Yateley Named Hampshire Village of the Year 2026

Yateley has been named joint winner of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Village of the Year 2026, and took the Best Youth Initiative Award on the same night.

Yateley Town Council announced the news on 29 September, after an awards evening hosted by Elvetham Heath Parish Council. Yateley shared first place with another community, and neighbouring Eversley had a good night too, picking up two awards and a runner-up place.

What the judges saw in Yateley

The judges were impressed by the sheer range of activities, facilities and initiatives across the town. They also picked out something harder to measure: the pride people take in Yateley, and the way groups work together.

The Best Youth Initiative Award recognises the opportunities and support on offer to young people in the town.

The council was clear about who deserves the credit. It thanked residents, volunteers, local organisations, schools, businesses, sports clubs and community groups, saying the awards “belong to all of you”.

A town that runs on community spirit

Anyone who lives here will recognise what the judges were talking about. On any given week in Yateley you’ll find:

• volunteers fixing broken lamps and toasters at the monthly Repair Cafe
• the Chatty Cafe at Yateley Industries, where a table is set aside for anyone happy to talk
• Hart Health Walks setting off from St Peter’s Church every Wednesday morning
• the Yateley & District Lions organising the fireworks, the Christmas Market and the May Fayre

Then there’s the setting. Yateley Common Country Park covers more than 400 acres of heath, woodland and ponds, and is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for rare wildlife such as the Dartford warbler. Few towns have that much open space on the doorstep.

If you’d like to see more of what’s going on, our What’s On in Yateley guide lists the town’s events for autumn and winter 2026, from the Fireworks Fiesta on 7 November to the Christmas Market on 28 November.

Why it matters to us

Lilyford is a family-run Hampshire developer, and we chose Yateley for Gayton House for exactly the reasons the judges gave. It’s a town where you can walk to the shops, the pub and the green, and where there’s always something happening if you want to join in.

Gayton House is a collection of just 22 apartments for the over 60s, in the heart of Yateley. For anyone thinking about their next move, it’s a chance to stay part of a community that has just been recognised as one of the best in the county.

Congratulations, Yateley. The award is well earned.

Find out more about Gayton House.