Church Crookham is a large suburban village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
, contiguous with the town of
Fleet, in northeast
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. It is west-southwest of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. Formerly a separate village, it figures as a southern
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...
of Fleet.
History
Crookham (in many of the earliest records, Crokeham) dates back at least as far as 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 ...
, though Church Crookham, including
Crookham Village (its west part in traditional terms), was a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
until the first and only Anglican church was built in 1840.
This is dedicated to
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
and for which Church Crookham is named and to reflect all of the local land's ecclesiastical freehold farms and manors until the
dissolution of the monasteries, as there is a Crookham in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...
and in
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land ...
. In the 13th to 14th centuries, the
De Burgh family
The House of Burgh or Burke (; ; ; ga, de Búrca; la, de Burgo) was an ancient Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman aristocratic dynasty (with the Anglo-Irish branches later adopting the surname Burke and its variants) who h ...
held notable lands in Crookham of (
under) the Prior and Convent of
Saint Swithun, Winchester.
['']Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of E ...
: A History of Hampshire and Isle of Wight'', volume 4, 1903, Constable & Co Ltd, London, Miss A. M. McKilliam.(section compiler) at page 9 During this time, one of the family saw a confirmation (re-grant) and was bailiff of the priory, in 1257. One of his grandsons passed all the lands of his mother in the "hamlets" of "Crookham" and "Velmeads" to another such grandson.
[
The parent sprawling parish of ]Crondall
Crondall () is a village and large civil parish in the north east of Hampshire in England, in the Crondall Hundred surveyed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is on the gentle slopes of the low western end of the North Downs range, and has ...
(in Crondall Hundred) was mostly rural at this time, with the 1831 edition of Samuel Lewis's ''Topographical Dictionary of England'', which used the census returns to assess that Crookham had 623 inhabitants and not even mentioning the (at the time) much smaller Fleet. Other than Crondall tithing, this parish in 1800 consisted of four other tithings, Crookham (otherwise Church Crookham), Ewshot, Swanthorpe, and portions of Dippenhall (partly in Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
, in Farnham
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tri ...
Hundred).['']Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of E ...
: A History of Hampshire and Isle of Wight'', volume 4, 1903, Constable & Co Ltd, London, Miss A. M. McKilliam.(section compiler) at pages 5 & 6 The soil is sandy here and in Ewshot, but is chalky in Swanthorpe and has some clay in other tithings.[
Crookham was made its own church parish in 1842; Fleet was (before in this parish) in 1863.][ The same zones gained civil parishes counterpart statuses in 1894.][ The ]canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...
has served as the traditional divide of the two since Fleet was separated into its own church parish.[ In the centre west of Church Crookham is the ]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 t ...
church that continues to serve both the suburb and the older Crookham Village to the west. The ecclesiastical parish is roughly a broad rectangle with the church at the true centre.
Forestry was significant in eastern Crookham with several 'old copse enclosures' and areas of 'woodland'.[ A few of the neediest poor were housed in ]almshouses
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certai ...
, by request of Isabelle Cottrell of Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
.[
In 1903, the noted large homes and their owner-occupiers were:][
In 1903, the commercial crops were ]corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
and root vegetables.[ Defunct hop farming is noted.][ This saw a revival ending in 1974 (see Crookham Village).
]
The Second World War
Church Crookham lies on GHQ Line – the most important of a number of fortified stop lines constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion (Operation Sea Lion) by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British A ...
– and was at one of the most heavily fortified sections of that line.
Notable large newer neighbourhoods
In Crookham (a term only used in historic studies and as a local shorthand) southwest of Church Crookham and south-east of Crookham Village is Zebon Copse, over two hundred homes built in the late 1980s. A much larger development followed in the early 2010s at Crookham Park, on the former Queen Elizabeth Barracks site.
Economy
Past notable employers and innovators
Vertu
Vertu is a British-based manufacturer and retailer of luxury handmade mobile phones, established by Finnish mobile-phone manufacturer Nokia in 1998.
Concept
According to ''The Economist'', the concept was to market phones explicitly as fashi ...
mobile phones
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while ...
were made at its Crookham headquarters until the business folded in 2014. The head office of Ferranti Thomson Sonar Systems was on the Redfields Industrial Estate until 2004.
Tobacco plantation and growers association
Church Crookham hosted Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
's only commercially successful tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
plantation, which produced among other brands "Blue Pryor" cigarettes
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
and pipe tobacco
A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range from very simp ...
. Whole-process growing and manufacturing ended in 1938.
Redfields hosted the British Pioneer Tobacco Growers Association
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
(BPTGA) after World War Two
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 opposing ...
. Tobacco was grown there, cured and a commercial brand 'Trowards Rayon D'or' was produced alongside the main purpose of supplying plants to members, curing and shredding their leaves then returning for their smoking. Charles Baggs
Charles Michael Baggs (1806–1845) was a Roman Catholic bishop, controversialist, scholar and antiquary. He briefly served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of England from 1844 to 1845.
Biography
Early life and family
He ...
served as the general manager, and Admiral Sir Clement Moody was among members. A BBC film was made during the 1950s entitled '' Tobacco Road'', which featured the Redfields site and their site in nearby Crondall
Crondall () is a village and large civil parish in the north east of Hampshire in England, in the Crondall Hundred surveyed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is on the gentle slopes of the low western end of the North Downs range, and has ...
. The BPTGA closed after the death of owner Troward but Baggs supplied plants and cure the members' product some time after. The BPTGA employed twenty to thirty local staff.[ The site is now Redfields Garden Centre, save for Redfields House, which is now part of the buildings of St Nicholas' School.][
]
Present notable employers and innovators
HSES Group's headquarters are in the suburb.
Politics and administration
As currently drawn for the purpose of electing particular councillors
A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries.
Canada
Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
to the District Council, approximately Church Crookham constitutes two ( Crookham East, and Crookham West and Ewshot) of the 11 wards of the Hart District. Per the Hart District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Church Crookham) Order 2018, the parish is further divided into the parish wards of Crookham East, Gally Hill and Queen Elizabeth.
Notes of interest
Motorists entering Fleet from the south and west are met with signs welcoming them to Church Crookham, whereas those entering the town from the north and east are welcomed to Fleet instead.
The Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is an English canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation.
From Basingstoke, the canal passes through or near Greywell, North Warnborough, Odiham, ...
bounds the northeast and briefly the northwest of Church Crookham. Across this are modern outer neighbourhoods of Fleet.
The English poet John Keble
John Keble (25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English Anglican priest and poet who was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford, was named after him.
Early life
Keble was born on 25 April 1792 in Fairford, Glouces ...
was a regular visitor to Church Crookham's Christ Church.
Replaced by housing ( Crookham Park) and landscaping from 2012, the British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
's 1938 to 2000 Queen Elizabeth Barracks was quite central in the parish.
Tweseldown race course
Tweseldown race course is a point-to-point horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
track. This racing track was used for the eventing
Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...
steeplechase in the 1948 London Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...
.
Filming location
Church Crookham has hosted scenes for several films. These include the 2002 James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
movie ''Die Another Day
''Die Another Day'' is a 2002 spy film and the twentieth film in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and directed by Lee Tamahori. The fourth and final film st ...
'', which used woodland and flat ground between the village and Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...
to represent the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
. Church Crookham was also one of several English towns and villages (others including nearby Aldershot, Farnham
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tri ...
, and Chobham
Chobham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England.
The village has a small high street area, specialising in traditional trades and motor trades. The River Bourne and its northern tributary, the Hale, ...
) that served as filming locations for the 2006 movie ''Children of Men
''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel ''The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredited ...
''.
Education
For a list of local schools, see the list of Hampshire schools.
References
Notes
General references
*
External links
*http://www.church-crookham.co.uk
Fleet & Crookham Local History Group – Group Books and Historical Papers
– includes reference to paper "Mr Brandon's Tobacco Farm" by Phyllis Ralton (2007)
{{authority control
Villages in Hampshire