Baughurst
Encyclopedia
Baughurst is a village and civil parish in Hampshire
, England
. It is located west of the town of Tadley
, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Basingstoke
. In the 2001 census
it had a population of 2,473.
The village is known for its historical association with Tadley in the manufacture of besom broom
s.
, Bronze Age
, Iron Age
, and Roman
times. Portway
, the Roman road
between London
(Londinium
) and Dorchester (Durnovaria
) via nearby Silchester
(Calleva Atrebatum), ran through the parish. The recorded history
of Baughurst traces to Anglo Saxon Britain. In 885, the area was given to the Bishop of Winchester
, and became part of Hurstbourne Priors
near Andover
. Baughurst was not mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086; it was probably still part of Hurstbourne Priors. During the late 13th century, a number of tithings within Baughurst were held by the Coudray family on behalf of Edward I
.
In 1440, Baughurst became part of the Manor of Manydown near Basingstoke
. In the mid-16th century, Baughurst's tithings were bought by the Palmes family. Around the same time, the Dissolution of the Monasteries
occurred and Aldermaston returned to Winchester Cathedral
in 1541. It later swapped to Manydown once more, before being sold in 1649 and returned to Winchester in 1660. After the Civil War
, the area became one of the wealthiest Quaker centres in the south of England. After George Fox
's visit to Basingstoke in 1657, a dissident – James Potter – was imprisoned for standing up in church and reading from a Quaker paper which conflicted with standard church beliefs. After his release, Potter established a Friends meeting house
in the village. After the Act of Toleration 1689
, Baughurst became less valuable to the Quakers – many joined the Anglicans. The majority, however, began following the Methodist movement of John
and Charles Wesley
, who regularly visited Baughurst. The Wesleys' friend, George Whitefield
, lived in Baughurst around 1736.
In the late 18th century, Jane Austen
(who lived in nearby Steventon
) visited Baughurst Priory. She wrote about her visit in a letter to her sister Cassandra
.
In 1847, Baughurst became part of the Duke of Wellington
's Stratfield Saye
estate. The subsequent dukes were the main land owners of Baughurst until 1943. In 1942, land was cleared to build RAF Aldermaston
. One of the RAF base's hangars, located at Baughurst Plantation, was used to assemble Spitfires. Between 1943 and 1945, the plant produced approximately 500 photo-reconnaissance
aircraft, including Mark IX and XIX. It also produced some Mark IX and XIV fighter aircraft. Over the next 30 years, the parish's population grew from 490 to 2,250. This because of the RAF base and, later, the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.
A number of alternative spellings of Baughurst have been recorded, including Bagganhyrst (11th century), Baggehurst (12th century), Bagehurst (15th century), Baugust (18th century), and Baghurst (19th century).
The tithings of Ham and Inhurst are within the parish; they were first recorded in 1298. Baughurst Brook, which is a tributary
of the River Enborne
, is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest
.
between Silchester
and Brimpton Common
. The ridge, which is situated towards the north of the parish, is approximately 100 metres (328.1 ft) above sea level. Moving south through the parish, the land drops by 30 metres (98.4 ft) to Baughurst Brook, before rising to 143 metres (469.2 ft) at the northern edge of the North Hampshire Downs. The brook leaves the lower land in the parish liable to flooding. The soil
and subsoil
of the area are clay
. The Brook travels East to eventually become the Foudry Brook
. Some tributaries of the River Enborne
are also found in the area around Baughurst.
s. Historically, much of the land in the parish was heathland used to grow birch
trees, which were taken to Tadley to manufacture the brooms.
for Kent's Buses and was built with a single span wooden Belfast truss roof. It was used for the storage of Spitfire aircraft parts during 1943-1945, which were assembled at the neighbouring RAF Aldermaston. The building's arched roof is the largest single-span wooden roof in Western Europe
.
The Hurst Community College
is in the village, and provides secondary education
for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is the main secondary school in the Tadley area. Aside from one independent school
, the parish's primary education is in nearby Tadley.
, and is in the Diocese of Winchester
. The church consists of a chancel
, vestry
, nave
and a tower
. The tower, which is 100 feet (30.5 m) tall, forms part of the porch. It is built in flint
and incorporates earlier materials. The bell tower houses five bells, all of which were cast by Thomas Swaine in 1775.
The current church was built by Benjamin Ferrey
in 1845 on the site of an earlier (possibly 12th century) chapel, which had partially collapsed the same year. Baughurst had a Primitive Methodist Church between 1872 and 1987. The Quakers established a meeting house at Brown's Farm in the mid 17th century, which operated until 1791.
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 located west of the town of Tadley
Tadley
Tadley is a town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.During the 1950s and 1960s, the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment , now known as AWE, became the area's largest employer, and a large number of houses were built during this period to accommodate AWRE workers...
, 6 miles (9.7 km) north 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...
. In the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 2,473.
The village is known for its historical association with Tadley in the manufacture of besom broom
Besom broom
A besom broom is a traditionally constructed broom made of a bundle of twigs tied to a stouter pole. They are still made today and sold at gardening stores as an outdoor broom.- Construction :...
s.
History
A number of tumuli are in the parish, suggesting that a settlement may have been in the Baughurst area in the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, 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...
, and Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times. Portway
Portway
The Portway was a Roman road running from London to Weymouth, via Silchester , Old Sarum and Dorchester ....
, the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between 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...
(Londinium
Londinium
The city of London was established by the Romans around AD 43. It served as a major imperial commercial centre until its abandonment during the 5th century.-Origins and language:...
) and Dorchester (Durnovaria
Durnovaria
Durnovaria is the Latin form of the Brythonic name for the Roman town of Dorchester in the modern English county of Dorset.-Romans at Maiden Castle:...
) via nearby Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
(Calleva Atrebatum), ran through the parish. The recorded history
Recorded history
Recorded history is the period in history of the world after prehistory. It has been written down using language, or recorded using other means of communication. It starts around the 4th millennium BC, with the invention of writing.-Historical accounts:...
of Baughurst traces to Anglo Saxon Britain. In 885, the area was given to the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, and became part of Hurstbourne Priors
Hurstbourne Priors
Husrtbourne Priors is a small village and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Whitchurch, which lies approximately 1.8 miles north-east from the village....
near 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...
. Baughurst was not mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086; it was probably still part of Hurstbourne Priors. During the late 13th century, a number of tithings within Baughurst were held by the Coudray family on behalf of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
.
In 1440, Baughurst became part of the Manor of Manydown near 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...
. In the mid-16th century, Baughurst's tithings were bought by the Palmes family. Around the same time, the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
occurred and Aldermaston returned to Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
in 1541. It later swapped to Manydown once more, before being sold in 1649 and returned to Winchester in 1660. After the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, the area became one of the wealthiest Quaker centres in the south of England. After George Fox
George Fox
George Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
's visit to Basingstoke in 1657, a dissident – James Potter – was imprisoned for standing up in church and reading from a Quaker paper which conflicted with standard church beliefs. After his release, Potter established a Friends meeting house
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
in the village. After the Act of Toleration 1689
Act of Toleration 1689
The Act of Toleration was an act of the English Parliament , the long title of which is "An Act for Exempting their Majestyes Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of certaine Lawes".The Act allowed freedom of worship to Nonconformists who had pledged to the...
, Baughurst became less valuable to the Quakers – many joined the Anglicans. The majority, however, began following the Methodist movement of John
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
and Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
, who regularly visited Baughurst. The Wesleys' friend, George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
, lived in Baughurst around 1736.
In the late 18th century, Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
(who lived in nearby Steventon
Steventon, Hampshire
Steventon is a rural village with a population of about 250 in north Hampshire, England. Situated 7 miles south-west of the town of Basingstoke, between the villages of Overton, Oakley and North Waltham, it is close to Junction 7 of the M3....
) visited Baughurst Priory. She wrote about her visit in a letter to her sister Cassandra
Cassandra Austen
Cassandra Elizabeth Austen was an amateur English watercolourist and the elder sister of Jane Austen.-Childhood:...
.
In 1847, Baughurst became part of the Duke of Wellington
Duke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
's Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye is a village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire.The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.The name means 'Street-Field of the Saye family'...
estate. The subsequent dukes were the main land owners of Baughurst until 1943. In 1942, land was cleared to build RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
. One of the RAF base's hangars, located at Baughurst Plantation, was used to assemble Spitfires. Between 1943 and 1945, the plant produced approximately 500 photo-reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
aircraft, including Mark IX and XIX. It also produced some Mark IX and XIV fighter aircraft. Over the next 30 years, the parish's population grew from 490 to 2,250. This because of the RAF base and, later, the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.
Toponymy
A number of explanations for the name "Baughurst" exist. "Hurst" was Old English for a thick wood or wooded hill. "Baughurst" may either refer to the wood inhabited by a Saxon named Beagga, or by badgers; "wood of the badgers". The latter is referred to in the name of one of the village's pubs, "The Badger's Wood".A number of alternative spellings of Baughurst have been recorded, including Bagganhyrst (11th century), Baggehurst (12th century), Bagehurst (15th century), Baugust (18th century), and Baghurst (19th century).
Geography
Baughurst is 2.8 mi2 in area, and is neighboured by a number of parishes in Berkshire and Hampshire:The tithings of Ham and Inhurst are within the parish; they were first recorded in 1298. Baughurst Brook, which is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Enborne
River Enborne
thumb|left|250px|River Enbournethumb|left|250px|River Enbourne at Headley Ford, near Crookham Commonthumb|left|250px|River Enborne at Shalford bridge, near [[Brimpton]]thumb|left|250px|Oxford Bridge over a small tributary of the River Enborne, near Inwood Copse...
, is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest
Site of Nature Conservation Interest
Site of Nature Conservation Interest is a designation used in many parts of the United Kingdom to protect areas of importance for wildlife and geology at a county scale...
.
Geology
Baughurst is situated on a natural ridgeRidge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
between Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
and Brimpton Common
Brimpton Common
Brimpton Common is a village in Berkshire, England. It is part of Brimpton Parish, and part of the Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton in the Diocese of Oxford. It is in the Aldermaston Ward of West Berkshire Council....
. The ridge, which is situated towards the north of the parish, is approximately 100 metres (328.1 ft) above sea level. Moving south through the parish, the land drops by 30 metres (98.4 ft) to Baughurst Brook, before rising to 143 metres (469.2 ft) at the northern edge of the North Hampshire Downs. The brook leaves the lower land in the parish liable to flooding. The soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and subsoil
Subsoil
Subsoil, or substrata, is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. The subsoil may include substances such as clay and/or sand that has only been partially broken down by air, sunlight, water, wind etc., to produce true soil...
of the area are clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. The Brook travels East to eventually become the Foudry Brook
Foudry Brook
Foudry Brook is a small stream in southern England. It rises near the Hampshire village of Baughurst named as Beaumonts Stream or Beaumonts Brook.-Geography:...
. Some tributaries of the River Enborne
River Enborne
thumb|left|250px|River Enbournethumb|left|250px|River Enbourne at Headley Ford, near Crookham Commonthumb|left|250px|River Enborne at Shalford bridge, near [[Brimpton]]thumb|left|250px|Oxford Bridge over a small tributary of the River Enborne, near Inwood Copse...
are also found in the area around Baughurst.
Economy
Along with Tadley, Baughurst is associated with the manufacture of besom broomBesom broom
A besom broom is a traditionally constructed broom made of a bundle of twigs tied to a stouter pole. They are still made today and sold at gardening stores as an outdoor broom.- Construction :...
s. Historically, much of the land in the parish was heathland used to grow birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
trees, which were taken to Tadley to manufacture the brooms.
Landmarks
Built in 1937, Lattice House was originally the depotDepot
Depot is from the French dépôt which means a deposit or a storehouse. In English, depot can mean any one of a number of things, with minor variances between the different English speaking countries:Transport* Train station...
for Kent's Buses and was built with a single span wooden Belfast truss roof. It was used for the storage of Spitfire aircraft parts during 1943-1945, which were assembled at the neighbouring RAF Aldermaston. The building's arched roof is the largest single-span wooden roof in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
.
Education
The Hurst Community College
The Hurst Community College, previously The Hurst Community School, is a school in the village of Baughurst, which is in the county of Hampshire in England. The school has been awarded specialist Science College status.-Description:...
is in the village, and provides secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is the main secondary school in the Tadley area. Aside from one independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, the parish's primary education is in nearby Tadley.
Religious sites
The parish church is dedicated to Saint StephenSaint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, and is in the Diocese of Winchester
Diocese of Winchester
The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England.Founded in 676, it is one of the oldest and largest of the dioceses in England.The area of the diocese incorporates:...
. The church consists of a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and a tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
. The tower, which is 100 feet (30.5 m) tall, forms part of the porch. It is built in flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and incorporates earlier materials. The bell tower houses five bells, all of which were cast by Thomas Swaine in 1775.
The current church was built by Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.-Family:Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr, a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch. He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School....
in 1845 on the site of an earlier (possibly 12th century) chapel, which had partially collapsed the same year. Baughurst had a Primitive Methodist Church between 1872 and 1987. The Quakers established a meeting house at Brown's Farm in the mid 17th century, which operated until 1791.