Stratfield Saye
Encyclopedia
Stratfield Saye is a village
and civil parish
in the north-east of the English
county of Hampshire
.
The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.
The name means 'Street-Field of the Saye family'. The street was the 'Devil's Highway', the Roman road
from London
to Silchester which forms the northern parish boundary.
Stratfield Saye House
was built around 1630 as the Pitt family home, from fortunes made by "Diamond Pitt". In the late 18th century the family were closely related with the famous Prime Ministers of England, William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger
.
The parish church
, near the house, is an unusual domed Georgian
building with the plan of a Greek Cross. It contains memorials
to the Barons Rivers
and to most of the Dukes of Wellington, except the famous first duke
. His hatchment
may, however, be seen.
Some older sources use the alternative spelling Strathfieldsaye.
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
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 the north-east of the English
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...
county 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...
.
The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.
The name means 'Street-Field of the Saye family'. The street was the 'Devil's Highway', 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 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Silchester which forms the northern parish boundary.
Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.-Early history:...
was built around 1630 as the Pitt family home, from fortunes made by "Diamond Pitt". In the late 18th century the family were closely related with the famous Prime Ministers of England, William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
.
The parish church
Church 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:...
, near the house, is an unusual domed Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
building with the plan of a Greek Cross. It contains memorials
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
to the Barons Rivers
Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in 1299 when John Rivers was summoned to Parliament as Baron Rivers. The title became...
and to most of the Dukes of Wellington, except the famous first duke
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. His hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
may, however, be seen.
Some older sources use the alternative spelling Strathfieldsaye.