Headbourne Worthy

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Coordinates: 51°05′21″N 1°18′23″W / 51.089235°N 1.306349°W / 51.089235; -1.306349
Headbourne Worthy
Headbourne Worthy

 Headbourne Worthy shown within Hampshire
Population 361 [1]
OS grid reference SU4867732442
District Winchester
Shire county Hampshire
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WINCHESTER
Postcode district SO24
Dialling code 01962
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Winchester
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire

Headbourne Worthy (formerly Worthy Mortimer) is a village and former manor within the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The parish[2] also includes the former manor of Worthy Pauncefoot.

History

  • 9th century - manor believed to have been granted by Egbert of Wessex, to St Swithun's Priory
  • 1086 - manor held by Ralph Mortimer (Ranulph de Mortimer)
  • 1424 - manor held by Richard of York (3rd Duke of York)
  • 17th century - manor bought by Sir Thomas Clerke, who in 1594 had acquired the neighbouring manor of Worthy Pauncefoot[3]

Parish Council

The parish council consists of seven members elected every 4 years and a parish clerk. The council considers planning applications, carries out minor public works and organises the annual village litter pick. It is funded by a small precept (one of the smallest in Hampshire) collected by Winchester City Council as part of the Council Tax. Recent works include refurbishing the village notice boards in Agapanthus blue[4]

Notable Buildings

  • Church of St Swithun, Worthy Lane; Grade I
  • Laundry Cottage, Bedfield Lane; Grade II
  • The Elms (now known as The Old Bakery), Pudding Lane; Grade II
  • Lower Farm House and Granary, School Lane; Grade II
  • The Manor House, Well House Lane; Grade II
  • The Old Rectory, Well House Lane; Grade II
  • Pudding Farm House and Barn, Pudding Lane; Grade II
  • Thatched Cottage, Pudding Lane; Grade II
  • Upper Farm House and Barn, Down Farm Lane; Grade II.[5]
St Swithun's Church, Spring 2013

St Swithun's Church

The Grade I listed parish church dates from the 11th century and is particularly noted for its 11th century rood on the outside of the original west wall, now part of the vestry. What remains of the stone carving, which was vandalised at the time of the Reformation, depicts the crucified Christ, St Mary the virgin and St John.

The church sits on an island, surrounded by chalk streams, to the west of Worthy Lane. The graveyard to the south extends to School Lane. In 2012 an oak tree was planted in the churchyard to commemorate the Queen's diamond jubilee. A Friend of St Swithun's carried out a great deal of clearance and conservation work in the churchyard, the burial ground, the dell and the pathways to School Lane and London Road in 2012/2013 and maintains the grounds. The Worthys Conservation Volunteers[6] carried out extensive habitat conservation work in the 'scrub' area to the north of the churchyard in 2013. The group opposes controversial plans to build a car park to the south of the church.[7]

A 3.5 acre parcel of land known as Chisslands has been owned by the church since time immemorial.[8] This parcel of land is to be sold to the developer of the Barton Farm estate for a substantial sum which will will provide the church with capital for church maintenance for many years to come.

There is a service every Sunday at 10:00 using a traditional form of worship according to the Book of Common Prayer.

Manor House Stables

Now a stylish three bedroom family home,[9] the stables of the Manor House once housed the 1946 Grand National winner, Lovely Cottage. 25/1 Lovely Cottage beat 100/1 outsider Jack Finlay and 3/1 favourite Prince Regent in a race that saw 34 horses start but only 6 finish. The day after the race, Lovely Cottage was paraded around the village and local children were lifted onto its back.[10]

The Watercress Beds

20 watercress beds off Bedfield Lane and Springvale occupying 4 acres of land are owned and managed by The Watercress Company. The water used in the beds drains to streams along the Nuns Walk and then into the River Itchen.[11]

The Pudding Feast

An annual dinner, known as The Pudding Feast, was provided to the Mayor and Corporation at The Pudding House (now known as Pudding Farm House). A lease of the property in 1817 converted this obligation to an annual payment of £3[12]

Flora

Agapanthus is a summer flowering perennial and native of South Africa, but in the late 1940s Lewis Palmer, of the Huntley and Palmers biscuit dynasty and a Vice President of the Royal Horticultural Society, bred hybrids in his garden at The Grange, School Lane, Headbourne Worthy. The hybrids, commonly known as Headbourne Hybrids, are still widely available at garden centres and nurseries. In the 1960s at The Grange, Lewis Palmer maintained one of the country's best collections of the winter flowering shrub, Christmas Box (Sarcococca).[13]

Famous Residents

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh lived in a bungalow on School Lane called The Headlands during World War II when Olivier was stationed at Worthy Down with the Fleet Air Arm.[14]

Local Businesses

The Good Life shop, cafe and garden centre [15]

Church Paddock Trout Fishery [16]

Foundry Motors, Foresters Park, Wellhouse Lane, 01962 880269

The Dower House[17]

References

  1. ↑ Census data
  2. ↑ http://www.theworthys.org.uk/Maps/Headbourne_Worthy_Boundary.jpg
  3. ↑ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=56849
  4. ↑ http://www.theworthys.org.uk
  5. ↑ britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
  6. ↑ http://www.worthysconservationvolunteers.org.uk
  7. ↑ http://www.theworthys.org.uk/Minutes/Mins_HW_13_05_2013.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=56849
  9. ↑ http://www.bdonline.co.uk/manor-house-stables-headbourne-worthy-by-ar-design-studio/5053360.article
  10. ↑ http://www.communigate.co.uk/hants/worthyslocalhistorygroup/page9.phtml
  11. ↑ http://www.thewatercresscompany.co.uk/index.php
  12. ↑ http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/recordshttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=041-34m91w&cid=9-3-1#9-3-1.aspx?cat=041-34m91w&cid=9-3-1#9-3-1
  13. ↑ The Garden, RHS, December 2013
  14. ↑ Worthy History No 17, 2013, page 33
  15. ↑ http://www.goodlifefarmshop.co.uk
  16. ↑ http://www.churchpaddock.co.uk
  17. ↑ http://www.thedowerhousewinchester.co.uk

External links

Towns, villages and hamlets in the City of Winchester District of Hampshire, England
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