Overton, Hampshire

Overton

Crossroads in the centre of Overton
Overton
 Overton shown within Hampshire
Population 4,431 [1]
OS grid referenceSU516496
DistrictBasingstoke and Deane
Shire countyHampshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Basingstoke
Postcode district RG25
Dialling code 01256
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentNorth West Hampshire
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°14′38″N 1°15′41″W / 51.2439°N 1.2615°W

Overton is a large village and parish in Hampshire, England located west of the town of Basingstoke, and east of Andover and Whitchurch. The smaller village of Quidhampton lies to the north of the village. The River Test has its source 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east, near the hamlet of Ashe.

There is evidence of Stone Age and Bronze Age habitation in this locality with finds and barrows located near the village.[2][3] It is host to the quadrennial Overton Sheep Fair. The modern fair was first held in 2000 and most recently in July 2012. It commemorates farmers leading sheep through the village many years ago, as well as the Overton Mummers, who perform frequently over the Yuletide period outside some of the public houses in the village.

During World War II, some operations of the Bank of England were temporarily relocated to nearby Whitchurch and Overton.

Transport

The village is served by Overton railway station on the West of England Main Line, which lies to the north of the village. It is also served by a weekday hourly bus service provided by Stagecoach to Winchester and Andover, both of which continue to form a 30 minute service to Basingstoke.

Church of St Mary

Overton church, dedicated to St Mary, has mediaeval origins, with the nave dating to about 1180 and the chancel to the 13th century. It was rebuilt twice during the 19th century.[4]

The churchyard is noted for having a large and long-established colony of glow worms (Lampyris noctiluca), which are becoming increasingly rare in the UK.[5]

Sport and leisure

Overton has a cricket club and two football teams. Non-League football club Overton United F.C. play at Bridge Street, and Tron FC play at Berrydown Sports Ground.[6]

Overton is the home of Overton Harriers & AC, a successful athletics club, based at Overton Recreation Centre.[7] Overton Harriers host two races; the 'Overton 5' a road race which takes in two laps of the village, and the Combe Gibbet race which is a 16 mile point to point race from Walbury Hill to Overton.

Literature

In Richard Adams' Watership Down, the rival rabbit warren of Efrafa was located just north of the railway above Northington Farm in Overton.

References

  1. ↑ Census data
  2. ↑ https://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol02/page167.html
  3. ↑ History of Overton
  4. ↑ Church of St Mary, Overton, British Listed Buildings
  5. ↑ Overton Biodiversity Action Plan, Basingstoke and Deane council, p.42
  6. ↑ "Tron FC Website".
  7. ↑ "Overton Harriers Website".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Overton, Hampshire.