Bishopstoke
Encyclopedia
Bishopstoke, a village
recorded in the Domesday Book
, is a civil parish
in the borough of Eastleigh
in Hampshire
, England
. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great
's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD. The village is about a mile east of Eastleigh
town centre, and is on the eastern bank of the River Itchen
. It adjoins Fair Oak
on the east, in the Fair Oak and Horton Heath parish. The village was annexed to Eastleigh in 1932, and was split out again as an independent civil parish later.
It forms part of the Southampton Urban Area
.
and Southampton
was completed in 1710 and used until 1869. Bishopstoke includes a sizeable proportion of the navigation, including a sluice
that was in use until the closure of the navigation.
s, the Stoke Park Woods area contains 61% woodland and 39% arable land. It is home to many species, including the rare quaking grass
. Originally these woods were owned by the Bishop of Winchester
. King John of England
hunted these woods in 1205. In 1540 they were licensed by King Henry VIII
as a deer hunt enclosed by fences. They were purchased by the Forestry Commission
in 1948 and are now a community woodland. They are managed by the commission to produce wood for paper
pulp and timber
.
. The village has a Girl Guide group off West Drive, including a Rainbow, Brownie and Guide unit. Eastleigh's museum in the High Street, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday, holds several files containing information about Bishopstoke's historic past and associated personalities, such as John Bale
, Samuel Sewall
, and Dean Garnier
.
Bishopstoke still retains many buildings dating from the 18th century, although the village is expanding and now has a number of newer built residential and commercial premises.
The village is now effectively divided into Old Bishopstoke and New Bishopstoke, heading roughly West to East, reflecting the recent housing requirements within the area.
Two churches in the village are St. Mary's
and St. Paul's.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
recorded in 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...
, is a 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...
in the borough of Eastleigh
Eastleigh (borough)
The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, bordering the unitary authority of Southampton, Test Valley, the City of Winchester and the borough of Fareham. Eastleigh is separated from the New Forest by Southampton Water...
in 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...
, 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...
. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD. The village is about a mile east of Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
town centre, and is on the eastern bank of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
. It adjoins Fair Oak
Fair Oak
Fair Oak, Hampshire is a small village on the outskirts of Eastleigh, and near Southampton and Winchester. Its parish incorporates the neighbouring village of Horton Heath, which lies to the south.-History:...
on the east, in the Fair Oak and Horton Heath parish. The village was annexed to Eastleigh in 1932, and was split out again as an independent civil parish later.
It forms part of the Southampton Urban Area
Greater Southampton
The Southampton Urban Area is the conurbation surrounding Southampton in Hampshire, England.In the 2001 Census, the area had a population of 304,400. With 234,224 people, Southampton itself makes up over three-quarters of the population...
.
Itchen Valley Navigation
The Itchen Valley navigation running between WinchesterWinchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
was completed in 1710 and used until 1869. Bishopstoke includes a sizeable proportion of the navigation, including a sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
that was in use until the closure of the navigation.
Stoke Park Woods
Bordering the village to the North and comprising around 207 hectareHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, the Stoke Park Woods area contains 61% woodland and 39% arable land. It is home to many species, including the rare quaking grass
Briza media
Briza media is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae and is a species of the genus Briza.Common name includes Quaking-grass, Cow-quake, Didder, Dithering-grass, Dodder-grass, Doddering Dillies, Doddle-grass, Earthquakes, Jiggle-joggles, Jockey-grass, Lady's-hair, Maidenhair-grass, Pearl Grass,...
. Originally these woods were owned by the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
. King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
hunted these woods in 1205. In 1540 they were licensed by King 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...
as a deer hunt enclosed by fences. They were purchased by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
in 1948 and are now a community woodland. They are managed by the commission to produce wood for paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
pulp and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
.
Notable people
Amongst those born in Bishopstoke are:- Richard DummerRichard DummerRichard Dummer was an early settler in New England who has been described as "one of the fathers of Massachusetts"....
(1589 – 1679), early settler in New England who has been described as "one of the fathers of Massachusetts". - William GilbertWilliam Gilbert (author)William Gilbert, was a British novelist and Royal Navy surgeon, and the author of novels, biographies, histories and several popular fantasy stories, mostly in the 1860s and 1870s. He is perhaps best remembered, however, as the father of dramatist W. S...
(1804 – 1890), novelist and Royal Navy surgeon, father of dramatist W. S. GilbertW. S. GilbertSir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
. - Samuel SewallSamuel SewallSamuel Sewall was a Massachusetts judge, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials, for which he later apologized, and his essay The Selling of Joseph , which criticized slavery.-Biography:...
(1652 – 1730), MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
judge, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trialsSalem witch trialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
.
Today
Bishopstoke contains one infant school, Stoke Park Infant School, and one Junior School, Stoke Park Junior School which feeds to the secondary school in Fair Oak, Wyvern Technology CollegeWyvern Technology College
Wyvern Technology College is an 11 - 16 co-educational comprehensive school serving the Bishopstoke, Fair Oak, Upham and Durley areas of Southampton, Hampshire. It currently has 1300 students on roll....
. The village has a Girl Guide group off West Drive, including a Rainbow, Brownie and Guide unit. Eastleigh's museum in the High Street, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday, holds several files containing information about Bishopstoke's historic past and associated personalities, such as John Bale
John Bale
John Bale was an English churchman, historian and controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English , and developed and published a very extensive list of the works of British authors down to his own time, just as the monastic libraries were being...
, Samuel Sewall
Samuel Sewall
Samuel Sewall was a Massachusetts judge, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials, for which he later apologized, and his essay The Selling of Joseph , which criticized slavery.-Biography:...
, and Dean Garnier
Thomas Garnier
Thomas Garnier, , was Dean of Winchester and a botanist.He was educated at Hyde Abbey School and Worcester College, Oxford...
.
Bishopstoke still retains many buildings dating from the 18th century, although the village is expanding and now has a number of newer built residential and commercial premises.
The village is now effectively divided into Old Bishopstoke and New Bishopstoke, heading roughly West to East, reflecting the recent housing requirements within the area.
Two churches in the village are St. Mary's
Church of St. Mary, Bishopstoke
The Church of St Mary's is an Anglican Church in Bishopstoke, Hampshire.St Mary’s was designed by Edward Prioleau Warren and built during 1890/91 by Wheeler Bros. of Reading, Berkshire at a cost of £4,200. It was consecrated on 12 November 1891 by the Bishop of Guildford...
and St. Paul's.