Rowland's Castle
Encyclopedia
Rowland's Castle is a village
and civil parish in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 2.9 miles (4.7 km) north of Havant
, on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.
The village lies in the area of the former Forest of Bere
on the eastern boundary of Hampshire. To the east in the parish of Stoughton, West Sussex
is Stansted Park
.
, and local convenience store (Londis). The village takes its name from a Motte-and-bailey
castle, the remains of which are situated to the south of Redhill Road and west of the railway line, east of the current centre of the village.
Lionel 'Buster' Crabb, a famous Royal Navy diver, post WWII, lived in Whichers Gate road and was a local at the Staunton Arms Pub at the entrance of the village, where he was remembered by local villagers.
Former Van Morrison
guitarist Herbie Armstrong operates The Fountain Inn in the centre of the village next to the Village Green. His weekly live music evenings attract music lovers from across the region, and have been known to include some famous faces; Mick Hucknall
on one occasion.
In 1994 Stage 5 of the our de France] passed through Rowland's Castle, attracting large crowds during one of the busiest days in the village's history.
on the Portsmouth Direct Line
to London Waterloo
or Portsmouth
.It is a manned station, however not all of the time. There is just one bus route. It is route 27 which is operated by Emsworth and District
.
The village is crossed by three long-distance footpaths, the Monarch's Way
, Sussex Border Path
and Staunton Way
.
made pottery, brick and tiles at Rowland's Castle because suitable clay was available. A castle was built at some time between 1066 and 1199 and is first documented under the name ROLOKECASTEL in 1381. It was in good repair in the twelfth century, when Henry II
spent several days there in hunting and amusement, but was abandoned by the 15th century. The site was damaged by the railway and quarrying in the 19th century and now only the earthworks and a few small areas of wall remain.
50°55′17"N 0°56′41"W (OSGB36 Grid ref: SU 7427914070). St. Huberts chapel was built in 1053 and was originally dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It is a Grade I listed building, listed on 16 March 1954 The chapel contains examples of mediaeval paintings from around 1300 which include paintings around the altar window of St. Peter, St. Paul, and two angels. On the north wall there is a painting of St. Hubert and St. John the Baptist. The Narthex (vestibule) contains an octagonal stone font and above it is a gallery which contains the church organ.
deposits of the Hampshire Basin
. The north of the village lies on the chalk of the southern South Downs
. In the south is the Reading Formation which gave rise to the former local brick industry.
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...
and civil parish in the East Hampshire
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
district of 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 2.9 miles (4.7 km) north of Havant
Havant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
, on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.
The village lies in the area of the former Forest of Bere
Forest of Bere
The Forest of Bere lies north of Fareham. A mixture of woodland, open space, ponds, streams, heathland, farmland and downland it provides countryside access to the residents of South-East Hampshire having a number of paths and bridleways for walking and cycling...
on the eastern boundary of Hampshire. To the east in the parish of Stoughton, West Sussex
Stoughton, West Sussex
Stoughton is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located nine kilometres north west of Chichester east of the B2146 road, on a lane leading to East Marden....
is Stansted Park
Stansted Park
Stansted Park is near the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. It lies within the parish of Stoughton, near the village of Rowland's Castle over the border in Hampshire....
.
The village
It is largely a quiet residential village, with four pubs and a few small shops, including a hardware store, which appeared in an episode of the 2010 series of The ApprenticeThe Apprentice (UK series six)
Series Six of The Apprentice is a British reality television series. The series started on BBC One on 6 October 2010 and ran for twelve weekly hour-long episodes, as in all previous years...
, and local convenience store (Londis). The village takes its name from a Motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle, the remains of which are situated to the south of Redhill Road and west of the railway line, east of the current centre of the village.
Lionel 'Buster' Crabb, a famous Royal Navy diver, post WWII, lived in Whichers Gate road and was a local at the Staunton Arms Pub at the entrance of the village, where he was remembered by local villagers.
Former Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
guitarist Herbie Armstrong operates The Fountain Inn in the centre of the village next to the Village Green. His weekly live music evenings attract music lovers from across the region, and have been known to include some famous faces; Mick Hucknall
Mick Hucknall
Michael "Mick" Hucknall is a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the British band Simply Red, and is recognisable for his smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, as well as his red curly hair.-Early life:...
on one occasion.
In 1994 Stage 5 of the our de France] passed through Rowland's Castle, attracting large crowds during one of the busiest days in the village's history.
Transport links
Rowland's Castle is served by a railway stationRowlands Castle railway station
Rowlands Castle railway station is a railway station serving the village of Rowland's Castle, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
on the Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
to 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....
or Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.It is a manned station, however not all of the time. There is just one bus route. It is route 27 which is operated by Emsworth and District
Emsworth and District
Emsworth & District founded in 1977 is an independent bus operator in Hampshire and Sussex, owned by Paul and Marion Lea and their daughter Caren. Despite its name, its buses are most likely to be seen in Havant, the town neighbouring Emsworth....
.
The village is crossed by three long-distance footpaths, the Monarch's Way
Monarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
, Sussex Border Path
Sussex Border Path
The Sussex Border Path is a 256 kilometres long-distance footpath in southern England that connects Thorney Island to Rye.The footpath uses existing rights of way to follow the Sussex county border and is waymarked....
and Staunton Way
Staunton Way
The Staunton Way is a 20.5 mile recreational footpath in Hampshire, southern England, that connects Langstone Harbour to Queen Elizabeth Country Park via Staunton Country Park.The route passes through the villages of Chalton, Finchdean and Rowlands Castle....
.
History
The RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
made pottery, brick and tiles at Rowland's Castle because suitable clay was available. A castle was built at some time between 1066 and 1199 and is first documented under the name ROLOKECASTEL in 1381. It was in good repair in the twelfth century, when Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
spent several days there in hunting and amusement, but was abandoned by the 15th century. The site was damaged by the railway and quarrying in the 19th century and now only the earthworks and a few small areas of wall remain.
St. Huberts chapel
St. Huberts chapel is located on the outskirts of Rowlands Castle, IdsworthIdsworth
Idsworth is a hamlet in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1 mile north of the village of Finchdean, and 2.3 miles east of Horndean, on the Hampshire/West Sussex border....
50°55′17"N 0°56′41"W (OSGB36 Grid ref: SU 7427914070). St. Huberts chapel was built in 1053 and was originally dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It is a Grade I listed building, listed on 16 March 1954 The chapel contains examples of mediaeval paintings from around 1300 which include paintings around the altar window of St. Peter, St. Paul, and two angels. On the north wall there is a painting of St. Hubert and St. John the Baptist. The Narthex (vestibule) contains an octagonal stone font and above it is a gallery which contains the church organ.
Geology
Rowland's Castle lies on the northern edge of the NeogeneNeogene
The Neogene is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and ending 2.588 million years ago...
deposits of the Hampshire Basin
Hampshire Basin
The Hampshire Basin is a geological basin of Paleogene age in southern England, underlying parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, and Sussex...
. The north of the village lies on the chalk of the southern South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. In the south is the Reading Formation which gave rise to the former local brick industry.
External links
- http://www.rowlandscastle.com - Rowlands Castle Village website and discussion forum
- Stained Glass Windows at St. John, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire