Bishopstoke

Bishopstoke

Bishopstoke has a gravel beach which is created by fluctuations in the height of the River Itchen
Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke shown within Hampshire
Population 9,974 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid reference SU472189
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Eastleigh
Postcode district SO50
Dialling code 023
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament

Bishopstoke, a village recorded in the Domesday Book,[2] is a civil parish in the borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. At the 2011 Census the village was a civil parish in its own name. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD.[3] The village is about a mile east of Eastleigh town centre, and is on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It adjoins Fair Oak on the east, in the Fair Oak and Horton Heath parish. The village was annexed to Eastleigh in 1932,[4] and was split out again as an independent civil parish later. It forms part of the Southampton Urban Area.

Itchen Valley Navigation

The Itchen Valley navigation running between Winchester and Southampton was completed in 1710 and used until 1869. Bishopstoke includes a sizeable proportion of the navigation, including a sluice that was in use until the closure of the navigation.[5]

Stoke Park Woods

Bordering the village to the North and comprising around 207 hectares, the Stoke Park Woods area contains 61% woodland and 39% arable land. It is home to many species, including the rare quaking grass. Originally these woods were owned by the Bishop of Winchester. King John of England hunted these woods in 1205. In 1540 they were licensed by King Henry VIII as a deer hunt enclosed by fences. They were purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1948 and are now a community woodland. They are managed by the commission to produce wood for paper pulp and timber.[6]Local Groups have been set up in the last year to fight the councils plans for a giant new town which would destroy the interwoodland countryside and significantly damage the Ancient Woodland around Stoke Park, including Upper Barn and crowdhill Copses. Bishopstoke and Fair Oak Local Green Space and action against Destructive Development being two of them.

Notable people

Amongst those born in Bishopstoke are:

Today

Bishopstoke contains one infant school, Stoke Park Infant School, and one Junior School, Stoke Park Junior School which feeds to the secondary school in Fair Oak, Wyvern College. The village has a Girl Guide group off West Drive, including a Rainbow, Brownie and Guide unit. Also, it is home to the 12th Eastleigh Scouts in West Drive. Eastleigh's museum in the High Street, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday, holds several files containing information about Bishopstoke's historic past and associated personalities, such as John Bale, Samuel Sewall, and Dean Garnier.

Bishopstoke still retains many buildings dating from the 18th century, although the village is expanding and now has a number of newer built residential and commercial premises.

The village is now effectively divided into Old Bishopstoke and New Bishopstoke, heading roughly West to East, reflecting the recent housing requirements within the area.

There are four churches in the village, which are St. Mary's C of E and St. Paul's C of E, Bishopstoke Evangelical Church on Stoke Park Road and Bishopstoke Methodist Church on Sedgwick Road.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  2. ↑ History Archived September 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Bishopstoke Parish Council
  4. ↑ Vision of Britain Archived October 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Twyford info Archived 2013-03-16 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-31. Eastleigh Council Report on Stoke Woods Management

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bishopstoke.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bishopstoke.
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