Netley Marsh
Encyclopedia
Netley Marsh is a village and civil parish
in Hampshire
, UK, close to the town of Totton. It lies within the New Forest
District council, and the New Forest National Park. It is the alleged site of the battle between an invading Anglo Saxon army, under Cerdic and a British army under Natanleod
in the year 508.
. The village is on the A336 road from Cadnam
to Totton. The parish is bounded by Bartley Water
in the south, and River Blackwater
in the north. The village of Woodlands
is in the south of the parish, and the hamlets of Hillstreet and Ower
(chiefly in Copythorne
parish) are to the north. The M27 motorway
runs through this parish, taking roughly the route of the Roman road
from Nursling
to Cadnam
.
Since 1971, the village has been host to the annual Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show, a three-day event dedicated to demonstrations of steam powered vehicles and traction engine
s held in July of each year.
Netley Marsh is the base for the international development charity Tools for Self Reliance
, which refurbishes and ships old tools and sewing machines to Africa.
under the year 508, where it is reported that the Anglo-Saxon
kings Cerdic and Cynric "killed a certain British king named Natanleod
, and five-thousand men with him – after whom the land as far as Cerdic's ford was named Natanleaga". Whatever the truth concerning the battle, it is unlikely that there was a king called Natanleod – he was probably invented to explain the place-name Natanleaga. In fact the place-name is probably derived from the Old English
elements naet and leah, meaning "wet wood".
Netley is next recorded as "Nateleg" in 1248. The name "Netley Marsh" appears as such on maps from 1759. The church, dedicated to Saint Matthew, was built around 1855, and consists of a nave
and chancel
with a bell turret
on west side of the chancel.
To the west of the village the Hampshire Reformatory School opened in 1855. It was built for the purpose of reclaiming juvenile offenders, and had accommodation for 60 boys. It was closed in 1908. The civil parish
of Netley Marsh was one of the parishes formed from the ancient parish of Eling
in 1894. The village suffered some damage during World War II
, when one day in 1942 an enemy plane dropped bombs on the church and along Woodlands Road, causing the deaths of three people.
Hill fort
here called Tatchbury Mount. It has been partly built over by hospital buildings but the outline of the fort can still be seen.
Next to the hill fort is the ancient manor of Tatchbury. Its history dates from the 10th century when a hide
and a half of land in Tatchbury and Slackstead was given to Hyde Abbey
(near Winchester
) on its foundation in 903 by Edward the Elder
. The Domesday Book
refers to another half hide being given to the Abbey sometime after 1066 by Edsi the Sheriff. The abbot and convent evidently held the manor in demesne
from the 12th to the 13th century, and a rent from Litchfield
and Tatchbury was included in the estates of the Abbey at the time of the Dissolution
.
Another estate in Tatchbury is recorded in the 13th century which may have been the nucleus of the later manor which was held in 1316 by Elias Baldet, and of which John Romsey died seised
in 1494, holding it of the warden of Winchester College
. The Oviatt family held the manor for much of the 17th and 18th century, before passing to the Wake family who held it until the late 19th century. Tatchbury Manor House today is mostly a brick Victorian building, but which incorporates part of the old 13th century manor house.
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 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...
, UK, close to the town of Totton. It lies within 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....
District council, and the New Forest National Park. It is the alleged site of the battle between an invading Anglo Saxon army, under Cerdic and a British army under Natanleod
Natanleod
Natanleod, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, was a king of the Britons. It is considered unlikely that any such person existed. His inclusion in the Chronicle is believed to be the product of folk etymology....
in the year 508.
Overview
Netley Marsh lies to the west of SouthamptonSouthampton
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...
. The village is on the A336 road from Cadnam
Cadnam
Cadnam is a village situated in Hampshire, England, within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park. The village has existed since the medieval period, when it was an important crossroads between Southampton and the towns of southeast Dorset.-Overview:Cadnam is part of the civil parish of...
to Totton. The parish is bounded by Bartley Water
Bartley Water
Bartley Water is a stream and river going through the New Forest district of Hampshire, England.It runs from Bartley to Eling where it becomes tidal and flows out into Southampton Water which goes to the Solent....
in the south, and River Blackwater
River Blackwater (River Test)
The River Blackwater is a river in the English counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The river rises just to the east of the Wiltshire village of Redlynch, near Salisbury. It then flows east across the county boundary into Hampshire...
in the north. The village of Woodlands
Woodlands, Hampshire
Woodlands is a village in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. The village lies west from Southampton and north-east from Lyndhurst. The village is in the civil parish of Netley Marsh.-History:...
is in the south of the parish, and the hamlets of Hillstreet and Ower
Ower
Ower is a hamlet in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest towns are Totton – approximately to the southeast, and Romsey – approximately to the north-east....
(chiefly in Copythorne
Copythorne
Copythorne is a village and civil parish situated in Hampshire, England, within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park.-Overview:Copythorne is in the north-eastern part of the New Forest, in Hampshire, England. The village is on the A31 Romsey Road, just south of the M27 motorway which...
parish) are to the north. The M27 motorway
M27 motorway
The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is long and runs west-east from Cadnam to Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983. It is however unfinished as an extension to the east was planned...
runs through this parish, taking roughly the route of the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from Nursling
Nursling
Nursling is a village in Hampshire, England, situated about 6 kilometres north-west of the city of Southampton. Formerly called Nhutscelle , then Nutshalling until the mid-19th century, it has now been absorbed into the suburbs of Southampton, although it is not officially part of the city...
to Cadnam
Cadnam
Cadnam is a village situated in Hampshire, England, within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park. The village has existed since the medieval period, when it was an important crossroads between Southampton and the towns of southeast Dorset.-Overview:Cadnam is part of the civil parish of...
.
Since 1971, the village has been host to the annual Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show, a three-day event dedicated to demonstrations of steam powered vehicles and traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
s held in July of each year.
Netley Marsh is the base for the international development charity Tools for Self Reliance
Tools for Self Reliance
Tools for Self Reliance is an international development charity in the United Kingdom which recycles and refurbishes tools and sewing machines and supplies them to users in Africa....
, which refurbishes and ships old tools and sewing machines to Africa.
History
Netley Marsh is often identified with the "Natanleaga" described in the Anglo-Saxon ChronicleAnglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
under the year 508, where it is reported that the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
kings Cerdic and Cynric "killed a certain British king named Natanleod
Natanleod
Natanleod, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, was a king of the Britons. It is considered unlikely that any such person existed. His inclusion in the Chronicle is believed to be the product of folk etymology....
, and five-thousand men with him – after whom the land as far as Cerdic's ford was named Natanleaga". Whatever the truth concerning the battle, it is unlikely that there was a king called Natanleod – he was probably invented to explain the place-name Natanleaga. In fact the place-name is probably derived from the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
elements naet and leah, meaning "wet wood".
Netley is next recorded as "Nateleg" in 1248. The name "Netley Marsh" appears as such on maps from 1759. The church, dedicated to Saint Matthew, was built around 1855, and consists of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
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...
with a bell turret
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
on west side of the chancel.
To the west of the village the Hampshire Reformatory School opened in 1855. It was built for the purpose of reclaiming juvenile offenders, and had accommodation for 60 boys. It was closed in 1908. The 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...
of Netley Marsh was one of the parishes formed from the ancient parish of Eling
Totton and Eling
Totton and Eling is a town and civil parish in Hampshire, UK, with a population of around 28,000 people. It is situated on the eastern edge of the New Forest and on the River Test, close to the city of Southampton and part of the city's urban area...
in 1894. The village suffered some damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when one day in 1942 an enemy plane dropped bombs on the church and along Woodlands Road, causing the deaths of three people.
Tatchbury
One mile north of Netley Marsh is the ancient site of Tatchbury. There is an Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
Hill fort
Hillforts in Britain
Hillforts in Britain refers to the various hillforts within the island of Great Britain. Although the earliest such constructs fitting this description come from the Neolithic period, with a few also dating to the later Bronze Age, British hill forts were primarily constructed during the Iron Age...
here called Tatchbury Mount. It has been partly built over by hospital buildings but the outline of the fort can still be seen.
Next to the hill fort is the ancient manor of Tatchbury. Its history dates from the 10th century when a hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
and a half of land in Tatchbury and Slackstead was given to Hyde Abbey
Hyde Abbey
Hyde Abbey was a medieval Benedictine monastery just outside the walls of Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was dissolved and demolished in 1538....
(near 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...
) on its foundation in 903 by Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
. 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...
refers to another half hide being given to the Abbey sometime after 1066 by Edsi the Sheriff. The abbot and convent evidently held the manor in demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
from the 12th to the 13th century, and a rent from Litchfield
Litchfield, Hampshire
Litchfield is a linear village in the English county of Hampshire. It is closely bypassed by the A34 trunk road between Newbury and Whitchurch.-Governance:...
and Tatchbury was included in the estates of the Abbey at the time of the Dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
Another estate in Tatchbury is recorded in the 13th century which may have been the nucleus of the later manor which was held in 1316 by Elias Baldet, and of which John Romsey died seised
Seisin
Seisin is the term denoting the legal possession of a feudal fiefdom . It was used in the form of "the son and heir of X has obtained seisin of his inheritance", and thus is effectively a term concerned with conveyancing in the feudal era...
in 1494, holding it of the warden of Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. The Oviatt family held the manor for much of the 17th and 18th century, before passing to the Wake family who held it until the late 19th century. Tatchbury Manor House today is mostly a brick Victorian building, but which incorporates part of the old 13th century manor house.