Mansbridge
Encyclopedia
Mansbridge is a suburb on the northern perimeter of Southampton
, England
. The area is named after the Mans Bridge which spans the River Itchen
. For a considerable time, this was the southern-most crossing point of the river, before the construction of Woodmill in Swaythling
. The bridge itself still stands and is a Grade II listed structure but is closed to road traffic (pedestrians and cyclists may still use it), having been replaced by a larger and more modern road bridge to carry the A27
.
The suburb contains a mixture of housing. The first developments, on the north side of the A27, were designed by architect Herbert Collins
, whose houses are a feature of several other Southampton districts. A larger estate was later constructed on the south side, along with Mansbridge Primary School, the logo of which is the bridge itself. The residential area of Mansbridge is bordered to the west by the London to Weymouth railway line
and to the east by the river. Beyond the river, Mansbridge takes on a much more rural air, with woodland to the south and water meadows to the north.
The neighbouring areas are Swaythling
to the west, Townhill Park
to the south, and Chartwell Green
to the east. A strip of green belt
land separates Mansbridge from Eastleigh
to the north.
's charter to the prior
of St Swithun's Priory in Winchester
. In the Domesday Book
of 1086, the location was recorded as Manebrige or Manesbrige Hundred, within the county of Hantscire
. A wooden bridge by the name of Blak Bridge was described as being "a little above Woodmill" (ie. upstream of Woodmill in Swaythling
) by Leland in 1535-43, and this may be a reference to Mansbridge as there are no known crossing points of the river between Mansbridge and Woodmill. Saxton's map of 1575 shows the bridge at Mansbridge labelled as "mans bridge", while Speed's 1611 map refers to the hundred as Mansbridg. Blaeu's 1645 map shows Mansbridge Hundred but Morden's map of 1695 labels the bridge "Mansbridg", and shows it within the Fawley
or Waltham (possibly Bishop's Waltham
) Hundred. However, the bridges that stand at Mansbridge today are much more recent than those mentioned above; the older of the two was built in 1816 by the county council
; this bridge was made of stone with a single segmental arch and decorated with a lambswool pattern.
The suburb of Mansbridge had at its heart, for a century, a large house called "The Grange." The Grange had an extensive ornamental garden, containing a diverse collection of trees. After World War II the house fell into disrepair, and was eventually demolished around 1970. The grounds are now a part of the Monks Brook Greenway, a nature trail, and many of the original trees can still be seen along the brook's bank.
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...
, 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...
. The area is named after the Mans Bridge which spans the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
. For a considerable time, this was the southern-most crossing point of the river, before the construction of Woodmill in Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
. The bridge itself still stands and is a Grade II listed structure but is closed to road traffic (pedestrians and cyclists may still use it), having been replaced by a larger and more modern road bridge to carry the A27
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
.
The suburb contains a mixture of housing. The first developments, on the north side of the A27, were designed by architect Herbert Collins
Herbert Collins
Herbert Collins was a British architect. He designed many of the suburban developments in the city of Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Life:...
, whose houses are a feature of several other Southampton districts. A larger estate was later constructed on the south side, along with Mansbridge Primary School, the logo of which is the bridge itself. The residential area of Mansbridge is bordered to the west by the London to Weymouth railway line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
and to the east by the river. Beyond the river, Mansbridge takes on a much more rural air, with woodland to the south and water meadows to the north.
The neighbouring areas are Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
to the west, Townhill Park
Townhill Park
Townhill Park is a suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Swaythling, Bitterne Park and West End. It is built on land which once belonged to the house which carries the same name.- History :...
to the south, and Chartwell Green
Chartwell Green
Chartwell Green is a suburb of Southampton, England, although it falls outside of the formal city boundary. Instead, Chartwell Green is part of the West End parish, within the Borough of Eastleigh....
to the east. A strip of green belt
Green Belt (UK)
In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
land separates Mansbridge from Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
to the north.
History
There has been a bridge at Mansbridge since at least the year 932, when it was referred to as Mannysbrigge in King AthelstanAthelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
's charter to the prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of St Swithun's Priory in 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...
. In the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, the location was recorded as Manebrige or Manesbrige Hundred, within the county of Hantscire
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...
. A wooden bridge by the name of Blak Bridge was described as being "a little above Woodmill" (ie. upstream of Woodmill in Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
) by Leland in 1535-43, and this may be a reference to Mansbridge as there are no known crossing points of the river between Mansbridge and Woodmill. Saxton's map of 1575 shows the bridge at Mansbridge labelled as "mans bridge", while Speed's 1611 map refers to the hundred as Mansbridg. Blaeu's 1645 map shows Mansbridge Hundred but Morden's map of 1695 labels the bridge "Mansbridg", and shows it within the Fawley
Fawley, Hampshire
Fawley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated in the New Forest on the western shore of the Solent, approximately 7 miles south of Southampton. Fawley is also the site of an oil refinery, operated by Exxon-Mobil, which is the largest facility of its kind in the United...
or Waltham (possibly Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
) Hundred. However, the bridges that stand at Mansbridge today are much more recent than those mentioned above; the older of the two was built in 1816 by the county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
; this bridge was made of stone with a single segmental arch and decorated with a lambswool pattern.
The suburb of Mansbridge had at its heart, for a century, a large house called "The Grange." The Grange had an extensive ornamental garden, containing a diverse collection of trees. After World War II the house fell into disrepair, and was eventually demolished around 1970. The grounds are now a part of the Monks Brook Greenway, a nature trail, and many of the original trees can still be seen along the brook's bank.