St Mary Bourne
Encyclopedia
St Mary Bourne is small village
and civil parish in northwest Hampshire
. It lies in the valley of the Bourne Rivulet
, a tributary
of the River Test
5 miles (8 km) northeast of the town of Andover
.
of St. Mary Bourne, and is part of the Burghclere
, Highclere
and St. Mary Bourne ward
of Basingstoke and Deane borough council
. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district
of Hampshire County Council
.
area of downland
, with a mixture of farm
s and woodland
s nearby.
and stone church of St Peter. The church is particularly notable for its 12th century Tournai marble font
society, and two golf
clubs, both of which are based around pubs. These societies, along with the cricket club and other local organisations, are representative of the community in microcosm. The farms, pubs (local pubs include the Coronation Arms, the Bourne Valley Inn and The George Inn) and the partly volunteered shop aren't the only businesses in the village. There's one of the world's leading watercress
companies - Vitacress
. There's a business improvement consultancy, a thriving garage
, a recruitment company, an agency for marketing responsible tourism
, and a maker of quality curtains and soft furnishings. There is also a primary school. Most locals commute
, heading off to railway stations 5 or more miles away. Just as many drive to Newbury
, Whitchurch
, Basingstoke
, Winchester
or Andover
.
, the singer, who spent much of his life in St. Mary Bourne.
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 northwest 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...
. It lies in the valley of the Bourne Rivulet
Bourne Rivulet
The Bourne Rivulet is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The Bourne Rivulet is a seasonal chalk stream that rises and falls with the natural water table in the area. It usually rises in January and flows until around August each year...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Test
River Test
The River Test is a river in Hampshire, England. The river has a total length of 40 miles and it flows through downland from its source near Ashe, 10 km to the west of Basingstoke , to the sea at the head of Southampton Water...
5 miles (8 km) northeast of the town of Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
.
Governance
The village of St. Mary Bourne 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 St. Mary Bourne, and is part of the Burghclere
Burghclere
Burghclere is a village and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,138...
, Highclere
Highclere
Highclere is a village and civil parish situated in the North Wessex Downs in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. It lies in the northern part of the county, near the Berkshire border. It is most famous for being the location of Highclere Castle....
and St. Mary Bourne 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
The village is in a ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
area of downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
, with a mixture of farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s nearby.
Landmarks
It has many thatched houses and in the south part of the village is the flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and stone church of St Peter. The church is particularly notable for its 12th century Tournai marble font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
Culture and community
There is a local amateur dramaticAmateur theatre
Amateur theatre is theatre performed by amateur actors. These actors are not typically members of Actors' Equity groups or Actors' Unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and therefore discourage their members from appearing with companies which are not a signatory...
society, and two golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
clubs, both of which are based around pubs. These societies, along with the cricket club and other local organisations, are representative of the community in microcosm. The farms, pubs (local pubs include the Coronation Arms, the Bourne Valley Inn and The George Inn) and the partly volunteered shop aren't the only businesses in the village. There's one of the world's leading watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
companies - Vitacress
Vitacress
Vitacress Salads Ltd. is an agriculture company headquartered in St Mary Bourne, Andover, Hampshire, England. It is a fully owned subsidiary of Portugal-based company Grupo RAR. The company, which was founded in the 1950s by Malcolm Isaac, is Europe's largest provider of watercress, and also grows...
. There's a business improvement consultancy, a thriving garage
Automobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
, a recruitment company, an agency for marketing responsible tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, and a maker of quality curtains and soft furnishings. There is also a primary school. Most locals commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
, heading off to railway stations 5 or more miles away. Just as many drive to Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Hampshire
Whitchurch is a town in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, from Newbury, Berkshire, from Winchester, miles from Andover and miles from Basingstoke. Much of the town is a Conservation Area. Because of the amount of wildlife in and near the river, parts of the town are designated as...
, 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...
or Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
.
Notable people
A local celebrity is James BluntJames Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
, the singer, who spent much of his life in St. Mary Bourne.
External links
- http://www.communigate.co.uk/hants/stmarybournevillagecentre/ St Mary Bourne Village Centre
- http://www.stmarybourne.org.uk/index.htm The Parish of St Mary Bourne
- http://www.stmarybourne-pc.gov.uk/default.asp St Mary Bourne Parish Council