Andover, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Andover is a town in the English
county of Hampshire
. The town is on the River Anton
some 18.5 miles (30 km) west of the town of Basingstoke
, 18.5 miles (30 km) north-west of the city of Winchester
and 25 miles (40 km) north of the city of Southampton
. Andover is twinned with the towns of Redon in France, Goch
in Germany, and Andover, Massachusetts
.
onn dwfr = "ash(tree) water".
Andover's first mention in history is in 950 when King Edred is recorded as having built a royal hunting lodge there. In 962 King Edgar called a meeting of the Saxon 'parliament' (the Witenagemot
) at his hunting lodge near Andover.
Of more importance was the baptism, in 994 of a Viking king named Olaf (allied with Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard
). The identity of that man was either Olav Trygvason
or Olof Skötkonung. The baptism was part of a deal with King Ethelred II of England (“The Unready”) whereby he stopped ravaging England and returned home. Olav Tryggvason became king of Norway
in 995 and tried to convert his country to Christianity
before his death in battle in 1000. Olof Skötkonung was already king of Sweden
and became its first Christian king and began c. 995 to mint Sweden's first coins with the help of English expertise.
At the time of the Domesday Book
(1086) Andover had 107 male inhabitants and probably had a total population of about 500. It was quite a large settlement by the standards of the time. (Most villages had only 100 to 150 people). Andover also had 6 watermills which ground grain to flour.
In 1175 King Richard I
sold Andover a charter granting the townspeople certain rights, forming a merchant guild which took over the government of the town. The members elected two officials called bailiffs who ran the town. In 1201 King John
gave the merchants the right to collect royal taxes in Andover themselves. In 1256 Henry III
gave the townspeople the right to hold a court and try criminals for offences committed in Andover. Andover also sent MPs to the parliaments of 1295 and 1302-1307. The town was ravaged by two serious fires, one in 1141 and another in 1435.
Andover remained a small market town. Processing wool appears to have been the main industry and street names in the area of the town known as “Sheep Fair” commemorate this. A weekly market, and an annual fair were held.
As well as the Church of St Mary the town had a priory
and a hospital run by monks, dedicated to St John the Baptist, and also a lepers hostel to St Mary Magdalene. In 1538 during the Reformation
Henry VIII
closed the priory and the hospital. In 1571 a free school for the boys of Andover was established. This in time became Andover Grammar School, and is now John Hanson Community School. (Which has since been demolished and rebuilt not far from two primary schools in the town. The site which was once John Hanson, now acts as a housing district.)
In 1599 the town received a new charter from Elizabeth I
. The merchants guild was made a corporation and the number of annual fairs was increased from one to three. Like other towns Andover suffered from outbreaks of plague
. There were outbreaks in 1603-5, 1625-6 and 1636.
– Salisbury – London
road Andover became a major stopping point on the stagecoach
routes, more than 30 stagecoaches passing through the town each day. In 1789 a canal
to Southampton
was opened, though this was never a commercial success and closed in 1859. Andover was linked to Basingstoke and thus to London by railway when the Andover junction station was opened on 3 July 1854; this railway also linking the town to Salisbury. The town was also linked by railway to Southampton, built on the bed of the canal, but this was closed down in 1964. The land, together with the adjacent gasworks and P. M. Coombes woodyards, was then sold to the TSB Trust Company who later built their headquarters there.
During the 19th century the town acquired all the usual additions, a theatre in 1803, gas street lighting in 1838, a fire station and cottage hospital in 1877, a swimming pool opened in 1885 and a recreation ground opened in 1887. A water company was formed in 1875 to provide piped water to the town and a system of sewers and drains was built in 1899-1902. The public library
opened in 1897. Despite this burgeoning of the amenities of the town in 1845 a notorious scandal involving the hardships endured by the inmates of the workhouse
led indirectly to reform of the Poor Law
Act. The town was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835.
In 1846, the town came to public attention after an enquiry exposed the conditions in its workhouse. The Andover workhouse scandal brought to light evidence of beatings, sexual abuse and general mistreatment of workhouse inmates by the overseers.
The wool
len industry had declined but new industries took its place. Taskers
Waterloo Ironworks opened at Anna Valley
in 1809 and flourished. Many examples of the machinery produced by Taskers can be seen at the Milestones Museum
in Basingstoke.
was opened on Andover Airfield, to the south of the town, during the First World War
and became the site of the RAF
Staff College.
In 1932 Andover gained a new industry when the printers for Kelly's Directory
moved to the town. Slowly the town grew from about 11,000 and by 1960 had a population of about 17,000. because already the some of Londoners were being housed in the first of the council houses / flats being constructed.
During the Second World War the RAF Staff College was the headquarters of RAF Maintenance Command
, and gained a unique place in British history, as the first British military helicopter unit, the Helicopter Training School, was formed in January 1945 at RAF Andover
. The airfield is no longer in use although the RAF retains a link to the area through the presence of 1213 (Andover) Squadron
, Air Training Corps
. when the RAF left the site became the Headquarters of the Quartermaster General
and later Logistics Executive (Army).
In 1951 the Town Council decided it would be a good idea to add fluoride
to the drinking water to improve dental health. This provoked a furious public response, and a strong anti-fluoridation campaign started. In the 1958 local elections anti-fluoridation candidates swept the board, turning out many established members, and the idea was dropped.
In 1950s the Borough Council was approached by the Greater London Council
to become an overspill
town, to build houses and take people and industry relocated from the overcrowded capital. Some contend that had the old Borough Council still been in charge this would never have been agreed. But it was, and in 1961 the plan was drawn up to expand to a population of some 47,000 by 1982, with 9,000 new homes to be built.
The first new council houses were ready by 1954 and by 1981 the population had risen to 51,000. A bypass, industrial estates and a new shopping centre in the town centre, called the Chantry Centre, were all built and the town’s character changed completely. The new council houses proved to be very badly built. It seemed that the local council would have to foot the enormous bill for reconstruction, but after starting legal action against the Greater London Council
a settlement was achieved, in which the GLC paid a large sum of money to the local council, which started a programme of refurbishment that finished in 1995.
In 2001, the Defence Logistics Organisation
(DLO) was formed and Andover became one of its major sites. Since September 2010, the site has been the home of Headquarters Land Forces. The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre is based locally at Amport House
, as is the Army Air Corps Centre and the Museum of Army Flying
at Middle Wallop
.
Major industries include Twinings
the tea and coffee firm, Ducal Pine Furniture (until they closed in 2003), Thompson International Publishers, who produce the Pitkin Guides to be found in many churches and other notable buildings, financial institutions such as Simply Health (formerly the HSA) and Lloyds Banking Group, and the Stannah Group
, whose HQ is also in the town. Unemployment is very low at 1% of the working population and among the proposals in the councils Borough Local Plan 2006 are plans to develop the former site of RAF Andover
to Class B1, B2 and B8 uses.
The Borough Council and Andover Rural District Council were abolished in the local government reorganisation of 1974, and replaced by Test Valley
Borough Council, which included the land down to the edge of Southampton
in the south, quite a rural area apart from Andover. Light industry is still the main employer. Situated about 1 hour 5 minutes from London by train
there are also quite a few who commute to the capital to work. The tensions between town and country and the “old” and “new” still exist in some measure, and in the future more expansion is planned. Today the population of Andover is over 52,000 and it is one of four Major Development Areas in Hampshire, identified for large housing growth. Plans are in place to build 2,500 homes to the northeast of the town. Andover became an unparished area
in Test Valley. After a considerable local campaign a parish council of 19 members was elected in May 2010.
The Town Museum, based in the old grammar school, had a Museum of the Iron Age
added in 1986 which houses the finds from excavations at nearby Danebury
Hill Fort.
In 2002 Andover received the first cango
bus network. Leisure facilities are improving. The council has recently refurbished the local College auditorium as "Lights", a new live entertainment centre. A new four screen cinema above the recently built Asda
supermarket has opened in the town centre.
In May 2008 a brand new radio station was launched in the town called Andover Sound
. It broadcasts across North West Hampshire on 106.4FM and online at www.andoversound.com from studios based in East Street in the town. The radio station has picked up a number of awards since launching including a New York Festivals Radio Award, the Radio Academy South Station of the Year award and the Arqiva Commercial Station of the Year award. In April 2010 the radio station was nominated for two prestigious Sony Radio Academy Awards for Station of the Year (300,000) and News Journalist of the Year and came away from the ceremony with a silver in the journalist category.
These changes and new opportunities are all part of the Andover Vision, a partnership between local councils, local organisations and local businesses. The Vision is a 20 year plan that was launched in 2007 and aims to improve the lives of local people by improving the town in four main areas. Those areas are business and enterprise, education for all, health and well being and passionate participation.
The Andover Vision board is made up of people from local business including Stannah, one of Andover's largest employers; officers and members from Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and the Andover Town Council; heads of local schools and college and interested local people including the local MP for North West Hampshire, Sir George Young.
The Vision has been behind popular events like the Christmas lights switch on, the Big Fest summer culture festival and food fayre. It also backs activities like the Riverside Walk and the Chapel Arts centre.
In February 2011, Andover became a Heart Town. The Andover Vision heart town status means that local people will be making healthy living a top priority. The Andover Vision will be running and promoting things to help people stop smoking, think more about what they eat and do more exercise. The Andover Vision are working with the British Heart Foundation on this project.
of 1086 provides the earliest record of watermill
s in Andover, which identifies six mills.
Rooksbury Mill
is one of the few surviving mill buildings in Andover. The existence of Rooksbury Mill is first recorded by name in the 17th century. Functioning as a flour mill, it has passed through a succession of owners. Milling ceased in the early 20th century, after which the mill building went through a series of uses including being used as a small theatre. Test Valley
Borough Council sold the building in 2002, shortly after it had been devastated following an arson attack. The new owners, Anthony and Sarah de Sigley, restored the building in 2003, rebuilding much of the original structure.
type, reflected in its limited temperature range and lack of rainy/dry seasons, although rainfall does tend to peak in winter and reach a minimum in summer.
The nearest met office weather station to Andover is Leckford, about 5 miles south of the town centre.
The absolute maximum temperature recorded was 34.7c(94.5f) during August 1990. In an average year the hottest day will achieve a temperature of 29.0c(84.2f). In total 12.8 days should have a maximum temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) of above.
The absolute minimum temperature recorded was -15.6c(3.9f) during December 1960. In an average year the coldest night will fall to -7.5c(18.5f). In total 46.6 nights should register an air frost.
Total rainfall averages 805mm per year, with at least 1mm falling on 124 days. All averages refer to the 1971-00 observation period.
was a local player who began his career for Andover
before moving to AFC Bournemouth
and Chelsea
. From there, he enjoyed a successful career culminating with winning the English league championship with Liverpool
, and numerous Scottish league and cup winners medals with Rangers
. Since retiring, he has ventured into club management as well as becoming a television football pundit.
Like Spackman, Bill Rawlings
was another Andoverian who began his career at the club. He went on to join Southampton
in 1919 where he had a successful career scoring 175 goals in 327 league appearances, making him their third all-time goalscorer behind Mick Channon
and Matthew Le Tissier
. He also won two England
caps in 1922 against Wales
and Scotland
respectively. He also played for Manchester United
and Port Vale
.
Lucinda Green
, champion equestrian and journalist who won a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
as well as two world titles, was born in Andover in 1953.
Chris Britton, Ronny Bond, Pete Staples and Reg Presley
of The Troggs
, a rock band
who had a number of hits in Britain
and the United States
such as Wild Thing and Love Is All Around, were all born in Andover, as was Mike Hugg
from the band Manfred Mann
.
Archie Manners; a Conservative Politician and award-winning magician also lives near Andover. He lives in the village of Kimpton
.
The eminent 19th century surgeon William Morrant Baker
was also born in the town. He was best known for describing the condition Baker's cyst
as well as being a lecturer, surgeon and governor at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
Sam Baker
, novelist and editor in chief of Red Magazine, and previously editor of Cosmopolitan
and Just Seventeen
among other women's magazines, lived in the area as a child and went to Andover's Anton School, Winton School and Cricklade Sixth Form College.
Author and winemaker Cyril Berry
lived in the town and served as its mayor in 1972-73.
Campaigner and broadcaster Katie Piper
was brought up in Andover and retains strong links to the town, though was living in London
at the time of her assault, and following her recovery has now returned to the capital to run her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation.
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 town is on the River Anton
River Anton
The River Anton is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The river rises just to the north of the town of Andover, and flows through the centre of the town...
some 18.5 miles (30 km) west of the town of 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...
, 18.5 miles (30 km) north-west of the city 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...
and 25 miles (40 km) north of the city of 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...
. Andover is twinned with the towns of Redon in France, Goch
Goch
Goch is a town in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated close to the border with the Netherlands, approx. 12 km south of Kleve, and 27 km southeast of Nijmegen.-Cultural ties:...
in Germany, and Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
.
Early history
Its name is recorded in Anglo-Saxon in 955 AD as Andeferas, and is thought to be of Celtic origin: compare WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
onn dwfr = "ash(tree) water".
Andover's first mention in history is in 950 when King Edred is recorded as having built a royal hunting lodge there. In 962 King Edgar called a meeting of the Saxon 'parliament' (the Witenagemot
Witenagemot
The Witenagemot , also known as the Witan was a political institution in Anglo-Saxon England which operated from before the 7th century until the 11th century.The Witenagemot was an assembly of the ruling class whose primary function was to advise the king and whose membership was...
) at his hunting lodge near Andover.
Of more importance was the baptism, in 994 of a Viking king named Olaf (allied with Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard
Sweyn I of Denmark
Sweyn I Forkbeard was king of Denmark and England, as well as parts of Norway. His name appears as Swegen in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and he is also known in English as Svein, Swein, Sven the Dane, and Tuck.He was a Viking leader and the father of Cnut the Great...
). The identity of that man was either Olav Trygvason
Olaf I of Norway
Olaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...
or Olof Skötkonung. The baptism was part of a deal with King Ethelred II of England (“The Unready”) whereby he stopped ravaging England and returned home. Olav Tryggvason became king of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 995 and tried to convert his country to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
before his death in battle in 1000. Olof Skötkonung was already king of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and became its first Christian king and began c. 995 to mint Sweden's first coins with the help of English expertise.
At the time of 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) Andover had 107 male inhabitants and probably had a total population of about 500. It was quite a large settlement by the standards of the time. (Most villages had only 100 to 150 people). Andover also had 6 watermills which ground grain to flour.
In 1175 King Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
sold Andover a charter granting the townspeople certain rights, forming a merchant guild which took over the government of the town. The members elected two officials called bailiffs who ran the town. In 1201 King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
gave the merchants the right to collect royal taxes in Andover themselves. In 1256 Henry III
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...
gave the townspeople the right to hold a court and try criminals for offences committed in Andover. Andover also sent MPs to the parliaments of 1295 and 1302-1307. The town was ravaged by two serious fires, one in 1141 and another in 1435.
Andover remained a small market town. Processing wool appears to have been the main industry and street names in the area of the town known as “Sheep Fair” commemorate this. A weekly market, and an annual fair were held.
As well as the Church of St Mary the town had a priory
Andover Priory
Andover Priory was an alien priory of Benedictine monks in Andover, Hampshire, England.After the conquest, William I bestowed several gifts on the Benedictine abbey of St. Florent, Saumur, these included the church of Andover, with a hide and of land, tithes of all the demesne lands in the parish,...
and a hospital run by monks, dedicated to St John the Baptist, and also a lepers hostel to St Mary Magdalene. In 1538 during the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
closed the priory and the hospital. In 1571 a free school for the boys of Andover was established. This in time became Andover Grammar School, and is now John Hanson Community School. (Which has since been demolished and rebuilt not far from two primary schools in the town. The site which was once John Hanson, now acts as a housing district.)
In 1599 the town received a new charter from Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The merchants guild was made a corporation and the number of annual fairs was increased from one to three. Like other towns Andover suffered from outbreaks of plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. There were outbreaks in 1603-5, 1625-6 and 1636.
18th and 19th century
During the 18th century, being situated on the main ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
– Salisbury – 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...
road Andover became a major stopping point on the stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
routes, more than 30 stagecoaches passing through the town each day. In 1789 a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
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...
was opened, though this was never a commercial success and closed in 1859. Andover was linked to Basingstoke and thus to London by railway when the Andover junction station was opened on 3 July 1854; this railway also linking the town to Salisbury. The town was also linked by railway to Southampton, built on the bed of the canal, but this was closed down in 1964. The land, together with the adjacent gasworks and P. M. Coombes woodyards, was then sold to the TSB Trust Company who later built their headquarters there.
During the 19th century the town acquired all the usual additions, a theatre in 1803, gas street lighting in 1838, a fire station and cottage hospital in 1877, a swimming pool opened in 1885 and a recreation ground opened in 1887. A water company was formed in 1875 to provide piped water to the town and a system of sewers and drains was built in 1899-1902. The public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
opened in 1897. Despite this burgeoning of the amenities of the town in 1845 a notorious scandal involving the hardships endured by the inmates of the workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
led indirectly to reform of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
Act. The town was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835.
In 1846, the town came to public attention after an enquiry exposed the conditions in its workhouse. The Andover workhouse scandal brought to light evidence of beatings, sexual abuse and general mistreatment of workhouse inmates by the overseers.
The wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
len industry had declined but new industries took its place. Taskers
Taskers of Andover
Taskers of Andover were an Andover, Hampshire based metal works and engineering company, which became better known in the latter half of the 20th century for their lorry trailers...
Waterloo Ironworks opened at Anna Valley
Anna Valley
Anna Valley is a village in Hampshire, United Kingdom. The settlement is a suburb of Andover, and is located approximately south-west of the town centre....
in 1809 and flourished. Many examples of the machinery produced by Taskers can be seen at the Milestones Museum
Milestones Museum
Milestones Museum is a museum located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. It is made up of a network of streets that have been recreated on those found in Victorian and 1930s Hampshire....
in Basingstoke.
Modern history
The town's largest employer is the Ministry of Defence. RAF AndoverRAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
was opened on Andover Airfield, to the south of the town, during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and became the site of the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Staff College.
In 1932 Andover gained a new industry when the printers for Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
moved to the town. Slowly the town grew from about 11,000 and by 1960 had a population of about 17,000. because already the some of Londoners were being housed in the first of the council houses / flats being constructed.
During the Second World War the RAF Staff College was the headquarters of RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
, and gained a unique place in British history, as the first British military helicopter unit, the Helicopter Training School, was formed in January 1945 at RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
. The airfield is no longer in use although the RAF retains a link to the area through the presence of 1213 (Andover) Squadron
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
, Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
. when the RAF left the site became the Headquarters of the Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
and later Logistics Executive (Army).
In 1951 the Town Council decided it would be a good idea to add fluoride
Fluoride
Fluoride is the anion F−, the reduced form of fluorine when as an ion and when bonded to another element. Both organofluorine compounds and inorganic fluorine containing compounds are called fluorides. Fluoride, like other halides, is a monovalent ion . Its compounds often have properties that are...
to the drinking water to improve dental health. This provoked a furious public response, and a strong anti-fluoridation campaign started. In the 1958 local elections anti-fluoridation candidates swept the board, turning out many established members, and the idea was dropped.
In 1950s the Borough Council was approached by the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
to become an overspill
London overspill
London overspill is the term given to the communities created - largely consisting of publicly provided housing - as a result of the Government policy of moving residents out of Greater London, England into other towns around the South East, East Anglia and beyond.-Policy development:The policy...
town, to build houses and take people and industry relocated from the overcrowded capital. Some contend that had the old Borough Council still been in charge this would never have been agreed. But it was, and in 1961 the plan was drawn up to expand to a population of some 47,000 by 1982, with 9,000 new homes to be built.
The first new council houses were ready by 1954 and by 1981 the population had risen to 51,000. A bypass, industrial estates and a new shopping centre in the town centre, called the Chantry Centre, were all built and the town’s character changed completely. The new council houses proved to be very badly built. It seemed that the local council would have to foot the enormous bill for reconstruction, but after starting legal action against the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
a settlement was achieved, in which the GLC paid a large sum of money to the local council, which started a programme of refurbishment that finished in 1995.
In 2001, the Defence Logistics Organisation
Defence Logistics Organisation
The Defence Logistics Organisation was a key element of the UK Ministry of Defence, responsible for supporting the armed forces throughout the various stages of an operation or exercise; from training, deployment, in-theatre training and conduct of operations, through to recovery and recuperation...
(DLO) was formed and Andover became one of its major sites. Since September 2010, the site has been the home of Headquarters Land Forces. The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre is based locally at Amport House
Amport House
Amport House, currently the British Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre , is a manor house in the village of Amport, near Andover, Hampshire....
, as is the Army Air Corps Centre and the Museum of Army Flying
Museum of Army Flying
The Museum of Army Flying is an award-winning British military aviation museum about the history of flying in the British Army. It is located beside the Army Air Corps Centre in Middle Wallop, close to Andover in Hampshire, England....
at Middle Wallop
Middle Wallop
Middle Wallop is the local name given to an area between the two Parishes of Over Wallop and Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England. As it does not have its own parish technically it does not exist, however road signs and maps make reference to the location and have done so since the 18th century,...
.
Major industries include Twinings
Twinings
Twinings is a marketer of tea based in Andover, Hampshire, England.- History :The founder of Twinings, Thomas Twining, opened the first known tea room, at 216 Strand, London, in 1706, which is still operating today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is one of the world's oldest in continuous use...
the tea and coffee firm, Ducal Pine Furniture (until they closed in 2003), Thompson International Publishers, who produce the Pitkin Guides to be found in many churches and other notable buildings, financial institutions such as Simply Health (formerly the HSA) and Lloyds Banking Group, and the Stannah Group
Stannah Lifts
Stannah Lifts Holdings Ltd is a manufacturer of lifts based in Andover, Hampshire. Founded in 1867 in London as a crane and hoist manufacturer, the company began to produce lifts shortly after...
, whose HQ is also in the town. Unemployment is very low at 1% of the working population and among the proposals in the councils Borough Local Plan 2006 are plans to develop the former site of RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
to Class B1, B2 and B8 uses.
The Borough Council and Andover Rural District Council were abolished in the local government reorganisation of 1974, and replaced by 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....
Borough Council, which included the land down to the edge of 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, quite a rural area apart from Andover. Light industry is still the main employer. Situated about 1 hour 5 minutes from London by train
Andover railway station
Andover station serves the town of Andover, Hampshire UK. The station is served and operated by South West Trains. The station is 107 km south west of London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line ....
there are also quite a few who commute to the capital to work. The tensions between town and country and the “old” and “new” still exist in some measure, and in the future more expansion is planned. Today the population of Andover is over 52,000 and it is one of four Major Development Areas in Hampshire, identified for large housing growth. Plans are in place to build 2,500 homes to the northeast of the town. Andover became an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
in Test Valley. After a considerable local campaign a parish council of 19 members was elected in May 2010.
The Town Museum, based in the old grammar school, had a Museum of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
added in 1986 which houses the finds from excavations at nearby Danebury
Danebury
Danebury is an Iron Age hill fort in Hampshire in England, about north-west of Winchester . The site, covering , was excavated by Barry Cunliffe in the 1970s...
Hill Fort.
In 2002 Andover received the first cango
Cango
Cango is a demand responsive transport bus operator in Hampshire, UK, owned by Hampshire County Council. The services operate in the localities around main towns, using Optare Solo and Optare Alero buses.-Background:Cango services do not use set routes...
bus network. Leisure facilities are improving. The council has recently refurbished the local College auditorium as "Lights", a new live entertainment centre. A new four screen cinema above the recently built Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket has opened in the town centre.
In May 2008 a brand new radio station was launched in the town called Andover Sound
Andover Sound
Andover Sound is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from studios in East Street, Andover, and serving North West Hampshire and parts of East Wiltshire....
. It broadcasts across North West Hampshire on 106.4FM and online at www.andoversound.com from studios based in East Street in the town. The radio station has picked up a number of awards since launching including a New York Festivals Radio Award, the Radio Academy South Station of the Year award and the Arqiva Commercial Station of the Year award. In April 2010 the radio station was nominated for two prestigious Sony Radio Academy Awards for Station of the Year (300,000) and News Journalist of the Year and came away from the ceremony with a silver in the journalist category.
These changes and new opportunities are all part of the Andover Vision, a partnership between local councils, local organisations and local businesses. The Vision is a 20 year plan that was launched in 2007 and aims to improve the lives of local people by improving the town in four main areas. Those areas are business and enterprise, education for all, health and well being and passionate participation.
The Andover Vision board is made up of people from local business including Stannah, one of Andover's largest employers; officers and members from Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and the Andover Town Council; heads of local schools and college and interested local people including the local MP for North West Hampshire, Sir George Young.
The Vision has been behind popular events like the Christmas lights switch on, the Big Fest summer culture festival and food fayre. It also backs activities like the Riverside Walk and the Chapel Arts centre.
In February 2011, Andover became a Heart Town. The Andover Vision heart town status means that local people will be making healthy living a top priority. The Andover Vision will be running and promoting things to help people stop smoking, think more about what they eat and do more exercise. The Andover Vision are working with the British Heart Foundation on this project.
Mills and milling
Watermills have played an important part in Andover's history. The Domesday BookDomesday 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...
of 1086 provides the earliest record of watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s in Andover, which identifies six mills.
Rooksbury Mill
Rooksbury Mill
Rooksbury Mill is an old watermill in Andover, Hampshire, England, and a Grade II listed building. The building and its associated structures are privately owned, but the surrounding land is owned by the Test Valley Borough Council and managed as a local nature reserve.Although the present mill...
is one of the few surviving mill buildings in Andover. The existence of Rooksbury Mill is first recorded by name in the 17th century. Functioning as a flour mill, it has passed through a succession of owners. Milling ceased in the early 20th century, after which the mill building went through a series of uses including being used as a small theatre. 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....
Borough Council sold the building in 2002, shortly after it had been devastated following an arson attack. The new owners, Anthony and Sarah de Sigley, restored the building in 2003, rebuilding much of the original structure.
Climate
Andover, in common with much of the UK, experiences a maritime climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
type, reflected in its limited temperature range and lack of rainy/dry seasons, although rainfall does tend to peak in winter and reach a minimum in summer.
The nearest met office weather station to Andover is Leckford, about 5 miles south of the town centre.
The absolute maximum temperature recorded was 34.7c(94.5f) during August 1990. In an average year the hottest day will achieve a temperature of 29.0c(84.2f). In total 12.8 days should have a maximum temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) of above.
The absolute minimum temperature recorded was -15.6c(3.9f) during December 1960. In an average year the coldest night will fall to -7.5c(18.5f). In total 46.6 nights should register an air frost.
Total rainfall averages 805mm per year, with at least 1mm falling on 124 days. All averages refer to the 1971-00 observation period.
Notable people
People born in the town include a pair of notable footballers. Nigel SpackmanNigel Spackman
Nigel James Spackman is an English football manager and former player. He was formerly a midfield player who was an integral part of the much-admired Liverpool team of 1988...
was a local player who began his career for Andover
Andover F.C.
Andover F.C. was a football club based in Andover, Hampshire, established in 1883. Since the 2007–08 season, Andover had been a member of the Southern League Division One South and West at Step 4 of the National League System...
before moving to AFC Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. From there, he enjoyed a successful career culminating with winning the English league championship with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and numerous Scottish league and cup winners medals with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Since retiring, he has ventured into club management as well as becoming a television football pundit.
Like Spackman, Bill Rawlings
Bill Rawlings
William Ernest "Bill" Rawlings was an English footballer.-Playing career:Rawlings' career started in 1918 with Southampton, he stayed ten years with the club, from 1918 to 1928. His 193 goals places him third on the club's list of all-time goalscorers, behind Mick Channon and Matthew Le Tissier...
was another Andoverian who began his career at the club. He went on to join Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in 1919 where he had a successful career scoring 175 goals in 327 league appearances, making him their third all-time goalscorer behind Mick Channon
Mick Channon
Michael Roger "Mick" Channon is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a striker with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer.-Southampton:...
and Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew "Matt" Le Tissier is a retired English footballer who played for Southampton and England.An attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills, Le Tissier is the second-highest ever scorer for Southampton behind Mick Channon and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was...
. He also won two England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps in 1922 against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
respectively. He also played for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
.
Lucinda Green
Lucinda Green
Lucinda Green MBE is a champion British equestrian and journalist who before her marriage was Lucinda Jane Prior-Palmer.-Family:...
, champion equestrian and journalist who won a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
as well as two world titles, was born in Andover in 1953.
Chris Britton, Ronny Bond, Pete Staples and Reg Presley
Reg Presley
Reg Presley is an English singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer with prominent 1960s rock and roll band The Troggs, whose best known hit was "Wild Thing", though their only UK number one single was "With A Girl Like You"...
of The Troggs
The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
, a rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
who had a number of hits in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
such as Wild Thing and Love Is All Around, were all born in Andover, as was Mike Hugg
Mike Hugg
Mike Hugg is a professional musician and a founding member of the 1960s group Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
from the band Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
.
Archie Manners; a Conservative Politician and award-winning magician also lives near Andover. He lives in the village of Kimpton
Kimpton, Hampshire
Kimpton is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The village is situated west of Andover, in the north of the county, and has a boundary with Ludgershall, in Wiltshire...
.
The eminent 19th century surgeon William Morrant Baker
William Morrant Baker
William Morrant Baker was an English physician and surgeon. He first described the condition now known as Baker's cyst.-Life:...
was also born in the town. He was best known for describing the condition Baker's cyst
Baker's cyst
A Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst, is a benign swelling of the semimembranous or more rarely some other synovial bursa found behind the knee joint. It is named after the surgeon who first described it, William Morrant Baker...
as well as being a lecturer, surgeon and governor at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
Sam Baker
Sam Baker (writer)
Sam Baker was the editor in chief of Cosmopolitan in the UK until December 2006. She is now editor of Red, owned by Hachette, and a sister magazine to Elle. Baker was born in Hampshire, and studied politics at Birmingham University...
, novelist and editor in chief of Red Magazine, and previously editor of Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
and Just Seventeen
Just Seventeen
Just Seventeen, often referred to as J-17, was a weekly magazine aimed at teenage girls, published by Emap from October 1983 to April 2004. It quickly became the market leading teen magazine until the launch of Sugar in 1994, after which sales began to fall...
among other women's magazines, lived in the area as a child and went to Andover's Anton School, Winton School and Cricklade Sixth Form College.
Author and winemaker Cyril Berry
Cyril Berry
Cyril J J Berry , widely cited as CJJ Berry, is best known as the author of the popular book First Steps in Winemaking, which has sold more than three million copies worldwide....
lived in the town and served as its mayor in 1972-73.
Campaigner and broadcaster Katie Piper
Katie Piper
Katie Piper is a former model and television presenter from Andover, Hampshire in England, UK. Piper had hoped to have a full-time career in the media, but in March 2008 she was the victim of an acid attack in which sulphuric acid was thrown at her face...
was brought up in Andover and retains strong links to the town, though was living in 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...
at the time of her assault, and following her recovery has now returned to the capital to run her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation.
Sport
- CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
: Andover Cricket ClubAndover Cricket ClubAndover Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Andover, Hampshire. Originally formed in 1865, the club has been at its present ground at London Road, Andover since the 1930s. The club runs six senior teams, with the 1st competing in the Southern Premier Cricket League, whilst the 2nd,...
play in the Southern Premier Cricket LeagueSouthern Premier Cricket LeagueThe Southern Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in central southern England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League.The league covers the counties of Dorset, Hampshire and South Wiltshire.... - Football: Andover is home to Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
side, Andover Football ClubAndover F.C.Andover F.C. was a football club based in Andover, Hampshire, established in 1883. Since the 2007–08 season, Andover had been a member of the Southern League Division One South and West at Step 4 of the National League System...
. - Hockey: Andover is home to Andover Hockey Club, the first club in Hampshire to attain the "Club Mark" for its organisation and child safety policies. AHC has 4 Mens, 4 Ladies, and 2 Veterans sides, plus 250+ Juniors playing in Hampshire Leagues.
- Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
: Andover R.F.C. are also based in the town. - CyclingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
: Andover is home to the Andover WheelersAndover WheelersAndover Wheelers is a cycling club based in Andover, Hampshire. It was formed in 1933 and in 2008 celebrated its 75th anniversary. It is affiliated to the South district of Cycling Time Trials as well as British Cycling and the British Cyclo-Cross Association.... - TriathlonTriathlonA triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
: Andover is home to the Andover Triathlon Club - ArcheryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
: Andover is home to the Andover Archers Club http://www.andoverarchers.co.uk/] - Lawn Bowls: Bowls has been played in Andover since 1913 and the local club now with 90 members will celebrate its centenary in 2013.
Cultural references
- In Agatha Christie'sAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
Hercule PoirotHercule PoirotHercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
mystery The ABC Murders, Andover is the site of the first murder. - In Episode 6 of Series 40 of Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
team captain Paul MertonPaul MertonPaul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
mentions "Pig Stretching in Andover" as an obscure cultural activity, despite the tradition's non-existence.
See also
- Amport HouseAmport HouseAmport House, currently the British Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre , is a manor house in the village of Amport, near Andover, Hampshire....
- Andover railway stationAndover railway stationAndover station serves the town of Andover, Hampshire UK. The station is served and operated by South West Trains. The station is 107 km south west of London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line ....
- Andover SoundAndover SoundAndover Sound is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from studios in East Street, Andover, and serving North West Hampshire and parts of East Wiltshire....
- Andover workhouse scandal
- Army Air Corps
- RAF AndoverRAF AndoverAndover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
- Upper ClatfordUpper ClatfordUpper Clatford is a village in Hampshire, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Anton, several miles upstream of the point where it joins the River Test, just to the south of Andover....