Ashley is a village located in the southwest of
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, England. It lies on the eastern outskirts of
New Milton
New Milton is a market town in southwest Hampshire, England. To the north is in the New Forest and to the south the coast at Barton-on-Sea. The town is equidistant between Lymington and Christchurch, 6 miles (10 km) away.
History
Ne ...
in the
New Forest district
New Forest is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Lyndhurst. The district covers most of the New Forest National Park, from which it takes its name.
The district was created on 1 April 1974, under the Loca ...
, and is two miles (3 km) inland from the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
. Its history dates back to the
Domesday book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086, when two estates were recorded. In the 15th century much of Ashley merged with a neighbouring manor, and the estate became known as Ashley Arnewood. As a village, Ashley began to develop in the 19th century when a church and a school were built. Most of the current village was built in the 20th century, and today Ashley is effectively a suburb of New Milton.
History
Prehistory
![Cordate Hand Axe from Ashley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Cordate_Hand_Axe_from_Ashley.jpg)
Humans have lived in the Ashley area for thousands of years. Two
Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
hand axe
A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history, yet there is no academic consensus on what they were used for. It is made from stone, usually flint or che ...
s were found in gravel excavated from the gravel pits at Ashley, and are now in the
Red House Museum
Red House Museum was a historic house museum, built in 1660 and renovated in the Georgian era. It closed to the public at the end of 2016 but remains as a Grade II* listed building in Gomersal, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England.
History
Red Hou ...
in
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch () is a town and civil parish in Dorset on the south coast of England. The town had a population of 31,372 in 2021. For the borough the population was 48,368. It adjoins Bournemouth to the west, with the New Forest to the east. Part ...
.
A third axe was found in 1962.
Early history
The name Ashley means "ash wood/clearing".
[Old Hampshire Gazetteer](_blank)
/ref> In the Domesday book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086, two estates, Esselie and Esselei, are recorded. The first was possessed by "Nigel the doctor" from Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger de Montgomery (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl of Arundel, in Sussex. His father was Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, a member of the House of Montgomerie, and was probably ...
; before 1066 it had been held by Saewulf. The other estate was in 1086 held by the sons of Godric Malf, who had himself held it from the king prior to 1066. Ashley was probably included in the grant of Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
made by Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the No ...
to Richard de Redvers
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...
, because his successor Earl William in about 1200 granted an estate there in free marriage to Hawise the wife of William Avenel.[William Page (editor), 1912]
A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912), pp. 110–115
/ref> She gave it to her son Nicholas, on whose death it went to his son William Avenel. He held it as the manor of Ashley, and when he died without children in 1253 it passed to the Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
. It was granted in the following year to Thomas Waleran in recognition of the good service rendered by him in Gascony
Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...
, but in 1263 it was again in the hands of the lord of Christchurch, because Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon (1 January 1236 – 1262), feudal baron of Plympton in DevonSanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, pp. 137–8, Barony of Plympton and Lord of the Isl ...
, died in possession of it in that year. At the beginning of the 14th century Reginald de Bettesthorne had lands in Ashley worth 5 shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...
s yearly.
Ashley Arnewood
At a later date the manor of Ashley was joined with part of another manor to the east called Arnewood, the combination of the two being known as the manor of Ashley Arnewood. Katherine, the daughter of Sir Maurice Berkeley, at her death in 1494 owned the land in Arnewood together with an estate in West and East Ashley, all of which passed to her daughter Warborough, who became the wife of Sir William Compton. William Compton, whose family seat was in Compton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates is a Tudor country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action ...
in Warwickshire, was Groom of the Bedchamber
Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Household of the monarch in early modern England. Other ''Ancien Régime'' royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in Eng ...
and favourite courtier of Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
.[William Page (editor), 1912]
A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912), pp. 635–638
/ref> Other estates which came into his possession include the New Forest manors of Bisterne
Bisterne is a hamlet in the civil parish of Ringwood in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Ringwood, which lies to the north.
History
Bisterne is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Betestre. It was posse ...
and Minstead
Minstead is a small village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, about north of Lyndhurst. There is a shop and a pub, the ''Trusty Servant''. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's grave is under a large tree at the back of the 13th century Al ...
.
The manors of Arnewood and Ashley remained in the Compton family up to the 17th century, but by 1632 it was in the possession of Roger Tulse. In 1670 it belonged to George Stanley, and an estate in north-east Ashley is still called Stanleys. In 1803 William Ireland and his wife Betty transferred the manor of Ashley Arnewood to Richard Randell. In 1845, the politician John Arthur Roebuck
John Arthur Roebuck (28 December 1802 – 30 November 1879), British politician, was born at Madras, in India. He was raised in Canada, and moved to England in 1824, and became intimate with the leading radical and utilitarian reformers. He was ...
purchased Ashley Arnewood, which is described as having of land attached to it.[Robert Eadon Leader, (1897), ''Life and letters of John Arthur Roebuck'', page 155] Because of his engagements in London, much of the actual farming at Ashley Arnewood was conducted by his wife until they chose to sell the estate in 1854. The estate was later purchased by the political philosopher and author Auberon Herbert Auberon (french: Oberon, links=no) may refer to:
People
* Auberon Herbert (1838–1906), British writer, theorist, philosopher and son of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon
* Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas (1876–1916), British politician and fighter pi ...
in the 1870s and he lived there until his wife's death in 1886. The old manor house of Ashley Arnewood still survives on the western side of Ashley, although today it is a nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
.
Ashley Manor Farm
Another manor at Ashley still exists as a farm to the southwest of the village. Ashley Manor Farm, on Lymington Road, is an 18th-century farmhouse.
Ashley Clinton
Another estate centre, dating from the 19th century, was that of Ashley Clinton, to the south of the current village, it was the residence of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Renebald Clinton.[William Page (editor), 1912]
A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912), pp. 124–127
/ref> The house, which still stands, dates from the early 19th century.
The village
A Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
chapel was constructed at Ashley in 1817.[A. T. Lloyd, J. E. S. Brooks, (1996), ''The History of New Milton and its Surrounding Area, Centenary Edition'', page 38] The Baptist church has been rebuilt twice, the first time in 1897, and the second time in 1993. The first Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church was built in 1904.[St Peter's Church, Ashley—a brief history](_blank)
It was replaced by a new building in 1957, and is dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
. The bell in St Peter's church is much older than the church, and dates from 1593.
Ashley Great and Little Commons
The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...
were inclosed in 1862. The population of Ashley in the 1860s was just over 500 people. William Charles Retford, who became a maker of violin bows, was born in Ashley in 1875. He would later publish his memories of growing up in Ashley:
I was born (June 1875) in a cottage in what is now Ashley Road; situated south of the lane at the base of the hill by the brook. This spot was known as "Litchford". As a tiny tot it had the elements of a fairyland to me. Fern Hill woods were west of the lane, east were a narrow meadow and Ashley Arnewood woods. In the spring these were a carpet of bluebells through which I waded; they were shoulder high to me. We never entered Fern Hill Woods; they were a game reserve and there were notices saying "Beware of Spring Guns." On the north edge of the lane from the top of the hill to Ashley Cross Road wild daffodils grew by thousands, none to the south but primroses and violets. . . . Mrs Corbin kept a little shop at the Cross Road, where we bought our sweets, a parrot on the counter. This was furze or common ground and a bog with water lilies. The railway was built over this and opened 1887-8.
Mrs Corbin's little shop at the cross roads described by William Charles Retford has now been Restored to a Victorian looking Barbershop and soon the rear of the shop will be open at an old school gym, the Barbershop has all the original tongue and groove wood from when it was built.
A school was built at Ashley in 1879, at the west end of Hare Lane. In its final years it was used as a special school
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
, but it was closed in 1987 and demolished soon afterwards. In 1939, a secondary school was built at Ashley ("Ashley County Secondary School"). The school was merged with the nearby New Milton school (" Arnewood") in 1970, and shortly afterwards Ashley school became a junior school
A Junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at Infant school which covers the age range 5–7. (As both Infant and Junior schools are giving Primary E ...
.
Writers Laurence Housman
Laurence Housman (; 18 July 1865 – 20 February 1959) was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London. He was a younger brother of the poet A. E. Housman and his s ...
and his sister Clemence Housman
Clemence Annie Housman (23 November 1861 – 6 December 1955) was an author, illustrator and activist in the women's suffrage movement. She was the sister of A. E. Housman and Laurence Housman. Her novels included ''The Were-Wolf'', ''Unknown Se ...
, who lived at Ashley between 1913 and 1924.
In World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, two fortified bunkers known as pillboxes were built in Ashley to defend against a possible German invasion German invasion may refer to:
Pre-1900s
* German invasion of Hungary (1063)
World War I
* German invasion of Belgium (1914)
* German invasion of Luxembourg (1914)
World War II
* Invasion of Poland
* German invasion of Belgium (1940)
* G ...
by sea. One of these pillboxes can still be seen in a field in Lower Ashley today. One other relic from World War II is visible on the northeastern corner of Ashley Crossroads. The car repair workshop there was originally one of the aircraft hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s at RAF Beaulieu
Royal Air Force Beaulieu or more simply RAF Beaulieu is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408. It is located next to the villa ...
.[Beaulieu Airfield](_blank)
, Hampshire Airfields, retrieved 10 July 2011
For decades a major industry in the area has been gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
extraction. ''New Milton Sand and Ballast'' has been extracting gravel from gravel pit
A gravel pit is an open-pit mine for the extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may naturally fill with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used eithe ...
s in south Ashley since before 1950.
Because Ashley has no defined boundary the modern population of Ashley can only be estimated, but the population in the 2001 census was approximately 4500 people.[Population fo]
West Ashley
= 1419. Population fo
East Ashley
= 1,539. But there is also a substantial population in North Ashley
1
2
of around 1000 to 2000 people.
Amenities
A parade of shops, containing a convenience store, pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
, four Take-Away food restaurants, two hairdressers, and a physiotherapy store, is located next to Ashley Crossroads, the original Ashley shop is now a traditional Barbershop and strength and conditioning gym. A large recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
ground is located close to the centre of Ashley, and is home to ''New Milton and District Rugby Club''.New Milton & District RFC
/ref> Two primary schools are located in Ashley, and are known as ''Ashley Infant school'' and ''Ashley Junior school''.
The village had two pubs
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, but the'' Oak and Yaffle'' (located in the north of the village) closed in 2012 due to poor ratings and the ''Ashley Hotel'' (near the middle of the village) closed in 2015 after many unfortunate occurrences led to next to no customers.
References
External links
*
''Old photographs of Ashley''
at ''The Cooper Collection''
Ashley Infant school
Ashley Junior school
{{authority control
Villages in Hampshire