Wellow, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Wellow 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
(6km) and the nearest city Southampton
(13km). The village has a population of just over 3,000.
Confusingly, some people refer to the two villages of East Wellow and West Wellow individually, while others refer to them collectively as Wellow. There is no official administrative or political division which separates the two parts and they share the same parish council, which also covers the small settlement of Canada. Canada is just inside the New Forest boundary and can only be reached by public road from the roundabout on the A36 at West Wellow. King Alfred (d. 899) left "the toune of Welewe" in his will to his eldest daughter Ethelgifu. "Welue" is mentioned in the Domesday Book
(1086) where it is recorded that Agemund had five hides
of about 600 acres (2.4 km²) there. Only the name "Wellow" appears on Saxton's 1575 map of Hampshire, spelled "Wellew" in various maps from the seventeenth century. East and West Wellow appear separately by the time of John Harrison's 1788 map, separated by the River Blackwater
. Their exact positions on these early maps are hard to reconcile with the modern road and settlement pattern but until 1895 when the county
boundary was realigned, West Wellow was in Wiltshire
and East Wellow in Hampshire.
Most of the current housing dates from the Twentieth Century, with a few earlier buildings (notably some thatched cottages). There is continuing small-scale infill
development. All the principal services are found in the larger West Wellow and include a Post Office
, some small shops, a filling station
, village hall
, recreation ground
and Wellow School. The school was originally funded by money from Florence Nightingale's family, and bears a plaque recording that information.
There is a public house
, the Red Rover, on the A36 and another, the Rockingham, in Canada. The smaller East Wellow, approximately 1km to the north is mainly residential. Throughout the 1990s there was discussion of various options for the construction of a Wellow bypass route to relieve the village of the increasing volume of traffic on the A36 but none of these was built. The northern boundary of the modern village is effectively the River Blackwater and the surrounding area is agricultural. The former Wellow Mill on the Blackwater was served by a complicated series of sluices to deal with changes in water level but was converted to a private residence in 1945 and no machinery remains. Along the river are a series of lakes which form the site of Woodington and Whinwhistle fisheries. West Wellow is also home to Carlo's, a popular ice cream parlour and tea shop.
The parish church
of St. Margaret of Antioch is a flint-faced stone structure consecrated in 1215 and the interior contains some wall paintings from this period. In 1251 Henry III of England
granted a charter to Wellow to hold an annual fair on the eve of St Margaret's Day. A chancel was added in the Thirteenth Century and a south aisle in the Fifteenth Century, but the church is famous as the burial site of Florence Nightingale
, whose family home was the nearby Embley Park
, now a private school
. St Margaret's is a destination for many visitors interested in Nightingale and the history of nursing
. The church is some distance from the majority of the modern housing and there is no archaeological evidence that there was ever a substantial settlement close to the church.
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...
that falls within the Test Valley
Test Valley
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....
district. The village lies just outside 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....
across the main A36 road
A36 road
The A36 is a trunk road and primary route in England that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. At Bath, the A36 connects with the A4 road to Bristol, thus enabling a road link between the major ports of Southampton and Bristol. Originally, the A36 continued onto Avonmouth, but...
which runs from 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...
to Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. The nearest town is 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...
(6km) and the nearest city 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...
(13km). The village has a population of just over 3,000.
Confusingly, some people refer to the two villages of East Wellow and West Wellow individually, while others refer to them collectively as Wellow. There is no official administrative or political division which separates the two parts and they share the same parish council, which also covers the small settlement of Canada. Canada is just inside the New Forest boundary and can only be reached by public road from the roundabout on the A36 at West Wellow. King Alfred (d. 899) left "the toune of Welewe" in his will to his eldest daughter Ethelgifu. "Welue" is mentioned in 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...
(1086) where it is recorded that Agemund had five hides
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...
of about 600 acres (2.4 km²) there. Only the name "Wellow" appears on Saxton's 1575 map of Hampshire, spelled "Wellew" in various maps from the seventeenth century. East and West Wellow appear separately by the time of John Harrison's 1788 map, separated by the 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...
. Their exact positions on these early maps are hard to reconcile with the modern road and settlement pattern but until 1895 when the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
boundary was realigned, West Wellow was in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and East Wellow in Hampshire.
Infill
Infill in its broadest meaning is material that fills in an otherwise unoccupied space. The term is commonly used in association with construction techniques such as wattle and daub, and civil engineering activities such as land reclamation.-Construction:...
development. All the principal services are found in the larger West Wellow and include a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, some small shops, a filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
, village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, recreation ground
Recreation Ground
A recreation ground is a type of park.Recreation Ground is the name of the following stadiums in the United Kingdom:*Recreation Ground , the home ground of Aldershot Town F.C., located in Aldershot, England...
and Wellow School. The school was originally funded by money from Florence Nightingale's family, and bears a plaque recording that information.
There is a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Red Rover, on the A36 and another, the Rockingham, in Canada. The smaller East Wellow, approximately 1km to the north is mainly residential. Throughout the 1990s there was discussion of various options for the construction of a Wellow bypass route to relieve the village of the increasing volume of traffic on the A36 but none of these was built. The northern boundary of the modern village is effectively the River Blackwater and the surrounding area is agricultural. The former Wellow Mill on the Blackwater was served by a complicated series of sluices to deal with changes in water level but was converted to a private residence in 1945 and no machinery remains. Along the river are a series of lakes which form the site of Woodington and Whinwhistle fisheries. West Wellow is also home to Carlo's, a popular ice cream parlour and tea shop.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Margaret of Antioch is a flint-faced stone structure consecrated in 1215 and the interior contains some wall paintings from this period. In 1251 Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
granted a charter to Wellow to hold an annual fair on the eve of St Margaret's Day. A chancel was added in the Thirteenth Century and a south aisle in the Fifteenth Century, but the church is famous as the burial site of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
, whose family home was the nearby Embley Park
Embley Park
Embley Park near Romsey, Hampshire was the family home of Florence Nightingale from 1825 until her death in 1910. It is also where Florence Nightingale claimed she had received her divine calling from God...
, now a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
. St Margaret's is a destination for many visitors interested in Nightingale and the history of nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
. The church is some distance from the majority of the modern housing and there is no archaeological evidence that there was ever a substantial settlement close to the church.