NAMING the roads for the new housing estate to be built off Ramshill has certainly aroused interest among Petersfield residents.

Chairman of the town council planning committee, Mary Vincent, asked for suggestions and she has received many letters covering a wide range of ideas.

Nearly all of Ms VincentÕs correspondents wanted names that had a connection with Petersfield. As one writer put it ÒThis idea has real meaning for the town Ð unlike the naming of the estate off The Causeway with river names from anywhere in the country Ð many not even in the county.Ó

PetersfieldÕs French twin town, Barentin, and names associated with it, the people and ships associated with Trafalgar and former headmasters of ChurcherÕs College were the first ideas to come forward.

They were joined by names of people who had contributed to or been part of the life of the town in the past.

Special mention was made of Charlie Dickins, Hector Doughty, Frederick Ashdown, Edward Thomas, Edward Barnsley, Flora Twort, Anthony Trollope, Alec Guinness and John Goodyer.

Samuel Pepys stayed at the White Hart, now Winton House, which is a reason for using his diaries to provide names. Nevil Shute was a friend of Flora Twort, and characters from his books could also be used for the roads.

Hampshire villages ending in ÒtonÓ such as Buriton, Chalton, Cheriton and Catherington was another suggestion put forward.

One other idea noted that the building of the new Ramshill development could coincide with PetersfieldÕs inclusion in the new South Downs National Park. The new roads could then be named after existing national parks such as Brecon, Dartmoor, Peaks and Dales.

Ms Vincent said she was delighted with the response and all the letters have been passed to East Hampshire district council who are responsible for the final choice of names.