New Alresford
New Alresford or simply
Alresford (pronounced
Allsford) is a small
town and
civil parish in
Hampshire,
England. It is situated some
12 km north-east of the city of
Winchester, and
20 km south-west of the town of
Alton.
New Alresford is linked to Alton by the
Mid Hants Watercress Railway, a steam worked
heritage railway, and served by
Alresford railway station.
There is evidence of
Neolithic,
bronze age and
iron age occupation on numerous sites in the Alresford area, with a
Roman or Romano-British site on nearby Fobdown and to the south-east of the town in Bramdean. There is evidence of a grant to the Church at
Winchester sometime before the
9th century, which became known as the Liberty of Alresford. The settlement was listed in the
Domesday Book.
New Alresford was founded in the 12th/13th century, the idea originally being that of
Henri de Blois, the
Bishop of Winchester and brother of
King Stephen of England. The design of the T-shaped town (originally named Novum Forum) was followed by de Blois' successor
Godfrey de Lucy. Alresford was one of the Bishop's six new towns and was his most profitable plantation- his palace was situated in nearby Bishop Sutton, perhaps less than a mile distant.The medieval stone bridge he built at this time is still in place. This expansion also involved the construction of the Great Weir between New Alresford and
Old Alresford, creating Old Alresford Pond. This remarkable period in the town's history even included the construction of one of the oldest canal systems in England, based on the River Itchen.
New Alresford quickly became established as a prosperous market town, focussed on the wool, leather, and the other products from sheep and cattle- in the 14th Century Alresford was one of the top five Sheep market towns of England. Alresford sent two members to parliament until the population was reduced by the
Black Death. The town quickly picked up the label as a dangerous place to live due to the uncommonly frequent fires which razed it to the ground- much of the medieval town was destroyed by a fire in 1689 that destroyed 117 houses in the town as well as the Church and Market House. Much of the town was rebuilt in the 18th century, with many of the
Georgian buildings remaining today.
In the spring of 1644, the
Battle of Cheriton took place on Cheriton Down, reaching the outskirts of Alresford. Defeated Royalists set fire to houses in the town as they withdrew.
A turnpike linking London to the Channel ports (now the A31) was built in 1753, passing through the town.
Alresford was the birthplace of artist
Graham Ovenden and novelist and dramatist
Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855) who lived at 37 Broad street until the age of ten. Furthermore, the noted actor-manager
Francis R. Benson (1866-1939) spent his childhood in nearby Langton House. The cricket commentator
John Arlott resided in Alresford during the 1950s and 60s.
There are six primary and one secondary school in the Alresford area with a total of 140 staff and over 2000 pupils - (pupil numbers as of 2004 in brackets)
*Sun Hill Junior (280)
*Sun Hill Infant (190)
*
Perins School â€" secondary (950): a community sports college and
secondary school. The school was granted specialist status for leading the field in the area of sports within Hampshire. The
head teacher is Mrs. Janice Bernard.
*Four Marks Primary (266)
*Cheriton Primary (108)
*Ropley Primary (177)
*Preston Candover Primary (128)
The Alresford Pigs Association raises money in the local area for those in need. Their most notable event is the Duck Race held every two years which raises a few thousand pounds. Another major contributor to their funds is the Alresford Show held on the first Saturday in September where they organise the car parking and entry points. To finish off the year they erect and light over 100 christmas trees on buildings in the three main streets receiving income from the businesses and house occupiers for this service. Then they organise the arrival of
Father Christmas. Last year he came in World War 2
NAAFI van driven my
Wallace and Gromit. In previous years he has arrived by
Thunderbirds, Helicopter, Fire Engine etc.
Over their 30 years of existence they have raised more than £250,000.
* for Stonebridge.
*
Southern Life on Alresford*
Perins School website*
OFSTED inspection report*
BBC report on Perins School
*
Alresford schools*
Alresford Chamber of Commerce
