Itchen Stoke and Ovington

Itchen Stoke and Ovington

River Itchen, Ovington

Cottages at Itchen Stoke
Itchen Stoke and Ovington
 Itchen Stoke and Ovington shown within Hampshire
Population 373 [1]
OS grid referenceSU5594132397
Civil parishItchen Stoke and Ovington
DistrictWinchester
Shire countyHampshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town ALRESFORD
Postcode district SO24
Dialling code 01962
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentWinchester
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°05′17″N 1°12′09″W / 51.0881°N 1.2026°W / 51.0881; -1.2026Itchen Stoke and Ovington is a civil parish formed of two adjoining villages in Hampshire, England 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Alresford town centre in the valley of the River Itchen, 5 miles (8.0 km) north east of Winchester, and 2 miles (3.2 km) south east of Itchen Abbas.

Itchen Stoke

The village population is 210, including Abbotstone.[1] Its most notable building is the Church of St Mary, a redundant Anglican church built by the civil engineer and architect Henry Conybeare in 1856, now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is in an early French style, Grade II* listed and made of brown and grey rubble stone with limestone dressings.[2]

History

The manor of Itchen Stoke was granted to the Bishop of Winchester by King Edgar in 960.[3] The Domesday Book records the manor as having passed to Romsey Abbey, who retained it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It then passed to Sir William Paulet, later the first Marquess of Winchester and stayed with his family until the time of the Commonwealth. Itchen Stoke Mill (with attached miller's cottage) is of ancient origin. The current building dates from the 18th century and straddles the mill race.[4] Itchen Stoke House is 19th-century, has nine bays and is central with small grounds; this being the former rectory.[5]

Abbotstone

This outlying north-east hamlet comprises a few houses and has a population of 32.[1] [6] It was formerly in its own civil parish[6] and lies along the Ellisfield to Itchen Abbas portion of the Three Castles Path[7] Abbotstone contains an abandoned medieval village,[7] with further details at the charity English Heritage's website [8] and evidence of fortifications,[6] as well as several abandoned quarries.[6][9]

The traveller Celia Fiennes, who made extensive tours riding side-saddle, passed through "Aberstone" in 1691. She noticed the house of the Duke of Bolton "which stands on the side of a hill where are fine Gardens and much fruite."[10]

Ovington

The village on the opposite south bank, of the River Itchen, known upstream as the River Alre in New Alresford and Old Alresford has a population of 163[1] and has several homes including an Old Rectory.[11] Its largest building in the central area is Ovington House, of no great antiquity but whose North Lodge is listed as Grade II.[12]

Its church is dedicated to St Peter and is Grade II listed.[13]

Extending to the far south into the South Downs National Park the parish reaches a Scheduled ancient rectangular enclosure.[8]

History

The name appears in the Domesday Book as "Ofinetune", which means "the place above" in Old English.[14]

The revenues from the manor at Ovington supported Itchen's nuns until 1284 when it was sold to the monks of St. Swithun's Priory, Winchester Cathedral. On the Dissolution of the monasteries (1534–61), it was transferred to the newly formed Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral. The manorial rights were in dispute in 1855–59 between the Baroness van Zandt and the Bishop of Winchester. After this was resolved, it became the property of the Hewson family.[3]

Amenities

The village is noted for the Bush Inn at Ovington, a bed-and-breakfast and Gastro pub.[15][16]

Governance

The area in elections every four years elects one representative to Hampshire County Council, this is currently:

ElectionMember[17]Ward
2009 Jackie PorterItchen Valley

The area elects one representative to the City of Winchester District Council, currently:

ElectionMember[18]Ward
2010 Kim Gottlieb Itchen Valley

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Census data
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1095286)". National Heritage List for England.
  3. 1 2 "Itchen Stoke and Ovington". Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1095289)". National Heritage List for England.
  5. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1095287)". National Heritage List for England.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Page, William, ed. (1911) "Parishes: Itchen Stoke with Abbotstone" The Victoria History of the County of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constable, London, Vol. 4, pp. 192–95, OCLC 277849363
  7. 1 2 Leapman, Michael (26 September 1993) "Travel: In the footsteps of King John; Juggling route maps and rail timetables, Michael Leapman walks the Three Castles Path from Windsor to Winchester" The Independent London, Sunday Review section, p. 75.
  8. 1 2 Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1001803)". National Heritage List for England.
  9. ↑ "Hampshire County Council's legal record of public rights of way in Hampshire" (PDF). 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  10. ↑ The Journeys of Celia Fiennes, ed. Christopher Morris (London: The Cresset Press, 1959).
  11. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1155202)". National Heritage List for England.
  12. ↑ 1095294
  13. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1095292)". National Heritage List for England.
  14. ↑ "Article". Southern Life. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  15. ↑ B&B directory
  16. ↑ Owner's website
  17. ↑ Hampshire County Councillors. Retrieved 2012-05-30
  18. ↑ City of Winchester members. Retrieved 2012-05-30

External links

Media related to Itchen Stoke at Wikimedia Commons

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