Test Valley
Encyclopedia
Test Valley is a local government district
and borough
in Hampshire
, England
, named after the valley of the River Test
. Its council is based in Andover
.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by a merger of the boroughs of Andover
and Romsey
, along with Andover Rural District and Romsey and Stockbridge Rural District.
Test Valley covers some 250 square miles (647.5 km²) of western Hampshire
, stretching from boundaries with Southampton
in the south to Newbury
in the north. Test Valley is a predominantly rural area. It encompasses the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
The River Test is the centrepiece of the Test Valley; the river is a world renowned chalk stream of particular beauty and famous for its fishing
, salmon
and trout
, which Lord Crickhowell (onetime chairman of the National Rivers Authority
) said 'should be treated as a great work of art or music'. Home of the Houghton Fishing Club, an exclusive fishing club founded in 1822, which meets in the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge.
In December 2006, Sport England
published a survey which revealed that residents of Test Valley were the 8th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 26.9% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
is local charitable trust which exists to promote arts and local artists in the borough of Test Valley.
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...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
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...
, 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...
, named after the valley 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...
. Its council is based in 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...
.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by a merger of the boroughs 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...
and Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
, along with Andover Rural District and Romsey and Stockbridge Rural District.
Test Valley covers some 250 square miles (647.5 km²) of western 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...
, stretching from boundaries with Southampton
Southampton
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...
in the south 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...
in the north. Test Valley is a predominantly rural area. It encompasses the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
The River Test is the centrepiece of the Test Valley; the river is a world renowned chalk stream of particular beauty and famous for its fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, which Lord Crickhowell (onetime chairman of the National Rivers Authority
National Rivers Authority
The National Rivers Authority was one of the forerunners of the Environment Agency of England and Wales, existing between 1989 and 1996. Before 1989 the regulation of the aquatic environment had largely been carried out by the ten Regional Water Authorities...
) said 'should be treated as a great work of art or music'. Home of the Houghton Fishing Club, an exclusive fishing club founded in 1822, which meets in the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge.
In December 2006, Sport England
Sport England
Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
published a survey which revealed that residents of Test Valley were the 8th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 26.9% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
Council affiliation in 2011
As of May 1, 2011, it was as follows| Party | Number of councillors |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 32 |
| Liberal Democrat | 15 |
Towns and villages
- Abbotswood
- Abbotts AnnAbbotts AnnAbbotts Ann is a village in the parish of the same name, approximately south-west of Andover, Hampshire, England.-History:The village name Annwas derived from the Celtic river name ‘Anne’ meaning ‘Ash Tree Stream’ . The first settlements in the area can be traced back to 50BC when the Atrebates...
- AmpfieldAmpfieldAmpfield is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Test Valley in Hampshire, England, between Romsey, Eastleigh, and Winchester. It had a population at the 2001 census of 1,474....
- AmportAmportAmport is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of NW Hampshire, England, a few miles west of Andover. It incorporates the small hamlet of East Cholderton and has a population of about 800....
- AndoverAndover, HampshireAndover 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...
- AppleshawAppleshawAppleshaw is a village in the English county of Hampshire. The name Appleshaw is derived from Old English ‘scarga’ - a shaugh or wood; thus Appleshaw may mean ‘apple wood’. It includes the hamlet of Ragged Appleshaw, the ‘ragged’ possibly being a corruption of ‘roe gate’ - the gate of the Royal...
- AshleyAshley, HampshireAshley is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, west of Winchester. Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies 2.6 miles north-west. As of the 2001 census the parish has a population of 72. Ashley Castle is in the village....
- AwbridgeAwbridgeAwbridge is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, about three miles northwest of Romsey, and near the River Test. According to the 2001 census the parish, which includes the villages of Awbridge, Upper Ratley and Lower Ratley, had a population of 695...
- Barton StaceyBarton StaceyBarton Stacey is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, situated about seven miles south-east of Andover.-Civil Parish:The total area of the civil parish is 5,027 acres ....
- Bossington
- BraishfieldBraishfieldBraishfield is a village and civil parish north of Romsey in Hampshire, England. It has neither main roads nor railways, but is crossed by the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath...
- BrookBrook, HampshireBrook is a small medieval hamlet situated 1–2 miles south of the village of King's Somborne in the Test Valley, Hampshire.Brook features on a number of mediaeval maps of Hampshire and England, and has a significant population until the 17th century, when the population was decimated by the...
- BroughtonBroughton, HampshireBroughton is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, about ten miles north of Romsey. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 1,029. There is also a herd of water buffalo....
- Buckholt
- BullingtonBullington, HampshireBullington is a civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The parish contains Upper Bullington and Lower Bullington, both about 9 miles south-east of Andover. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 101....
- CharltonCharlton, HampshireCharlton is a small village and civil parish north-west of Andover. Due to the expansion of Andover in recent years the two settlements are now effectively contiguous. As of 2005, the village has a population of 2053 people .- Charlton Lakeside :...
- ChilboltonChilboltonChilbolton is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, near to Stockbridge. Its most notable feature is the Chilbolton Observatory situated on the disused RAF Chilbolton airfield...
- King's SomborneKing's SomborneKing's Somborne is a village in Hampshire, England. The village lies on the edge of the valley of the River Test.-General information:The 'Sombornes' comprise the scattered village of King's Somborne, together with the hamlets of Little Somborne, Up Somborne, and Ashley.Between King's Somborne and...
- HoughtonHoughton, HampshireHoughton is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The village is situated alongside the River Test. Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies approximately 1.8 miles north-east from the village. The village is mostly strung out along the single road...
- LeckfordLeckfordLeckford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It lies on the eastern bank of the River Test just to the south of its confluence with the River Anton, to the east of Longstock and south of Chilbolton. The parish has a population of around 136....
- LinkenholtLinkenholtLinkenholt is a village near Andover in Hampshire, England with about 40 inhabitants. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Linchehou, when it was part of the land of the Abbey of St Peter of Gloucester....
- LongstockLongstockLongstock is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It lies on the western bank of the River Test, to the north and west of Stockbridge and east of Leckford. The parish has a population of around 450...
- MichelmershMichelmershMichelmersh is a small, scattered village in Hampshire, England some three miles north of Romsey.It forms a civil parish with Timsbury that forms part of the Test Valley district....
- North BaddesleyNorth BaddesleyNorth Baddesley is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated 3 miles east of the town of Romsey and 6 miles north of Southampton. It occupies an area of approximately 9.15 square kilometres, and is home to a population of just over 10,000 people. It is located in the...
- The Wallops
- RomseyRomseyRomsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
- Shipton BellingerShipton BellingerShipton Bellinger is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.Shipton Bellinger is located around north-east of the town of Amesbury and north-east of the city of Salisbury. It lies on the A338 and is close to that road's junction with the A303...
- StockbridgeStockbridge, HampshireStockbridge is a small town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of and a population of little under 600 people according to the 2001 census in Hampshire, England. It lies on the River Test, in the Test Valley district and renowned for trout fishing. The A30 road goes through...
- TangleyTangleyTangley is a village in the English county of Hampshire. Tangley is situated north of the old market town of Andover and the village of Charlton, Hampshire....
- ThruxtonThruxton, HampshireThruxton is just off the A303 road five miles west of Andover. It is a village with a Manor House, thatched cottages and village green...
- Timsbury
- WellowWellow, HampshireWellow is a village in Hampshire, England that falls within the Test Valley district. The village lies just outside the New Forest across the main A36 road which runs from the M27 motorway to Salisbury. The nearest town is Romsey and the nearest city Southampton...
Miscellaneous
Test Valley Arts FoundationTest Valley Arts Foundation
Test Valley Arts Foundation is an independent grant giving charity established in 1991 by Michael Colvin MP with help from TESCO and Test Valley Borough Council...
is local charitable trust which exists to promote arts and local artists in the borough of Test Valley.