New Milton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| New Milton | |
  New Milton shown within Hampshire |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Parish | New Milton |
| District | New Forest |
| Shire county | Hampshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEW MILTON |
| Postcode district | BH25 |
| Dialling code | 01425 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | New Forest West |
| List of places: UK • England • Hampshire | |
New Milton is a market town in south west Hampshire, England. The town has a small high street, which has various shops to suit all residents, and also holds a very successful market every Wednesday. Situated on the edge of the New Forest, the town is about 8 miles (13 km) west of Lymington town centre and 12 miles (19 km) east of Bournemouth town centre. The town is part of the South East Dorset conurbation.
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[edit] History
New Milton dates back to before the Domesday Book and encompasses Old Milton, Barton-on-Sea, Ashley, and Bashley. It is recorded as having a population of approximately 23,000 in 2001.
The town prospered in Victorian times, and in March 1888 New Milton railway station was opened, which is still in operation today. Milton is derived from Old English for Middle Farm. In 1896 the name was changed to New Milton to differentiate it from all the other Miltons in the country. Much of the local farmland has been developed, first in the 1960s for commuter housing and again in the 1970s for small industrial/trade units. There is a mix of housing from cottages on the outskirts to more modern, urban housing in the central area.
There are a few notable architectural points of interest in the local area. Britain's first reinforced concrete bridge was built in 1900 just outside New Milton at Chewton. There was an earlier experiment in building with this material in its unreinforced form at Sway (Sway Tower). Also built in 1900 was the Tudor style water tower, which can be found in Osborne Road. It has a staircase and is constructed with a turret, slit windows and battlements. It is a striking orangey red colour, probably built from locally manufactured bricks (link).
On 23rd August 1941, 8th August 1942 and 22nd January 1943 bombing raids were carried out upon New Milton by the German Luftwaffe. The town's water tower was suggested as the target. During the Second World War, New Milton homed evacuees and was a transit station for soldiers going to the battlefields. It also had an army hospital. It was a favourite for the American airmen who were based at the nearby airfields at Lymington and Holmsley. New Milton is also the home of 3 members of the world famous rock band " Lady winwards Maggot" who recently returned from a month long tour of New Zealand.
[edit] Barton-on-Sea
The coastal village of Barton-on-Sea is nowadays included as a suburb of New Milton. In the First World War Barton was the site of a convalescent home for Indian service men and this is commemorated by an obelisk in the village.
The coast at Barton-on-Sea is particularly well-known for its geological content, being home to many fossils. The cliff tops are home to a scenic golf course. A cliff-top path runs between Barton and the village of Milford on Sea. From there, the Solent Way stretches all the way to Emsworth, on the West Sussex border. It is also well known for the fact that it was the first place in England to try out rock groynes.
There has been some speculation that the 2007 Kent earthquake may have caused a 300 metre (948ft) crack in a cliff at Barton-on-Sea creating fears of a landslide. A spokesman for the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said "We do not know if it is linked to the earthquake but it is too coincidental to ignore" [1]. This was dismissed by local residents, who claim the crack had been there for years. The cliffs at Barton are however prone to erosion and slumpage, as is evident elsewhere along the sea front.
[edit] Activities
Tourist attractions include the Sammy Miller Motorcycle museum, situated on the corner of Stem Lane, which is regarded as the leading collection of motorcycles and accompanying memorabilia in the country.
The Forest Arts Centre (formerly known as the New Milton Drama Centre) is situated at the end of Old Milton Road. It comprises several exhibition/activity rooms, a bar area and the main 150 seat studio theatre. It hosts a wide range of performances, including multi genre music, theatre, comedy, dance, films, literature - as well as putting on an array of activities and workshops for people in the community of all ages. Although having a reputation of catering mainly for the town's more elderly population, Forest Arts is slowly building up the quality of the acts it puts on, and has done especially well in attracting big name comedians to perform warm-up shows at the venue. These have included Hugh Dennis, Harry Hill, Frank Skinner. Simon Amstell and Phil Jupitus.
The town's leisure amenities include: a park with children's play area, a skate park and halfsize basketball court, Fawcett playing fields, a community centre, tennis courts, a bowls club, a library and a sports centre (including swimming pool, sauna, gym, squash courts etc). Being near the New Forest, the town is also a good location to be based for walking, cycling and riding. There are many holiday and caravan parks in the surrounding area.
[edit] Eating and Drinking Out
There are a good selection of places to eat out in the area, from restaurants to pavement cafés, which has increased in the last few years. There are many different takeaway shops around the town as well, including Indian, Chinese, Fish and Chips and the locally renowned 'Chicken Land' and 'Kebab House'.
On the drinking side of things, there are many pubs around the town and some, such as 'The Rydal Arms', 'The Old Barn' and 'The Wheatsheaf' provide live music and food. 'The Wheatsheaf' provide a carvery which is becoming hugely popular with locals.
[edit] Education
The local state schools are New Milton Infants, Juniors and The Arnewood School. There are also a selection of independent schools.
(Local State & Independent Schools.)
The Arnewood School has approximately 1500 students, and it recently obtained Technology College status. Within the school is the sixth form, which is in the top ten percent in national statistics. Despite this national aclaim though, the school seems to be going downhill in the eyes of the students at the school and in the eyes of their parents.
Around New Milton, very popular and top quality local colleges include Brockenhurst College and Totton College.
[edit] Famous Residents
- Sammy Miller, owner of Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
- Jamie Redknapp, footballer born in Barton on Sea
- Neil Moss, the AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper born in the town.
- Buster Merryfield, lived in the town.
[edit] Famous Visitors
- Frederick Marryat, author of The Children of the New Forest
[edit] References
- ^ Landslip fear over clifftop crack. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
[edit] Twin Town
[edit] External links
- New Milton Town Council
- New Forest District Council
- New Forest National Park Authority
- New Milton Town Partnership
- New Milton - An Online Record
- New Milton Memorial Centre
- New-Milton Dot Com - Online Magazine and Directory for New Milton
- Forest Arts Centre
- New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times - The Local Broadsheet Newspapers Independently Owned for Over 70 Years
- Bartononsea.org.uk
- Barton on Sea Fossils
- Chewton Glen - The Hotel, Spa and Country Club
- Pebble Beach - Restaurant, Café, Bar & Accommodation
- New Milton Parkour
- New Forest Community Media - A not-for-profit media site serving the National Park
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