Aldermaston Soke
Encyclopedia
Aldermaston Soke is a hamlet
in England
that lies on the county boundary between Berkshire
and Hampshire
, and is administratively part of the civil parish
of Mortimer West End
, which was transferred from Berkshire to Hampshire in 1879.
(Roman Calleva Atrebatum). The modern road follows the course of a Roman road through the hamlet, diverging either side of it. It has been suggested that the dampness of the ground led to a short section of Roman road remaining in use in Aldermaston Soke as a causeway through the valley bottom.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that lies on the county boundary between Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and is administratively part of the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Mortimer West End
Mortimer West End
Mortimer West End is a village and civil parish in north Hampshire in England.At one time it was the Hampshire part of the cross-county parish of Stratfield Mortimer . It became an independent ecclesiastical parish in 1870 - the church of St Saviour having been built in 1854 - and a civil parish in...
, which was transferred from Berkshire to Hampshire in 1879.
Archaeological interest
The settlement lies on marshy ground at the bottom of a valley, very near SilchesterSilchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
(Roman Calleva Atrebatum). The modern road follows the course of a Roman road through the hamlet, diverging either side of it. It has been suggested that the dampness of the ground led to a short section of Roman road remaining in use in Aldermaston Soke as a causeway through the valley bottom.
Botanical interest
The damp ground also makes the location of interest to botanists, as a number of plant species that are rare in Britain have been attested here:- Hypericum maculatum (a species of St John's wortSt John's wortSt John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed....
) - Viola palustris (Marsh violet)
- Lythrum portula (a species of LoosestrifeLoosestrifeLoosestrife is the common name of a number of different flowering plants. The species belong to two taxonomic genera, Lythrum, within the family Lythraceae, and Lysimachia, within the family Primulaceae.Lythrum species known as loosestrife include:...
) - Hieracium umbellatum and
- Hieracium acuminatum (two species of HawkweedHawkweedHawkweed refers to any species in the very large genus Hieracium and its segregate genus Pilosella, in the sunflower family ....
) - Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchidSouthern Marsh-orchidThe Southern Marsh Orchid or Leopard Marsh Orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid....
)
External links
- Ordnance surveyOrdnance SurveyOrdnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map showing Aldermaston Soke and course of the Roman road, at www.streetmap.co.uk. Accessed 10 February 2008.