This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2020) |
Awbridge | |
---|---|
![]() All Saints Church, Awbridge | |
Location within Hampshire | |
Population | 712 (2011 Census) [1] |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ROMSEY |
Postcode district | SO51 |
Dialling code | 01794 |
Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament |
|
Awbridge is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, about three miles northwest of Romsey, and near the River Test. According to the 2001 census the parish, which includes the villages of Awbridge, Upper Ratley and Lower Ratley, had a population of 695, increasing to 712 at the 2011 Census.
It is within walking distance of Kimbridge, Dunbridge and Mottisfont, with Dunbridge providing a railway link to both Salisbury (to the north west) and Southampton (to the south).
Commonly the terms Upper and Lower Ratley are dropped, with locals referring to the entire area as Awbridge. Confusingly, the intersection through the village of its 3 main roads, location of the village school, and previously Post Office, is in Upper Ratley, and is denoted on Maps as such, with the mapped location of Awbridge being further towards Romsey than is generally accepted.
As if this naming ambiguity is not enough, there is often a 'Kent's Oak', listed on maps of the area as if this were also a location in its own right. It is a large oak tree in the corner of the school field, and despite its impressive size and age is no more than a local landmark, and not another village. As well though there exists a fine house, now a home for the elderly named Kent's Oak which was formerly a children's home run by Hampshire County Council. Adjacent is Little Kent's Oak - another house built in later years though of similar appearance yet smaller.
Locally, the name of the village is pronounced 'A-bridge', with the letter 'w' silent. This pronunciation can be the subject of some snobbery (and reverse-snobbery).
Despite the small size of the village, there are a few notable attractions for visitors.
Millennium Circle The Millennium Circle, built by Bryan Raines from 2000 with a diameter exceeding 50 meters, sits on the intersection of two ley lines which are thought by druids to draw power between sites of geographical interest or historical monuments - in this case running between the Isle of Mann and Isle of Wight as well as a ley line from nearby Stonehenge. As a conservationist, Bryan reused builder's rubble to create the stones, arranging them gradually throughout the years to create the henge with stones for key moments in the year such as the summer and winter solstice and spring equinox. [2]
Wildlife Sanctuary Located adjacent to the aforementioned Millennium Circle, the Awbridge Wildlife Sanctuary includes a secluded woodland walking area and pond. [3]
The village church is All Saints Church which was originally designed by John Colson. [4] It was completed in 1876 with construction starting the year before. [4] The church was extended in 1993 [4]
Avebury is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about 5.5 miles (9 km) west of Marlborough and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Devizes. Much of the village is encircled by the prehistoric monument complex also known as Avebury. The parish also includes the small villages of Avebury Trusloe and Beckhampton, and the hamlet of West Kennett.
Romsey is a town in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The town is situated 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Southampton, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Winchester and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Salisbury. It sits on the outskirts of the New Forest, just over 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of its eastern edge. The population of Romsey was 14,768 at the 2011 census.
Nursling is a village in Hampshire, England, situated in the parish of Nursling and Rownhams, about 6 kilometres north-west of the city of Southampton. Formerly called Nhutscelle, then Nutsall, Nutshalling or Nutshullyng until the mid-19th century, it has now been absorbed into the suburbs of Southampton, although it is not officially part of the city.
Test Valley is a local government district with borough status in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. The council is based in the borough's largest town of Andover. The borough also contains the town of Romsey and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. A small part of the borough at its southern end lies within the New Forest National Park, and part of the borough north of Andover lies within the North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Marchwood is a village and civil parish located in Hampshire, England. It lies between Totton and Hythe on the western shore of Southampton Water and directly east of the New Forest. The population of the village in the 2011 census was 6,141.
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is located in the English counties of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. The name North Wessex Downs is not a traditional one, the area covered being better known by various overlapping local names, including the Berkshire Downs, the North Hampshire Downs, the White Horse Hills, the Lambourn Downs, the Marlborough Downs, the Vale of Pewsey and Savernake Forest.
West Overton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Marlborough. The river Kennet runs immediately north of the village, separating it from the A4 road. The parish includes the village of Lockeridge, also near the river, further east (downstream).
Cadnam is a village situated in Hampshire, England, within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park. The village has existed since the medieval period, when it was an important crossroads between Southampton and the towns of Dorset.
Timsbury is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Michelmersh and Timsbury, in the Test Valley district, in Hampshire, England. It is near the town of Romsey, mainly along the A3057 road running north from Romsey towards Stockbridge, and shares a boundary with the village of Michelmersh.
Michelmersh is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Michelmersh and Timsbury, in the Test Valley district, in the county of Hampshire, England. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Romsey.
Minas is the capital of the Lavalleja Department in Uruguay. As of the census of 2011, it is the twelfth-most populated city in the country.
Radway is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) north-west of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. The population taken at the 2011 census had reduced to 238. The village is at the foot of Edge Hill and is notable for the Battle of Edgehill, one of the early major engagements of the English Civil War, which was fought in fields around the village.
Leybourne is a small village and civil parish in Kent, England situated off Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Leybourne is adjacent to New Hythe, Larkfield and West Malling. As of 2020 Leybourne Parish had a population of 4,372.
Fair Oak is a large village to the east of the town of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. Together with the village of Horton Heath, which lies to the south, it is part of the civil parish of Fair Oak and Horton Heath.
Newton Valence is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Alton, just off the A32 road.
North Baddesley is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated 3 mi (5 km) east of the town of Romsey and 6 mi (10 km) north of Southampton. It occupies an area of approximately 9.15 km2 (3.53 sq mi), and is home to a population of just over 10,000 people, reducing to 7,000 at the 2011 Census. It is located in the Test Valley; a river famous for trout fishing.
Owslebury is a village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, in the south of England approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Winchester. It lies within the administrative district of the City of Winchester.
Sway is a village and civil parish in Hampshire in the New Forest national park in England. The civil parish was formed in 1879, when lands were taken from the extensive parish of Boldre. The village has shops and pubs, and a railway station on the South West Main Line from Weymouth and Bournemouth to Southampton and London Waterloo. It is the site of Sway Tower, a 66-metre (217 ft) concrete folly built in the 19th century.
Crawley is a small village in Hampshire, England. It is a few miles from the county town of Winchester. It is a civil parish within the City of Winchester local government district. The village is the location of Crawley Court, currently the headquarters of broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva.