Brockenhurst
Encyclopedia
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...
situated in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, 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...
. The New Forest is a national park and Brockenhurst is therefore surrounded by woodland that attracts thousands of visitors all year round. The nearby towns surrounding Brockenhurst are Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
and Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Lyndhurst is a village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It is a popular tourist location with many independent shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotels. The nearest city is Southampton located around nine miles to the north-east...
. Brockenhurst College
Brockenhurst College
Brockenhurst College, or colloquially known as Brock, is in the tertiary sector providing education in a wide range of courses for many different ages...
is situated on the village's outskirts. It is the largest New Forest village by population. Brockenhurst is also the place of residence of Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
, renowned BBC film critic and skiffle musician.
History
The earliest signs of habitation in Brockenhurst date back 4,000 years to the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
: the area is dotted with burial mounds - called tumuli
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
. Beyond that, few signs remain of other habitation during the next 3,000 years, when the Saxon period
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
was brought to an end by the events of 1066
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
.
William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
created his Nova Forest in 1079, a vast hunting area lying south and west of his capital at Winchester
Winchester
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...
; it stretched south to the coast at Barton on Sea
Barton on Sea
Barton on Sea is a coastal village situated in Hampshire, England. As a settlement, Barton has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, although the modern village was largely built in the 20th century. It is effectively a suburb of New Milton...
and west to what is now Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. Four years later, 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...
recorded that there were four small Saxon manors in the Brockenhurst area, Mapleham, Hinchelsea, Brochelie and Broceste. Mapleham no longer exist, but the name Hinchelsea continues to the west of Brockenhurst. The third manor, Brochelie, gives the modern name, Brookley, and was the most important, having a regular weekly market and an annual fair, lasting several days. At that time forest rights did not exist. However, Brochelie had the right to graze sheep on the open forest, but only between Wilverley and what is now Rhinefield Road.
The manor house of Brochelie lay between the modern Brookley Road and The Rise and between the Watersplash Hotel and St Saviour's Church. The fourth Saxon manor of the area was Broceste - pronounced Brockerste - which gives the village its name.
St Nicholas' Church, at that time, was no more than an outlying chapel linked to Twynham
Twynham
Twynham can refer to:*The town Christchurch was previously called Twynham. This came from its original name of Tweoxneam , but with time and variations of the language became Twynham....
- later Christchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset .-Early history:...
. William Rufus visited Brockenhurst, worshipping in St Nicholas' church, as at least two writs were issued by him from here.
In 1348, all mention of Brochelie ceases. During this time the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
killed a third of the population of England, which would be a good explanation.
By the 18th century, nearby Lymington was a thriving town, due to the manufacture of salt from sea water. By the end of the 18th century, the Lymington road had become a turnpike and a regular route for the mail coaches from Lyndhurst and the north. During this time, Brockenhurst grew in size, with dwellings and inns strung along the main road.
In 1745, Henry Thurston
Henry Thurston
Henry Thurston was born in Brockenhurst, baptised at St. Nicholas in August 1692 and buried in the churchyard on 10 September 1745 . He had been coachman to George Baker, attorney, of St. George’s , Hanover Square, London , whose family home was Brockenhurst Farm – a substantial manor house...
, a local man who left to make his fortune in London, died, leaving a bequest to set up a school in the village. This was located at the corner of what is now Mill Lane.
In 1770, Edward Morant, using some of the vast wealth that flowed from the family estates in Jamaica, purchased Brokenhurst House - an Elizabethan farmhouse - for £6,400. He rebuilt it as a large Georgian mansion, laid out the avenues in the grounds and acquired adjacent land, eventually peaking at some 3,000 acres (12 km²).
In the 19th century the railway station was introduced to Brockenhurst, increasing a large number of holiday visitors and the local population.
In the First World War, Brockenhurst was a convalescence
Convalescence
Convalescence is the gradual recovery and of health and strength after illness. It refers to the later stage of an infectious disease or illness when the patient recovers and returns to normal, but may continue to be a source of infection even if feeling better...
centre for wounded troops, particularly from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The name Meerut Road recalls the Indian troops who fought in the war. Hospitals were established in Balmer Lawn and Forest Park.
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
and Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
's meetings, away from their headquarters in Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, as they planned the D-Day Landings
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
Many an ancient oak tree in Brockenhurst would have hidden an American jeep or Sherman tank in 1944, as they gathered to do battle in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
The western part of the village greatly expanded in the 1970s and, in the early 1990s, Berkeley Homes built Ober Park - now known as The Coppice. More construction of the village still continues today by Penny Farthing & Son.
A large percentage of the village's population (estd. 2/3) originate from London, and as a result, many locals feel that village life has all but disappeared for Brockenhurst. The average house price in the village is circa £650,000, well beyond the reach of the real, local populace, this has caused an overall degradation of the perceived quality of life in the village as it has become 'urbanised'.
Transport
Brockenhurst railway stationBrockenhurst railway station
Brockenhurst railway station is a railway station serving the village of Brockenhurst in Hampshire, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
offers frequent South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
services to Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, London Waterloo, 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...
and Weymouth. CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
express services also run to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
via Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
The station is the junction where the branch line to Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
connects to the mainline. The "Lymington Flyer"
Lymington Branch Line
The Lymington Branch Line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier, both in the New Forest. The railway line is around long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South Western Main Line at Lymington Junction; and, at Lymington Pier, trains connect with...
services connect with the ferry to Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The branch line is a Heritage line and its self contained nature permits the use of slam-door rolling stock. In 1967 it was the last standard-gauge branch lines in the south of England to cease using steam haulage.
Bus transport is provided mainly by Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
service 6 to Lymington and Southampton (Previously the Wilts and Dorset 56 and 56A, the 6 now runs the route of the 56A). In the summer, the New Forest Tour
New Forest Tour
The New Forest Tour is an open-top bus service in the New Forest, running two circular routes around Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Beaulieu and Exbury Gardens as well as going to Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Cadnam and Ashurst...
serves the village and station.
Twinning
Brockenhurst is twinned with Pont St MartinPont-Saint-Martin, Loire-Atlantique
Pont-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France....
:fr:Pont-Saint-Martin, in Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Things of interest
- Heritage line - Lymington FlyerLymington Branch LineThe Lymington Branch Line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier, both in the New Forest. The railway line is around long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South Western Main Line at Lymington Junction; and, at Lymington Pier, trains connect with...
- Brockenhurst CollegeBrockenhurst CollegeBrockenhurst College, or colloquially known as Brock, is in the tertiary sector providing education in a wide range of courses for many different ages...
- St. Nicholas' Church
- New Forest ShowNew Forest ShowThe New Forest and Hampshire County Show, or more commonly known as The New Forest Show, is an annual agricultural show event held for three days at the end of July in New Park, near Brockenhurst in Hampshire, southern England, UK....
- Brockenhurst railway stationBrockenhurst railway stationBrockenhurst railway station is a railway station serving the village of Brockenhurst in Hampshire, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
External links
- Parish Council
- Village website
- Brockenhurst Church of England (Controlled) Primary School
- Brockenhurst College
- Photographs and Information from Strolling Guides
- Rex Nan Kivell Collection of negatives ca 1917-19 held in Pictures Catalogue, National Library of Australia, Canberra
- New Forest Community Media - A not-for-profit media site serving the National Park