Hampstead Norreys
Encyclopedia
Hampstead Norreys is a village
and civil parish in Berkshire
, England
.
It is situated at on the River Pang
, north of Newbury
. As well as Hampstead Norreys itself, the parish includes the hamlets of Bothampstead, Eling and Wyld Court. The last named is home to The Living Rainforest
, an indoor glass house tropical rainforest
with plants, animals and butterflies. It is an ecological centre, an educational centre and a visitor attraction. Hampstead Norreys was awarded Berkshire's best kept village in 1979.
Hampstead Norreys has a large recreational field [Dean Meadow] that is used for fetes, parties and mainly the village football and cricket teams. Along with these the School uses the field for activities.
as Hanstede.
The village is noted for its Norman
parish church
and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey
castle
in the nearby woods.
The village was also close to the wartime airfield of RAF Hampstead Norris
, an RAF Bomber Command
Operational Training Unit (OTU) station. The airfield was host to a small number of squadrons of Wellington
bombers. The site was bombed on September 16, 1940 by the Luftwaffe
in the Battle of Britain
. In 1945, the station was used by squadrons of Mosquito
fighter bombers and became an ammunition storage depot as part of the Bramley Central Ammunition Depot
near Basingstoke after its closure in 1946. Little of the wartime station now remains. There are four remaining pillboxes around where the airfield was and a few air raid shelters in the woods. Part of the bomb storage site remains also. The site still maintains a modern link with aviation with a farm strip used by a Tiger Moth
biplane. A light beacon is also situated on the edge of an old airfield peri track as the site is under the flightpath of aircraft flying to and from Heathrow airport
. An important VOR
beacon is also located here. It is now known as Haw Farm, part of the Yattendon Estate.
running between Hermitage
and Compton
, the two nearest villages.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, 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 situated at on the River Pang
River Pang
The River Pang is a small chalk stream river in the west of the English county of Berkshire, and a tributary of the River Thames. It runs for approximately from its source near the village of Compton to its confluence with the Thames in the village of Pangbourne.The river, and its water voles, are...
, north of Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
. As well as Hampstead Norreys itself, the parish includes the hamlets of Bothampstead, Eling and Wyld Court. The last named is home to The Living Rainforest
The Living Rainforest
The Living Rainforest is an indoor greenhouse tropical rainforest located in Hampstead Norreys in Berkshire, England. It is a popular ecological centre, educational centre and visitor attraction, run by the Trust for Sustainable Living....
, an indoor glass house tropical rainforest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
with plants, animals and butterflies. It is an ecological centre, an educational centre and a visitor attraction. Hampstead Norreys was awarded Berkshire's best kept village in 1979.
Hampstead Norreys has a large recreational field [Dean Meadow] that is used for fetes, parties and mainly the village football and cricket teams. Along with these the School uses the field for activities.
Historic buildings
The Village was recorded in 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...
as Hanstede.
The village is noted for its Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle
Hampstead Norris Castle
Hampstead Norris Castle was a Norman castle in the village of Hampstead Norris, Berkshire, England.-History:Hampstead Norris Castle is a Norman motte and bailey castle overlooking the village of Hampstead Norris, Berkshire, England. The motte is 25 m wide, and 4.2 m high, made of chalk. The...
in the nearby woods.
The village was also close to the wartime airfield of RAF Hampstead Norris
RAF Hampstead Norris
RAF Hampstead Norris was an RAF Bomber Command Operational Training Unit station near Hampstead Norreys in Berkshire during World War II. The construction contract was awarded to Wimpey in May 1940 valued at £233,000. It was opened in mid 1940...
, an RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
Operational Training Unit (OTU) station. The airfield was host to a small number of squadrons of Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bombers. The site was bombed on September 16, 1940 by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. In 1945, the station was used by squadrons of Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
fighter bombers and became an ammunition storage depot as part of the Bramley Central Ammunition Depot
Bramley Camp
Bramley Camp is a British Army training camp, located south of the village of Bramley, Hampshire. Opened during World War I as a ammunition depot, the camp now serves wholly as a training facility.-Bramley Ordnance Depot:...
near Basingstoke after its closure in 1946. Little of the wartime station now remains. There are four remaining pillboxes around where the airfield was and a few air raid shelters in the woods. Part of the bomb storage site remains also. The site still maintains a modern link with aviation with a farm strip used by a Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
biplane. A light beacon is also situated on the edge of an old airfield peri track as the site is under the flightpath of aircraft flying to and from Heathrow airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. An important VOR
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
beacon is also located here. It is now known as Haw Farm, part of the Yattendon Estate.
Education
Hampstead Norreys has a small rural primary school which has served the community for over 150 years.Sport and leisure
The 'Dean Field' is the local park in Hampstead Norreys. It contains a football and cricket pitch and a children's play area. On the north side of the field is Hampstead Norreys Village Hall. It is considerably larger than the village halls in surrounding villages. On the south side is Eling estate, a large wooded area (consisting of Park Wood, Westbrook Copse, Down Wood and Elingpark Copse) backed by a path which is what remains of the old Didcot, Newbury and Southampton RailwayDidcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
running between Hermitage
Hermitage, Berkshire
Hermitage is a village and civil parish, near to Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire.-Location and communications:The civil parish is made up of a number of settlements: Hermitage village, Little Hungerford and Wellhouse, in 2003 these consisted of some 1,154 people in 444 houses, although...
and Compton
Compton, Berkshire
Compton is a village and civil parish in the River Pang valley in the Berkshire Downs about south of Didcot. It has a population of 1,521. The Pang flows through the village as a winter bourne, a stream that only flows after periods of unusually high rainfall.-Parish church:The bell tower of the...
, the two nearest villages.
External links
- Hampstead Norreys - information from the Parish Council
- Hampstead Norreys Primary School
- A Church Near you: St Mary the Virgin, Hampstead Norreys
- The Living Rainforest (previously Wyld Court Orchids then Wyld Court Rainforest)
- The White Hart - village pub
- The graves at St Mary's Church, from UKGraves.info