Hook, North Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Hook is a large village within the Hart district
of northern Hampshire
, England
. It is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Basingstoke
and 58 kilometres (36 mi) northeast of Southampton
, on the A30
national route, just north of Junction 5 of the M3 motorway.
In 2001, Hook had a population
of 7,321 (8,200 est. 2006). Hook railway station
offers direct rail links to both London Waterloo
and Southampton
with indirect routes to Reading
and Salisbury
. Rail services are provided by South West Trains
.
There is a significant business community in the town, with the large Bartley Wood Business Park situated less than 1 km from the village centre. It is the location of the operational headquarters of the United Kingdom
's largest cable television provider, Virgin Media Inc
, formerly NTL and Telewest
. Other companies located in Hook are BMW Group Financial Services, Lenovo, Serco, Trimble Navigation and HP
. Hook is also home to a relatively small Tesco
supermarket. Between 2004 and 2006, Hook expanded eastwards with the development of the new Holt Park residential district.
was constructed, and the village began to grow with railway workers and commuters settling in Hook.
The distinct Anglican ecclesiastical parish of Hook was not created until as late as 1955. It was only in 1943 that permission was given for burials in Hook itself. St John the Evangelist Parish Church was completed in 1938 replacing the tin tabernacle
used by worshippers since 1886. The new Church was designed by Edward Maufe
and shows in small scale design features that would later be incorporated by him into Guildford Cathedral
. Even the Cathedral fund raising scheme of "buying a brick" was first utilised at Hook where the Church retains an impressive list of donors and benefactors. Hook also has a Catholic church and the Evangelical Free Church. The latter was originally paid for by the Burberry family (of clothing fame).
Hook was considered as part of a scheme to settle London
ers in the country after the Second World War, but Basingstoke
was selected for development instead. Recently, the town has grown in size considerably with new housing developments being constructed.
Although within 10 km of the far larger town of Basingstoke
to the west, Hook's development since the 1980s has been rapid. Calls have been made to redevelop the village centre as Hook has few amenities for its size.
House prices remain high due to its pleasant location and excellent transport links, i.e., a main line rail station to London, Basingstoke
and Southampton
and direct access to the M3 motorway, whilst lying on the A30 national route. Southampton Airport
is 56 km (34.8 mi) to the south and London Heathrow Airport
is 53 km (32.9 mi) away to the northeast. The far smaller Blackbushe Airport
municipal air facility is 10.5 km (6.5 mi) to the east, near Yateley
. Many residents commute to the larger local towns of Basingstoke
, Winchester
, Reading
, Camberley
, Fleet
and Farnborough
, with some travelling further afield to Southampton
, Bracknell
and London
.
The Hook Schools are supported by the Hook Schools Parents Association (HSPA)
Hart (district)
Hart is a local government district in Hampshire, England, named after the River Hart. Its council is based in Fleet. It was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the urban district of Fleet, and the Hartley Wintney Rural District.Hart District is one of the...
of northern 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...
. It is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
and 58 kilometres (36 mi) northeast of 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...
, on the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
national route, just north of Junction 5 of the M3 motorway.
In 2001, Hook had a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 7,321 (8,200 est. 2006). Hook railway station
Hook railway station
Hook station serves the town of Hook and surrounding villages in Hampshire, southern England. There are two platforms serving the outer pair of tracks while the centre pair of tracks have no platforms and are used by fast services between the South Coast and the West Country...
offers direct rail links to both London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
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...
with indirect routes to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. Rail services are provided by 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...
.
There is a significant business community in the town, with the large Bartley Wood Business Park situated less than 1 km from the village centre. It is the location of the operational headquarters of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's largest cable television provider, Virgin Media Inc
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
, formerly NTL and Telewest
Telewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
. Other companies located in Hook are BMW Group Financial Services, Lenovo, Serco, Trimble Navigation and HP
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
. Hook is also home to a relatively small Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket. Between 2004 and 2006, Hook expanded eastwards with the development of the new Holt Park residential district.
History
Until the 18th century only a few scattered farms could be found in the area, but small hamlets did not begin to appear until inns sprung up to serve travellers. Hook was located on the main London to Exeter stagecoach route. In the late eighteenth century a turnpike road was constructed to aid the navigation of the steep Scures Hill, to the west of the village. In 1883 Hook railway stationHook railway station
Hook station serves the town of Hook and surrounding villages in Hampshire, southern England. There are two platforms serving the outer pair of tracks while the centre pair of tracks have no platforms and are used by fast services between the South Coast and the West Country...
was constructed, and the village began to grow with railway workers and commuters settling in Hook.
The distinct Anglican ecclesiastical parish of Hook was not created until as late as 1955. It was only in 1943 that permission was given for burials in Hook itself. St John the Evangelist Parish Church was completed in 1938 replacing the tin tabernacle
Tin tabernacle
Tin tabernacles were a type of prefabricated building made from corrugated iron developed in the mid 19th century initially in Great Britain. Corrugated iron was first used for roofing in London in 1829 by Henry Robinson Palmer and the patent sold to Richard Walker who advertised "portable...
used by worshippers since 1886. The new Church was designed by Edward Maufe
Edward Maufe
Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe KBE, R.A, F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect and designer, noted chiefly for his work on places of worship and remembrance memorials. He was a skilled interior designer and designed many pieces of furniture...
and shows in small scale design features that would later be incorporated by him into Guildford Cathedral
Guildford Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford is the Anglican cathedral at Guildford, Surrey, England.-Construction:Guildford was made a diocese in its own right in 1927, and work on its new cathedral, designed by Sir Edward Maufe, began nine years later, with the foundation stone being laid...
. Even the Cathedral fund raising scheme of "buying a brick" was first utilised at Hook where the Church retains an impressive list of donors and benefactors. Hook also has a Catholic church and the Evangelical Free Church. The latter was originally paid for by the Burberry family (of clothing fame).
Hook was considered as part of a scheme to settle London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ers in the country after the Second World War, but Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
was selected for development instead. Recently, the town has grown in size considerably with new housing developments being constructed.
Although within 10 km of the far larger town of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
to the west, Hook's development since the 1980s has been rapid. Calls have been made to redevelop the village centre as Hook has few amenities for its size.
House prices remain high due to its pleasant location and excellent transport links, i.e., a main line rail station to London, Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population 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...
and direct access to the M3 motorway, whilst lying on the A30 national route. Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
is 56 km (34.8 mi) to the south and London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
is 53 km (32.9 mi) away to the northeast. The far smaller Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport , in the civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield, much reduced in size since its heyday, a British Car Auctions site, a kart track owned by Camberley Kart Club, and a small business park...
municipal air facility is 10.5 km (6.5 mi) to the east, near Yateley
Yateley
Yateley is a suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green. It had a population of 21,011 according to the 2001 census...
. Many residents commute to the larger local towns of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, 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...
, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, Fleet
Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet is a town and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England, located 37 miles south west of London. It is part of Hart District. The 2007 population forecast for Fleet was 31,687.-History:...
and Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, with some travelling further afield to 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...
, Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Education
- Hook Infant School
- Hook Junior School
- Robert May's SchoolRobert May's SchoolRobert May's School is a secondary school in the village of Odiham, Hampshire, England. The school was founded in 1694 with donations from the will of Robert May, a local man. The current headteacher is Mrs Susan Rafter. In 2006 the school had 1,218 pupils on its register...
(in neighbouring OdihamOdihamOdiham is a historic village and large civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It is twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. The current population is 4,406. The parish contains an acreage of 7,354 acres with 50 acres of land covered with water. The nearest...
) - Nearest further/higher education college - Basingstoke College of TechnologyBasingstoke College of TechnologyThe Basingstoke College of Technology is a college in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. The college's main campus is located either side of Worting Road.-Courses:...
Queen Mary's CollegeQueen Mary's CollegeQueen Mary's College is a sixth form college in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.-The College:The majority of the college's classrooms are housed in a single, two-storey, wide spread main building with a few smaller buildings and four temporary buildings providing most of the rest of the teaching... - Nearest university - University of WinchesterUniversity of WinchesterThe University of Winchester is a British public university primarily based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Winchester is a historic cathedral city and the ancient capital of Wessex and the Kingdom of England.-History:...
/ Farnborough College of TechnologyFarnborough College of TechnologyFarnborough College of Technology, often abbreviated to FCOT or FCT, is a college located in the town of Farnborough, Hampshire in the South East of England...
which offers courses at a university level
The Hook Schools are supported by the Hook Schools Parents Association (HSPA)