| Micheldever | |
Thatched cottages in Micheldever |
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Micheldever
Micheldever shown within Hampshire |
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| Population | 800 [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU5146639068 |
| District | Winchester |
| Shire county | Hampshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WINCHESTER |
| Postcode district | SO21 |
| Dialling code | 01962 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Winchester |
| List of places: UK • England • Hampshire | |
Micheldever ( /ˈmɪtʃəldɛvər/) is a village in Hampshire, England, situated 6 miles north of Winchester.
It lies upon the River Dever (/ˈdiːvər/). The river, and village, formerly part of Stratton Park, lie on a Hampshire grass downland, underlain with chalk and flint. Parts of the river now disappear in summer through lack of replenishment, evaporation and, more specifically, the porous nature of the bedrock.
Micheldever Parish is the most northerly in the borough of The City of Winchester. The parish incorporates Micheldever, Micheldever Station (a separate village), East Stratton, West Stratton, and Weston Colley.
The village has a church (St Mary the Virgin; Church of England), a telephone exchange (01962 774 XXX numbers), and a pub (The Half Moon And Spread Eagle).
In the late 1980s the butcher's shop closed and, before that, the bakery also closed. The post office closed in 2008. The village shop closed briefly in 2010, but has since reopened.
Micheldever has a thriving Church of England primary school which has recently been renovated with the addition of a new classroom block and a sports hall.
A renowned photograph by Bill Brandt, Micheldever Nude (1948), was taken inside Micheldever House, the home of the photographer's father, L. W. Brandt. L. W. Brandt died in 1965, aged 89, and is believed to be buried in Micheldever churchyard.
The village is served by Micheldever station – located 2 miles to the north – on the main railway line between London and Southampton. Micheldever Station is the only station between Basingstoke and Winchester; its remote existence explained its original name of Andover Road; the town of Andover not receiving its own station until much later. Micheldever Station was the starting point for the first automobile journey in Britain, in 1895.
Micheldever is located 3 miles from the A303 to the West Country, and 5 miles from Junction 8 of the M3 motorway. The village lies approximately 1.5 miles off the A33 road, originally a Roman road which, until the opening of the M3 extension in 1985, was the main route for traffic between Southampton and London.