| Leckford | |
|---|---|
 A3057 through Leckford village centre | |
  Leckford Location within Hampshire | |
| Population | 136 [1] 133 (2011 Census) [2] |
| OS grid reference | SU374377 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STOCKBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | SO20 |
| Dialling code | 01264 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Leckford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It lies on the eastern bank of the River Test just to the south of its confluence with the River Anton, to the east of Longstock and south of Chilbolton. The parish has a population of around 136. [1]
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government, they are a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of ecclesiastical parishes which historically played a role in both civil and ecclesiastical administration; civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in the 19th century and are now entirely separate. The unit was devised and rolled out across England in the 1860s.
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England. The county town is the city of Winchester. Its two largest cities, Southampton and Portsmouth, are administered separately as unitary authorities; the rest of the county is governed by Hampshire County Council.
The River Test is a river in Hampshire, England. It has a total length of 40 miles (64 km) and it flows through downland from its source near Ashe to its estuary at Southampton, where it converges with the River Itchen to form Southampton Water. In its upper reaches it is a chalk stream, and is used for fly fishing for trout. Much of the river's course is followed by the Test Way.
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The parish church, St Nicholas's has a 13th-century core, rebuilt in the 16th century and much restored since. Leckford was on the Andover Canal, which later became the Andover and Redbridge Railway, but did not have a station. The route through Leckford today is used by the Test Way long-distance footpath. In the Second World War, Leckford shared a boundary with Chilbolton Aerodrome, which was used by the Allied air forces in the later days of World War II.
The Victorian restoration was the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. It was not the same process as is understood today by the term building restoration.
The Andover Canal was a canal built in Hampshire, England. It ran 22 miles (35 km) from Andover to Redbridge through Stockbridge and Romsey. The canal had a fall of 179 feet (55 m) through 24 locks, and for much of its length paralleled the River Anton and River Test. It opened in 1794, but was never a commercial success. The only dividend paid to shareholders was in 1859, using the proceeds from the sale of the canal to the London and South Western Railway, who bought it to lay a railway line along much of its course. The railway line is now also defunct.
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the common name of the Andover to Redbridge railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, England. It was built by the Andover and Redbridge Railway, which was incorporated in 1858. In 1863 the uncompleted railway was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) who opened the line in 1865 and operated it until 1923 when the LSWR amalgamated with several other railways to create the Southern Railway (SR); in 1948 the SR itself amalgamated with other railways to form British Railways. The line was closed by the Beeching cuts in 1967.
The parish contains the Leckford Estate, owned by the John Lewis Partnership.
The John Lewis Partnership plc (JLP) is a British company which operates John Lewis & Partners department stores, Waitrose & Partners supermarkets, its banking and financial services, and other retail-related activities. The company is owned by a trust on behalf of all its employees — known as Partners – who have a say in the running of the business, and bonus, akin to a share of the profit. JLP group is the third largest UK non-traded company by sales in the Sunday Times Top Track 100 for 2016. The chain's image is upmarket, and it appeals strongly to middle- and upper-class shoppers. Recently, however, John Lewis has broadened its marketing strategy towards all types of buyers, with the introduction of the 'Value' range to John Lewis and the 'Essential' range to Waitrose, and the expansion of the business.
