Little London, Tadley, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Little London is situated between the North Hampshire
Downs and the gravel plains of the Kennet
valley, 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Basingstoke
and 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Reading
. It is situated within Pamber
civil parish and backs on to Pamber Forest, a 500 acres (2 km²) SSSI and remnant of the much larger ancient Royal Forest
of Pamber. It is recorded as having been established for at least 400 years.
-making, the local clay
s being recognised as particularly good since the Roman period. Examples of clay roof tiles produced in this area for the nearby Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (near modern Silchester
) can be seen at Reading Museum.
A major part of the village was confiscated from the Engelfield family and given to the Benyon family during the late Tudor
period. Other parts were gifted in payment to The Queen's College, Oxford
. It is assumed that this was in return for education, although it may not have been. This legacy can be seen by the names of farms, pub
s and houses in the area.
The village has grown organically from a few houses, being effectively one street with no social centre. Current local planning policy has successfully prevented any inappropriate development of additional housing in the area. Current population is of only a few hundred. It is a desirable location, resulting in upper quartile house prices typical of rural Hampshire. The village has one Pub, The Plough, which maintains a very traditional 'English Pub' environment.
'Little London' is a common village name in England, assumed by some to have its origins in the quantity of seasonal Londoners who would camp for the harvest season. However in common with many 'Little Londons' approximately 50 miles (80.5 km) or so from London, it has also been claimed that the name was given by settlers escaping the Great Plague of London
of 1665. Alternatively, it could have been corrupted from 'Little Loddon', the name of a stream that marks the Southern extent of the village.
Little London at Tadley would have been established by the Welsh cattle drovers in the second half of the 16th century. It was on a main drovers route into London, like that at Oakley in Buckinghamshire. There have been at least 70 communities established in England and Wales, many of which still exist. They were temporary "homes" for the long distance drovers, moving their cattle to London, and the great fairs and markets of England. Tadley was on the route to the fairs of Blackbush, Farnham, Croydon and Kingston, and London's Smithfield market. The sites
were established on common land away from other communities. The drovers had a licence to travel, granted by Elizabeth 1st, and were regarded as "foreigners" by the local parishioners who could not travel without a "settlement certificate".
of Pamber
, which covers Pamber Heath
, Pamber End
, Pamber Green
and Little London and meets in Pamber Heath Memorial Hall and St. Stephen’s Hall, Little London. It is also part of the Pamber and Silchester ward
of Basingstoke and Deane borough council
. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district
of Hampshire County Council
.
Basingstoke bus routes 14 and 15. The nearest railway station
is 3 miles (4.8 km) east in Bramley
.
of Basingstoke and the Diocese
of Winchester and is linked to the parish of Bramley
. There was also a Methodist Chapel on Silchester Road, built in 1867 which closed c1980 and was converted to a Bed and breakfast
.
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...
Downs and the gravel plains of the Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
valley, 7 miles (11.3 km) north 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 15 miles (24.1 km) south 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....
. It is situated within Pamber
Pamber
Pamber is a civil parish located in the north of Hampshire, England, near the border with Berkshire. It contains four settlements, Pamber Heath, Pamber Green, Pamber End and Little London....
civil parish and backs on to Pamber Forest, a 500 acres (2 km²) SSSI and remnant of the much larger ancient Royal Forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
of Pamber. It is recorded as having been established for at least 400 years.
History
Until the mid 19th century the village was a local centre for brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
-making, the local clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
s being recognised as particularly good since the Roman period. Examples of clay roof tiles produced in this area for the nearby Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (near modern Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
) can be seen at Reading Museum.
A major part of the village was confiscated from the Engelfield family and given to the Benyon family during the late Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
period. Other parts were gifted in payment to The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
. It is assumed that this was in return for education, although it may not have been. This legacy can be seen by the names of farms, 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...
s and houses in the area.
The village has grown organically from a few houses, being effectively one street with no social centre. Current local planning policy has successfully prevented any inappropriate development of additional housing in the area. Current population is of only a few hundred. It is a desirable location, resulting in upper quartile house prices typical of rural Hampshire. The village has one Pub, The Plough, which maintains a very traditional 'English Pub' environment.
'Little London' is a common village name in England, assumed by some to have its origins in the quantity of seasonal Londoners who would camp for the harvest season. However in common with many 'Little Londons' approximately 50 miles (80.5 km) or so from London, it has also been claimed that the name was given by settlers escaping the Great Plague of London
Great Plague of London
The Great Plague was a massive outbreak of disease in the Kingdom of England that killed an estimated 100,000 people, 20% of London's population. The disease is identified as bubonic plague, an infection by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted through a flea vector...
of 1665. Alternatively, it could have been corrupted from 'Little Loddon', the name of a stream that marks the Southern extent of the village.
Little London at Tadley would have been established by the Welsh cattle drovers in the second half of the 16th century. It was on a main drovers route into London, like that at Oakley in Buckinghamshire. There have been at least 70 communities established in England and Wales, many of which still exist. They were temporary "homes" for the long distance drovers, moving their cattle to London, and the great fairs and markets of England. Tadley was on the route to the fairs of Blackbush, Farnham, Croydon and Kingston, and London's Smithfield market. The sites
were established on common land away from other communities. The drovers had a licence to travel, granted by Elizabeth 1st, and were regarded as "foreigners" by the local parishioners who could not travel without a "settlement certificate".
Governance
The village of Little London is part of the civil parishCivil 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...
of Pamber
Pamber
Pamber is a civil parish located in the north of Hampshire, England, near the border with Berkshire. It contains four settlements, Pamber Heath, Pamber Green, Pamber End and Little London....
, which covers Pamber Heath
Pamber Heath
Pamber Heath is a village in north Hampshire, England. Situated within the civil parish of Pamber, the village lies at the north end of Pamber Forest.-Governance:...
, Pamber End
Pamber End
Pamber End is a hamlet in north Hampshire, England.-Governance:Pamber End is part of the civil parish of Pamber, which covers Pamber Heath, Pamber End, Pamber Green and Little London. The parish council meets in Pamber Heath Memorial Hall and St...
, Pamber Green
Pamber Green
Pamber Green is a hamlet in north Hampshire, England.-Governance:Pamber Green is part of the parish of Pamber, which covers Pamber Heath, Pamber End, Pamber Green and Little London. The parish council meets in Pamber Heath Memorial Hall and St. Stephen’s Hall, Little London.-Transport:The village...
and Little London and meets in Pamber Heath Memorial Hall and St. Stephen’s Hall, Little London. It is also part of the Pamber and Silchester ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Basingstoke and Deane borough council
Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its primary settlement is Basingstoke. Other settlements include Bramley, Tadley, Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley, Whitchurch and the hamlet of Deane, some from Basingstoke....
. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
.
Geography
Transport
The village is served by Stagecoach in HampshireStagecoach in Hampshire
Hampshire Bus Company Ltd. trading as Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its main bases of operation are Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.-Local:...
Basingstoke bus routes 14 and 15. The nearest railway station
Bramley (Hampshire) railway station
Bramley railway station is a railway station in the village of Bramley, Hampshire, England.The station is served by First Great Western — local services. The station is north of Basingstoke. The line opened in 1848 but Bramley station did not open until 1895.-Services:From Mondays to Saturdays...
is 3 miles (4.8 km) east in Bramley
Bramley, Hampshire
Bramley is a village and parish in Hampshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a population of 3,348. It has a village shop, bakery, estate agency, pub and a railway station...
.
Religious sites
The church of St. Stephen on Silchester Road is part of the DeaneryDeanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Basingstoke and the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Winchester and is linked to the parish of Bramley
Bramley, Hampshire
Bramley is a village and parish in Hampshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a population of 3,348. It has a village shop, bakery, estate agency, pub and a railway station...
. There was also a Methodist Chapel on Silchester Road, built in 1867 which closed c1980 and was converted to a Bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.