On the Real Watership Down
Newtown Church
The Sandleford rabbits pass through the grounds of a beautiful rural church south of Newbury.
‘Well, it will be dark soon,’ said Hazel. ‘Come on, let’s get across. As far as I can see, this road’s no good to us at all. Now that I’ve learnt about it, I want to get away from it as soon as I can.’
By moonrise they had made their way through Newtown churchyard, where a little brook runs between the lawns and under the path.
Chapter Ten—The Road and the Common.
With darkness approaching, the rabbits cross to the eastern side of the road. From here they head east-northeast—presumably offroad—and make their way into the grounds of St Mary the Virgin and St John the Baptist Church.
The graveyard is bisected by a gentle, trickling brook. The rabbits would have made their way over the water by crossing a small culvert close to the south-eastern end of the church.
The brook in Newtown Churchyard.
The church is of Anglican denomination and was constructed in 1865 on the site of a medieval chapel. It is worth stepping inside, both for the attractive architecture and visitors book. It seems there have been a fair few Watership Down lovers to have passed through the entrance door over the past few years.
Enthusiasts of the 1978 film will recall the eerie scene as the nervous rabbits pass the south-western corner of the church in the darkness. Having made a very brief stop to experience this location one gloomy December teatime in 2024, I can confirm it is equally as creepy in real life! And yes, the animators did portray the rabbits passing through the church grounds in the correct direction!
The south-west corner of Newtown Church.
The same view represented in the film.
The film also relocates the scene of the attack by rats to an outbuilding in the churchyard. No such building, if there ever was one, can be found today.
Gallery
Entering the churchyard from the B4640.
The rabbits would have entered through the hedgerow on the right.
