Baughurst, right on Hampshire's most northerly border, sits between the town of Tadley and the vast complex of the Aldermaston atomic weapons establishment. The parish includes both urban and rural areas, with a population around 2000 people.
 
The Hurst Community School has more than 800 pupils from 11 to 16 and is "a very good school" according to OFSTED (May 2001).