of the Oates family bought the house and presented it to the village as a museum which is why his relations are also commemorated here.