Wickham
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
| Wickham | |
 Wickham
Wickham shown within Hampshire |
|
| Population | 4,816 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU572115 |
| District | City of Winchester |
| Shire county | Hampshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FAREHAM |
| Postcode district | PO17 |
| Dialling code | 01329 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Meon Valley |
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a small historic village and civil parish in Hampshire, southern England, located about three miles north of Fareham. It is within the City of Winchester local government district, although it is considerably closer to Fareham than to Winchester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 4,816.
The centre of Wickham is focused on its wide and well-proportioned square, which is lined with historic buildings and is designated a conservation area.[1][2]
It was the fording place of the River Meon on the Roman road between Noviomagus Regnorum (Chichester) and Venta Belgarum (Winchester), and the inferred divergent point of the route to Clausentum (Bitterne). The Roman road from Wickham to Chichester is still followed today by local roads, passing behind Portsdown Hill to the north of Portsmouth Harbour and then onwards via Havant. In contrast, the route to Winchester is mostly likely lost through neglect in the Dark Ages, before present field patterns emerged.
There have been a reasonable number of sites identified nearby associated with Romano-British industry. These have mainly been pottery kilns focused around the limit of navigation of the River Hamble, near Botley. It is also here that a ford on the Clausentum road has been identified.
Wickham has occasionally been hypothesised as an alternative to Nursling (on the River Test) or Neatham (near Alton) for the Roman station Onna listed in the Antonine Itinerary. However, no definite location for Onna has been determined.
It was the birthplace of William of Wykeham, founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford.[3]
The Admiralty Shutter Telegraph Line had a station at Wickham.
The village was an intermediate station on the Meon Valley Railway, a late Victorian route, until the line closed in 1955. At one time this railway was conceived as a direct route from London to the Isle of Wight. The closed line is now established as a cycle path and bridleway along the valley of the River Meon.
The village has a community centre[4] which is home to many activities, including the Home-Start Meon Valley Charity,[5] a badminton club,[6] an Elim Pentecostal Church church[7] and a monthly antiques fair.
A traditional gypsy horse fair is held annually, every May 20 (or another day if a Sunday), and is a picturesque scene in the village Square.
Contents
History
Early Settlements
The Romans established a settlement at Wickham, with the village being on the road from the Roman centres of Chichester and Winchester. Iron works have been found North East of the Village, and various roman finds to the South West.
It was during Saxon Britain when the first written mention of the village appears in a Royal Charter document dated 826. Recent excavation (1965-70) at ‘The Manor House’ showed its grounds had dwellings and huts, evidence of Saxon settlement.
Post Norman Conquest
After the Norman Conquest King William granted the Manor of Wickham to Hugo de Port and the Village appeared in the Doomsday Book of 1086, as part of the Titchfield Hundred. The present church of St Nicholas dates from 1126 and was run by the Canons of Titchfield. In 1269 King Henry III granted a charter to Roger de Scures, the Lord of The Manor at the time, for markets to be held on a Thursday. It is from this time that the layout of the village as we now know it began to emerge.[8] Wickham also had a fair which attracted buyers and sellers from a wide area. Wickham fair (often referred to Wickham Horse Fair) is still held each year on 20 May.[9]
The Church of St Nicholas in Wickham was built in the early 12th century (although there has probably been a church on the site since the 7th century when the people of Hampshire were first converted to Christianity), however the church was largely rebuilt in the 19th century.[10]
Industrialisation and Victorian Wickham
In the 18th century there was a tanning industry in Wickham and in the 18th and 19th centuries a brewing industry. Both needed a supply of fresh water, which was readily available from the River Meon. In 1801 Wickham had a population of 901 and compared to most of the villages in Hampshire it was a large community. In 1820 Chesapeake Mill was built with timber taken from an American ship called the USS Chesapeake, which was captured during the War of 1812. Sir Richard Grindall who commanded HMS Prince at the battle of Trafalgar is buried in Wickham churchyard.[11]
In 1903 a branch railway was built from Fareham through Wickham, to Droxford and Alton. It was closed to passengers in 1955 and the line converted to a footpath. The original station platforms can still be found.
In 1978 Wickham was twinned with the French village of Villiers-Sur-Mer and Wickham Vineyard opened in 1984.
In 1990 an old brewery and village hall in Wickham were converted into flats called Riverside Mews. The brewery shut in 1910 and the buildings were given to Wickham Parish Council to use as a village hall.[12]
Culture and Events
Wickham Festival
Farmland north of Wickham serves as the venue for the award winning [13] Wickham Festival, which is an annual 4 day music event. The first Wickham Festival was held from 3–6 August 2006 in the Community Centre and environs. Artists performing included Daby Blade from Senegal, Spiers and Boden, Los Pacaminos, Richard Thompson, Shooglenifty, Sparks, Oysterband, Fiddlers' Bid, Osibisa, Flook, Steeleye Span and The Larry Love Showband.
After briely moving to Stokes Bay in 2008 and 2009, the festival returned to Wickham in 2010, where it has remained ever since.[14] Wickham Festival has expanded over the years, and has featured performances from such artists as James Blunt, 10cc, Wilko Johnson, The Proclaimers, KT Tunstall, Hugh Cornwell and Lightning Seeds.[15]
Taste Of Wickham
Taste of Wickham is a food festival, first held in Wickham's medieval square in 2014. The festival offers local produce, barbecues, tasters and cookery demonstrations, and has attracted crowds of over 4,00 people to the village.[16] Taste of Wickham returned in 2015, with increased numbers of stalls, crafts and musical displays.[17]
Wickham Horse Fair
England's biggest and oldest horse fair take place in Wickham on the 20th of May every year. It is one of just two major horse-trading events in the country and can trace its history back to the 13th century. Ever since, crowds have gathered annually in the quiet village to trade secrets, meet with friends and parade their stock for all to see. Over the years the fair has evolved to include bareback parades with ponies decorated with ribbons.[18]
Shopping
Wickham's historic village square is home to a number of bars and restaurants, as well as boutique shops and hotels. Wickham is also home to the Chesapeake Mill - a former water mill which now serves as a retail centre for antique and gift sellers.
Sport and Leisure
Tennis Wickham has its own tennis club, with two flood lit courts on Wickham Recreation Ground. The Club offers a number of coaching programmes and adult teams.
See Also
Not to be confused with...
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- ↑ [1] Archived September 25, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ [2] Archived September 25, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.wickhamsquare.co.uk/about-wickham/history-2/
- ↑ http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/photographs/news_galleries/2015_photos/may/wickham_horse_fair/
- ↑ http://portsmouth.anglican.org/who_we_are/deaneries/bishops_waltham/churches/st_nicholas_wickham/
- ↑ http://www.localhistories.org/wickham.html
- ↑ http://www.breweryhistory.com/Breweries/HantsWickhamBrewery.htm
- ↑ http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/kilimanjaro-live-named-national-promoter-of-the-year-at-live-uk-music-business-awards/063148
- ↑ http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/wickham-festival-to-return-with-the-levellers-1-1245668 | Portsmouth News | Wickham Festival To Return With The Levellers
- ↑ http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/eastleigh
- ↑ http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/thousands-visit-taste-of-wickham-festival-1-6310324
- ↑ http://www.wickhamsquare.co.uk/event/4968/
- ↑ http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/12960783.Historic_Wickham_horse_fair_starts_today/
- Sharp, Thomas (1946) The Anatomy of the Village, Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin
