Ashley, West Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Ashley is a village located in the southwest of Hampshire
, England
. It lies on the eastern outskirts of New Milton
in the New Forest district
, and is two miles (3 km) inland from the sea
. Its history dates back to the Domesday book
of 1086, when two estates were recorded. In the 15th century much of Ashley merged with a neighbouring manor, and the estate became known as Ashley Arnewood. As a village, Ashley began to develop in the 19th century when a church and a school were built. Most of the current village was built in the 20th century, and today Ashley is effectively a suburb of New Milton.
s were found in gravel excavated from the gravel pits at Ashley, and are now in the Red House Museum in Christchurch
. A third axe was found in 1962.
of 1086, two estates, Esselie and Esselei, are recorded. The first was possessed by "Nigel the doctor" from Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
; before 1066 it had been held by Saewulf. The other estate was in 1086 held by the sons of Godric Malf, who had himself held it from the king prior to 1066. Ashley was probably included in the grant of Christchurch
made by Henry I
to Richard de Redvers
, because his successor Earl William in about 1200 granted an estate there in free marriage to Hawise the wife of William Avenel. She gave it to her son Nicholas, on whose death it went to his son William Avenel. He held it as the manor of Ashley, and when he died without children in 1253 it passed to the Crown
. It was granted in the following year to Thomas Waleran in recognition of the good service rendered by him in Gascony
, but in 1263 it was again in the hands of the lord of Christchurch, because Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon
, died in possession of it in that year. At the beginning of the 14th century Reginald de Bettesthorne had lands in Ashley worth 5 shilling
s yearly.
in Warwickshire
, was Groom of the Bedchamber and favourite courtier of Henry VIII
. Other estates which came into his possession include the New Forest manors of Bisterne
and Minstead
.
The manors of Arnewood and Ashley remained in the Compton family up to the 17th century, but by 1632 it was in the possession of Roger Tulse. In 1670 it belonged to George Stanley, and an estate in north-east Ashley is still called Stanleys. In 1803 William Ireland and his wife Betty transferred the manor of Ashley Arnewood to Richard Randell. In 1845, the politician John Arthur Roebuck
purchased Ashley Arnewood, which is described as having 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land attached to it. Because of his engagements in London, much of the actual farming at Ashley Arnewood was conducted by his wife until they chose to sell the estate in 1854. The estate was later purchased by the political philosopher and author Auberon Herbert
in the 1870's and he lived there until his wife's death in 1886. The old manor house of Ashley Arnewood still survives on the western side of Ashley, although today it is a nursing home
.
chapel was constructed at Ashley in 1817. The Baptist church has been rebuilt twice, the first time in 1897, and the second time in 1993. The first Anglican
church was built in 1904. It was replaced by a new building in 1957, and is dedicated to Saint Peter
. The bell in St Peter's church is much older than the church, and dates from 1593.
Ashley Great and Little Commons
were inclosed in 1862. The population of Ashley in the 1860s was just over 500 people. William Charles Retford
, who became a maker of violin bows
, was born in Ashley in 1875. He would later publish his memories of growing up in Ashley:
A school was built at Ashley in 1879, at the west end of Hare Lane. In its final years it was used as a special school, but it was closed in 1987 and demolished soon afterwards. In 1939, a secondary school
was built at Ashley ("Ashley County Secondary School"). The school was merged with the nearby New Milton school ("Arnewood") in 1970, and shortly afterwards Ashley school became a junior school
.
Famous residents of Ashley have included the writers Laurence Housman
and his sister Clemence Housman
, who lived at Ashley between 1913 and 1924.
In World War II
, two fortified bunkers known as pillboxes
were built in Ashley to defend against a possible German invasion by sea. One of these pillboxes can still be seen in a field in Lower Ashley today. One other relic from World War II is visible on the northeastern corner of Ashley Crossroads. The car repair workshop there was originally one of the aircraft hangar
s at RAF Beaulieu
.
For decades a major industry in the area has been gravel
extraction. New Milton Sand and Ballast has been extracting gravel from gravel pit
s in south Ashley since before 1950.
Because Ashley has no defined boundary the modern population of Ashley can only be estimated, but the population in the 2001 census
was approximately 4500 people.
, pharmacy
, four Take-Away food restaurants, two hairdressers, and a physiotherapy store, is located next to Ashley Crossroads. Close to the shops is a pub
known as the Ashley Hotel. Another pub, The Oak and Yaffle, is located in the north of the village. A large recreation
ground is located close to the centre of Ashley, and is home to New Milton and District Rugby Club. Two primary schools are located in Ashley, and are known as Ashley Infant school and Ashley Junior school.
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...
, 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...
. It lies on the eastern outskirts of New Milton
New Milton
New Milton is a market town in south west Hampshire, England. The town has a high street and holds a market every Wednesday. Situated on the edge of the New Forest, the town is about 6 miles west of Lymington town centre and 12 miles east of Bournemouth town centre.-History:New Milton dates back...
in the New Forest district
New Forest (district)
New Forest is a local government district in Hampshire, England. It is named after the New Forest.It was created on 1 April 1974, and was a merger of the borough of Lymington, New Forest Rural District and part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District....
, and is two miles (3 km) inland from the sea
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. Its history dates back to the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, when two estates were recorded. In the 15th century much of Ashley merged with a neighbouring manor, and the estate became known as Ashley Arnewood. As a village, Ashley began to develop in the 19th century when a church and a school were built. Most of the current village was built in the 20th century, and today Ashley is effectively a suburb of New Milton.
Prehistory
Humans have lived in the Ashley area for thousands of years. Two Palaeolithic hand axeHand axe
A hand axe is a bifacial Stone tool typical of the lower and middle Palaeolithic , and is the longest-used tool of human history.-Distribution:...
s were found in gravel excavated from the gravel pits at Ashley, and are now in the Red House Museum in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. A third axe was found in 1962.
Early history
The name Ashley means "ash wood/clearing". In the Domesday bookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, two estates, Esselie and Esselei, are recorded. The first was possessed by "Nigel the doctor" from Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger de Montgomerie , also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy...
; before 1066 it had been held by Saewulf. The other estate was in 1086 held by the sons of Godric Malf, who had himself held it from the king prior to 1066. Ashley was probably included in the grant of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
made by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
to Richard de Redvers
Richard de Redvers
Richard de Redvers was a Norman nobleman, from Reviers in Normandy, who may have been one of the companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England from 1066...
, because his successor Earl William in about 1200 granted an estate there in free marriage to Hawise the wife of William Avenel. She gave it to her son Nicholas, on whose death it went to his son William Avenel. He held it as the manor of Ashley, and when he died without children in 1253 it passed to the Crown
Crown Estate
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
. It was granted in the following year to Thomas Waleran in recognition of the good service rendered by him in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, but in 1263 it was again in the hands of the lord of Christchurch, because Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon and Lord of the Isle was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon and Amicia de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford. He succeeded at the age of ten....
, died in possession of it in that year. At the beginning of the 14th century Reginald de Bettesthorne had lands in Ashley worth 5 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s yearly.
Ashley Arnewood
At a later date the manor of Ashley was joined with part of another manor to the east called Arnewood, the combination of the two being known as the manor of Ashley Arnewood. Katherine, the daughter of Sir Maurice Berkeley, at her death in 1494 owned the land in Arnewood together with an estate in West and East Ashley, all of which passed to her daughter Warborough, who became the wife of Sir William Compton. William Compton, whose family seat was in Compton WynyatesCompton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house, an example of Tudor architecture, is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action in the Civil War, half...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, was Groom of the Bedchamber and favourite courtier of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Other estates which came into his possession include the New Forest manors of Bisterne
Bisterne
Bisterne is a hamlet in the civil parish of Ringwood in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Ringwood, which lies to the north.-History:...
and Minstead
Minstead
Minstead is a small village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, about north of Lyndhurst. There is a shop and a pub, the Trusty Servant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's grave is under a large tree at the back of the 13th century All Saints' church.-Overview:Minstead is a small village and...
.
The manors of Arnewood and Ashley remained in the Compton family up to the 17th century, but by 1632 it was in the possession of Roger Tulse. In 1670 it belonged to George Stanley, and an estate in north-east Ashley is still called Stanleys. In 1803 William Ireland and his wife Betty transferred the manor of Ashley Arnewood to Richard Randell. In 1845, the politician John Arthur Roebuck
John Arthur Roebuck
John Arthur Roebuck , British politician, was born at Madras, in India.After the death of his father, a civil servant, his mother's second marriage transferred him to Canada, where he was chiefly brought-up. He came to England in 1824, was called to the bar John Arthur Roebuck (28 December 1802...
purchased Ashley Arnewood, which is described as having 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land attached to it. Because of his engagements in London, much of the actual farming at Ashley Arnewood was conducted by his wife until they chose to sell the estate in 1854. The estate was later purchased by the political philosopher and author Auberon Herbert
Auberon Herbert
Auberon Edward William Molyneux Herbert was a writer, theorist, philosopher, and "19th-century individualist anarchist." A member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Herbert was the son of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, brother of Henry Herbert, the 4th Earl, and father of the 9th Baron Lucas...
in the 1870's and he lived there until his wife's death in 1886. The old manor house of Ashley Arnewood still survives on the western side of Ashley, although today it is a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
.
Ashley Manor Farm
Another manor at Ashley still exists as a farm to the southwest of the village. Ashley Manor Farm, on Lymington Road, is an 18th century farmhouse.Ashley Clinton
Another estate centre, dating from the 19th century, was that of Ashley Clinton, to the south of the current village, it was the residence of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Renebald Clinton. The house, which still stands, dates from the early 19th century.The village
A BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel was constructed at Ashley in 1817. The Baptist church has been rebuilt twice, the first time in 1897, and the second time in 1993. The first Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church was built in 1904. It was replaced by a new building in 1957, and is dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
. The bell in St Peter's church is much older than the church, and dates from 1593.
Ashley Great and Little Commons
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
were inclosed in 1862. The population of Ashley in the 1860s was just over 500 people. William Charles Retford
Retford family (bow-makers)
William Charles Retford and William R. Retford were English musical instrument bow-makers, working for the firm of W.E. Hill & Sons.Retford is recognized as developing the Hill bow, along with Alfred Hill.William C...
, who became a maker of violin bows
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
, was born in Ashley in 1875. He would later publish his memories of growing up in Ashley:
I was born (June 1875) in a cottage in what is now Ashley Road; situated south of the lane at the base of the hill by the brook. This spot was known as "Litchford". As a tiny tot it had the elements of a fairyland to me. Fern Hill woods were west of the lane, east were a narrow meadow and Ashley Arnewood woods. In the spring these were a carpet of bluebells through which I waded; they were shoulder high to me. We never entered Fern Hill Woods; they were a game reserve and there were notices saying "Beware of Spring Guns." On the north edge of the lane from the top of the hill to Ashley Cross Road wild daffodils grew by thousands, none to the south but primroses and violets. . . . Mrs Corbin kept a little shop at the Cross Road, where we bought our sweets, a parrot on the counter. This was furze or common ground and a bog with water lilies. The railway was built over this and opened 1887-8.
A school was built at Ashley in 1879, at the west end of Hare Lane. In its final years it was used as a special school, but it was closed in 1987 and demolished soon afterwards. In 1939, a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
was built at Ashley ("Ashley County Secondary School"). The school was merged with the nearby New Milton school ("Arnewood") in 1970, and shortly afterwards Ashley school became a junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
.
Famous residents of Ashley have included the writers Laurence Housman
Laurence Housman
Laurence Housman was an English playwright, writer and illustrator.-Early life:Laurence Housman was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, one of seven children who included the poet A. E. Housman and writer Clemence Housman. In 1871 his mother died, and his father remarried, to a cousin...
and his sister Clemence Housman
Clemence Housman
Clemence Housman was an author, illustrator and activist in the womens’ suffrage movement. She was the sister of A. E. Housman and Laurence Housman. She was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Her novels included The Were-Wolf, Unknown Sea and The Life Of Sir Aglovale De Galis...
, who lived at Ashley between 1913 and 1924.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, two fortified bunkers known as pillboxes
British hardened field defences of World War II
British hardened field defences of World War II were small fortified structures constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations. They were popularly known as pillboxes by reference to their shape.-Design and development:...
were built in Ashley to defend against a possible German invasion by sea. One of these pillboxes can still be seen in a field in Lower Ashley today. One other relic from World War II is visible on the northeastern corner of Ashley Crossroads. The car repair workshop there was originally one of the aircraft hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s at RAF Beaulieu
RAF Beaulieu
RAF Station Beaulieu was a World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408...
.
For decades a major industry in the area has been gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
extraction. New Milton Sand and Ballast has been extracting gravel from gravel pit
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
s in south Ashley since before 1950.
Because Ashley has no defined boundary the modern population of Ashley can only be estimated, but the population in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
was approximately 4500 people.
Amenities
A parade of shops, containing a convenience storeConvenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
, pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, four Take-Away food restaurants, two hairdressers, and a physiotherapy store, is located next to Ashley Crossroads. Close to the shops is a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
known as the Ashley Hotel. Another pub, The Oak and Yaffle, is located in the north of the village. A large recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
ground is located close to the centre of Ashley, and is home to New Milton and District Rugby Club. Two primary schools are located in Ashley, and are known as Ashley Infant school and Ashley Junior school.