Itchen Abbas
Encyclopedia
Itchen Abbas is a village on the River Itchen
about 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Winchester
in Hampshire
, England
. The village is part of the Itchen Valley
civil parish.
A major oil pipeline from Hamble
to Aldermaston
runs through Itchen Abbas.
of St. John the Baptist
was originally Norman
and retains an original Norman doorway and chancel
arch. St. John's was rebuilt in 1867 to a Norman Revival design by the architect William Coles.
.
Abbey House, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) north-east of the village, is a country house
of five bays
and two storeys built in 1693.
The Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company opened Itchen Abbas railway station
in 1865. British Rail
ways closed the line and station in 1973.
Charles Kingsley
was a regular visitor to Itchen Abbas. The village and river provided inspiration for the setting of his novel The Water Babies
.
The village is the site of Sir Edward Grey
's fishing hut, where he spent the night of 3 August 1914 before travelling to London to announce the United Kingdom's entry into First World War
.
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,...
about 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east 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...
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...
. The village is part of the Itchen Valley
Itchen Valley
Itchen Valley is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.Forming part of the City of Winchester district, it comprises the villages of Avington, Easton, Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy, with a population of 1,267 at the time of the 2001 Census....
civil parish.
A major oil pipeline from Hamble
Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
to Aldermaston
Aldermaston
Aldermaston is a rural village, civil parish and electoral ward in Berkshire, South-East England. In the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the parish had a population of 927. The village is on the southern edge of the River Kennet flood plain, near the Hampshire county boundary...
runs through Itchen Abbas.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St. John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
was originally Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and retains an original Norman doorway and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch. St. John's was rebuilt in 1867 to a Norman Revival design by the architect William Coles.
History
Itchen Abbas is mentioned in the Hampshire Folk Song "Avington Pond" as the place where the builders of the pond were paid their wages. They were given their money in the Plough public housePublic 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...
.
Abbey House, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) north-east of the village, is a country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
of five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
and two storeys built in 1693.
The Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company opened Itchen Abbas railway station
Itchen Abbas railway station
The Itchen Abbas railway station was in the county of Hampshire in England and opened on 2 October 1865 by the Mid Hants Railway. It closed on 5 February 1973.-History:...
in 1865. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the line and station in 1973.
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
was a regular visitor to Itchen Abbas. The village and river provided inspiration for the setting of his novel The Water Babies
The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby
The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel by the Reverend Charles Kingsley. Written in 1862–1863 as a serial for Macmillan's Magazine, it was first published in its entirety in 1863...
.
The village is the site of Sir Edward Grey
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon KG, PC, FZL, DL , better known as Sir Edward Grey, Bt, was a British Liberal statesman. He served as Foreign Secretary from 1905 to 1916, the longest continuous tenure of any person in that office...
's fishing hut, where he spent the night of 3 August 1914 before travelling to London to announce the United Kingdom's entry into First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.