Weston Colley
Encyclopedia
Weston Colley is a hamlet of about twenty dwellings, adjacent to (and within the parish of) Micheldever
, Winchester
, Hampshire
, England
. It is within the City of Winchester
local government ward of Wonston And Micheldever. Winchester is also the nearest large settlement, lying approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) south of the hamlet.
, which acquired it as part of its buy-out of Eagle Star Insurance
- which, in-turn, bought the assets from the estate of J. Arthur Rank
- based at near-by Sutton Scotney
.
The housing stock mainly dates from the 1930s but there are some notable thatched, oak-timber properties which are centuries old.
ADSL broadband-internet is limited to about 6GB because the local telephone exchange (at Micheldever) only serves a small population (therefore is low priority) and because of the distance from that exchange. Both the telephone / broadband wires and those that deliver electricity are located overground between telegraph poles. There is mains water. However, there is no cable tv / broadband, no mains gas nor mains sewage (residents have septic tanks in their gardens).
By the bridge, carrying railway over lane, is a mobile telephone transceiver, owned by Orange Telecommunications. Recently, Vodafone
have applied to install another mast, close-by. However, whereas the Orange mast is camouflaged by trees, the proposed Vodafone mast is much taller - it, therefore, has been the cause of considerable local opposition.
flows through the hamlet but briefly disappears under the tall Victorian railway-track embankment which separates Weston Colley from Micheldever. The busy main London
(Waterloo) to Southampton
railway still uses the line. There is one proper through-road (Weston Lane) in the hamlet, from Northbrook (Micheldever) at one end and toward Stoke Charity at the other. There is also a green lane
(unsuitable for most road transport) from Micheldever Station.
Weston Colley sits on southern English chalk downland. This means the valley sides rise gently and the River Dever runs very clear - though it dries in arid summers (chalk being porous). Bare soil is alkaline and populated by chunks of flint. Most of the non-garden area is arable fields with some woodland by the river. A few cows, nursing young cattle, are often to be seen in the water meadow but the dairy has not operated for decades.
Micheldever
Micheldever is a village in Hampshire, England, situated 6 miles north of Winchester.It lies upon the River Dever . The river, and village, formerly part of Stratton Park, lie on a Hampshire grass downland, underlain with chalk and flint...
, 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...
, 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 within the City of Winchester
City of Winchester
Winchester is a local government district in Hampshire, England, with city status. It covers an area of central Hampshire including the city of Winchester itself, and neighbouring towns and villages including New Alresford, Colden Common and Bishops Waltham....
local government ward of Wonston And Micheldever. Winchester is also the nearest large settlement, lying approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) south of the hamlet.
History
Within the past thirty years, the landed estate which owned much of Weston Colley has divested itself of its housing portfolio (which has been mostly sold to private residents) but it retains most of the farmland within and around the hamlet, together with Weston Farm, which is run on a long tenancy. The landed estate is now owned by Zurich Financial ServicesZurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
, which acquired it as part of its buy-out of Eagle Star Insurance
Eagle Star Insurance
The Eagle Star Insurance Company plc was a leading British insurance business. It underwrote the full range of risks, including fire, accident, marine, motor, life, contingency and Pluvius insurance...
- which, in-turn, bought the assets from the estate of J. Arthur Rank
J. Arthur Rank
Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc.- Family business :...
- based at near-by Sutton Scotney
Sutton Scotney
Sutton Scotney is a village in Hampshire, England. It is part of the City of Winchester district, and lies north of Winchester proper.It lies alongside the River Dever and is now bypassed by the A34 trunk road. It is notable for having been the site of numerous Spitfire crashes in the Second World...
.
The housing stock mainly dates from the 1930s but there are some notable thatched, oak-timber properties which are centuries old.
Services
Whilst some residents operate cottage industries, there are no overt commercial activities in Weston Colley, save for Weston Farm. The hamlet has no shops, pubs nor places of worship.ADSL broadband-internet is limited to about 6GB because the local telephone exchange (at Micheldever) only serves a small population (therefore is low priority) and because of the distance from that exchange. Both the telephone / broadband wires and those that deliver electricity are located overground between telegraph poles. There is mains water. However, there is no cable tv / broadband, no mains gas nor mains sewage (residents have septic tanks in their gardens).
By the bridge, carrying railway over lane, is a mobile telephone transceiver, owned by Orange Telecommunications. Recently, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
have applied to install another mast, close-by. However, whereas the Orange mast is camouflaged by trees, the proposed Vodafone mast is much taller - it, therefore, has been the cause of considerable local opposition.
Geography
Weston Colley is located entirely within the Dever Valley; the River DeverRiver Dever
The River Dever is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The river rises alongside the A33 at around and flows west through the villages of Micheldever, Weston Colley, Stoke Charity, Wonston, Sutton Scotney, Upper and Lower Bullington, Barton Stacey, and...
flows through the hamlet but briefly disappears under the tall Victorian railway-track embankment which separates Weston Colley from Micheldever. The busy main 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...
(Waterloo) to 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...
railway still uses the line. There is one proper through-road (Weston Lane) in the hamlet, from Northbrook (Micheldever) at one end and toward Stoke Charity at the other. There is also a green lane
Green lane
A green lane is a type of road, usually an unpaved rural route.-England and Wales:In particular, a green lane is unsurfaced, and may be so infrequently used that there is no wearing of the surface, allowing vegetation to colonise freely, hence 'green'...
(unsuitable for most road transport) from Micheldever Station.
Weston Colley sits on southern English chalk downland. This means the valley sides rise gently and the River Dever runs very clear - though it dries in arid summers (chalk being porous). Bare soil is alkaline and populated by chunks of flint. Most of the non-garden area is arable fields with some woodland by the river. A few cows, nursing young cattle, are often to be seen in the water meadow but the dairy has not operated for decades.