Fordingbridge is a town and broader

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 authority ...

with a population of 6,000 on the River Avon 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 ...

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, near the

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

and

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

borders and on the edge of the

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...

, famed for its late medieval seven-arch bridge. It is southwest of London, and south of the city of

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

. Fordingbridge is a former

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

. The

Avon Valley Path The Avon Valley Path is a long-distance path, opened in 1992, which runs for through the English counties of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. The path takes its name from the River Avon. From Salisbury it passes through the towns of Fordin ...

passes through the town. The town excluding

linear settlement A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical re ...

Sandleheath (included in its headline population with other outlying houses, totalling 1,526 residents) has a density of 30.2 persons per hectare (7820 per sq. mi.). Since 1982 Fordingbridge has been twinned with

Vimoutiers Vimoutiers () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. The finish line of the Paris–Camembert bicycle race is Vimoutiers. History In 1040 while besieging a nearby Norman castle, Alan III, Duke of Brittany died suddenly ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Overview

The Great Bridge, from which the town received its present name, is a major feature of the town. It has seven arches and can be seen from the town's large riverside park and recreation ground. The park contains a children's play area, secluded memorial gardens, and large sports playing field. A bronze statue of the painter and former resident

Augustus John Augustus Edwin John (4 January 1878 – 31 October 1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a time he was considered the most important artist at work in Britain: Virginia Woolf remarked that by 1908 the era of John Singer Sarg ...

stands on the banks of the Avon near the Great Bridge. St. Mary's Church, which has some typical Norman characteristics, is located in the south of the town. The church has a memorial to

James Alexander Seton James Alexander Seton (1816 – 2 June 1845) was the last British person to be killed in a duel on English soil. Early life James Alexander Seton was born in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 1816, the son of Colonel James Seton and Margaret Findla ...

, last British person killed in a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

in England. The town also has a Catholic church in the form of Our Lady of Sorrows and St Philip Benizi. The Building dates from 1874 while the altar dating from 1897 was original used at

Netley Hospital The Royal Victoria Hospital or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from F ...

Town_Hall_Fordingbridge_Hants_-_geograph

Known as the northern gateway to the

, Fordingbridge is popular with tourists, with various campsites, pubs and restaurants, and other tourist facilities locally. The Fordingbridge Museum, with many local and forest history exhibits, and the Visitor Information Centre are located within King's Yard, Salisbury Street. The town's high street is well known for its pubs, cafes and local shops, and the town also has its own Cinema, within the buildings of an old pottery. Rockbourne Roman Villa is in the nearby village of

Rockbourne Rockbourne is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire, close to Fordingbridge. Overview Rockbourne is a village of thatched, brick and timber houses, next to a stream now known as Sweatfords Water.Breamore Breamore ( ) is a village and civil parish near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, England. The parish includes a notable Elizabethan country house, Breamore House, built with an E-shaped ground plan. The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary h ...

is 3 miles north of Fordingbridge and is home to Elizabethan country house,

Breamore House Breamore House is an Elizabethan manor house noted for its fine collection of paintings and furniture and situated NW of Breamore village, north of Fordingbridge, Hampshire, England. Though it remains in private hands, it is open to visitors from ...

. Fordingbridge Hospital is a small

community hospital A community hospital can be purely a nominal designation or have a more specific meaning. When specific, it refers to a hospital that is accessible to the general public, and provides a general or specific medical care which is usually short-term, ...

built within the grounds of a Victorian workhouse. Most of the older buildings have been redeveloped into private housing, however, the Hospital site still houses an inpatient ward, as well as limited outpatients services. Fordingbridge Doctors Surgery is on the same site in Bartons Road. Fordingbridge Hospital was used as a COVID-19 vaccination centre from 2020. The local

comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...

is The Burgate School And Sixth Form Centre, in

Burgate Burgate is a small village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about south-west of Diss in Norfolk. The church, dedicated to St Mary and dating from the 14th century, was restored in 1864 and is a Grade II* listed ...

, a small hamlet to the north of the town. Fordingbridge is home to Fordingbridge Turks FC, one of the

oldest football clubs The oldest football clubs trace their origins to the mid-19th century, a period when football evolved from being a casual pastime to an organised mainstream sport. The identity of the oldest football clubs in the world, or even in a particular ...

in England, established circa 1868. The Turks name seems to derive from wishing to emulate the determination shown by Ottoman forces at

Siege of Plevna The siege of Pleven, was a major battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, fought by the joint army of Russia and Romania against the Ottoman Empire. After the Russian army crossed the Danube at Svishtov, it began advancing towards t ...

. Fordingbridge Turks FC play their matches at the recreation ground. 'The Rec' is also home to Fordingbridge Rugby Club.

Geography

The parish of Fordingbridge contains the

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

to the north, Cripplestyle to the east,

Bickton Bickton is a hamlet in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England. It is within the civil parish of Fordingbridge and is situated by the River Avon. Overview Bickton is a hamlet in the civil parish of Fordingbridge, next to the River Avon. ...

to the south, and Ashford to the west. Burgate and Bickton are settlements dating back to the time of 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 ...

'', and Bickton was in male heads of households greater than Fordingbridge in 1086.Bickton, NFDC
Criddlestyle is an ancient manor, also known as East Mill, with a history dating back to the 14th century. The largest hamlet today is ''Ashford'', which was the location of an ancient

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

, and was also the location of

Fordingbridge railway station Fordingbridge was a railway station serving Fordingbridge, a small town in Hampshire. It was one of many casualties of the Beeching Axe, mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s. The line was officially closed on 4 May 1964, ...

until it was closed in 1964. Also near to Fordingbridge is the hamlet of ''Tinkers Cross'' approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) northwest from the town centre. The villages of

Sandleheath Sandleheath is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish about west of Fordingbridge in the New Forest (district), New Forest District of Hampshire, England. It has a population of 663, increasing to 680 at the 2011 Census. It lie ...

Damerham Damerham is a rural village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located near Fordingbridge, on the River Allen. Damerham has notable Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows. It was the site of an Anglo-Saxon religious community, mentioned in the ...

Breamore Breamore ( ) is a village and civil parish near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, England. The parish includes a notable Elizabethan country house, Breamore House, built with an E-shaped ground plan. The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary h ...

Woodgreen Woodgreen is a village and civil parish within the New Forest district of Hampshire in England. Overview Woodgreen lies between Breamore and Hale to the east of the River Avon.

Godshill Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, with a population of 1,459 at the 2011 Census. It lies between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the island. History Godshill is one of the ancient parishes that exis ...

and Hyde all sit within the 5 miles of Fordingbridge and are all within the county of

Alderholt Alderholt is a large village and civil parish in east Dorset, England; situated west of Fordingbridge. The parish includes the hamlets of Crendell and Cripplestyle. The local travel links are located from the village to Salisbury railway stat ...

is southwest of Fordingbridge and is part of

. Fordingbridge is north of Ringwood and

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

, south of Downton and

which are all linked by the A338 road.

History

Fordingbridge is recorded in the

of 1086 under the name '' Forde''.Domesday Map – Fordingbridge
/ref> The manor was held by a certain Robert from "Robert the son of Gerald". Prior to 1066 it had been held by Alwy from King Edward. At the beginning of the 13th century Fordingbridge was held by Hugh de Linguire, who, dying around 1231, left a niece and heir Alice, wife of William de la Falaise.Victoria County History of Hampshire: Fordingbridge
/ref> From that date Fordingbridge followed the same descent as

Rowner Rowner is a small settlement which forms part of the borough of Gosport, on the south coast of Hampshire, England. History As Roman burial shrouds were found in the grounds of the church, it would seem to indicate there was a presence in the ar ...

. The manor was held by Elias de la Falaise at his death in 1254, and his brother William died in possession of the manor in the same year.Victoria County History of Hampshire: Rowner
/ref> Before 1277 the property had

escheat Escheat is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a ...

ed 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 ...

by the felony of William de la Falaise, grandson of William, and was granted in that year to Sir William le Brune, chamberlain to the king. The manor then stayed solidly in the Brune family until the death of Charles Brune in 1769, when the family became extinct in the male line. By his will his estates eventually devolved onto his grand-nephew the Rev. Charles Prideaux-Brune of

Prideaux Place Prideaux Place is a grade I listed Elizabethan country house in the parish of Padstow, Cornwall, England. It has been the home of the Prideaux family for over 400 years. The house was built in 1592 by Sir Nicholas Prideaux (1550–1627), a disti ...

Padstow Padstow (; kw, Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately northwest of Wadebridge, ...

, Cornwall, and the manor then remained in the possession of the Prideaux-Brune family. The lord of the manor had a market before 1273: it was held weekly first on Saturday and then on Friday until the middle of the 19th century, when it was discontinued. A fair was held on 9 September. From the 13th to the 15th century Fordingbridge was governed by a bailiff, and then in later centuries by a constable chosen yearly at the court leet of the manor of Lower Burgate. The constable was the chief officer until 1878, when government by Local District Council was established. A fire in the town on 23 May 1702 destroyed 43 dwelling houses, which were never rebuilt. Fordingbridge Town Hall, built in 1877, is almost in the centre of the town.

Fordingbridge railway station (postcard)

Cloth was made here in the 16th century, and in the 19th century there were factories for the manufacture of sailcloth and canvas and the spinning of flax. By 1900 the chief industries of the town were the manufacture of sailcloth and canvas and the making of bricks and tiles, and there were various flour mills, an iron foundry, and the Neave's food works.

was opened in 1866 but closed in 1964. It was originally just outside the town, on the road leading to

. Today, the road is still called Station Road; however, the spot where the station once stood is now occupied by a large mill and industrial park. The site is next to the recently reopened 'Railway Hotel'. The Station connected the town with

to the north and

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

to the south, as part of the

Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway The Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway was a railway company, that built a line from a junction near Salisbury to another near West Moors on the Ringwood to Wimborne line. It ran through the counties of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset in En ...

The Great Bridge

Fordingbridge,_the_bridge_over_the_River_Avon_-_geograph

The first bridge at Fordingbridge was built before 1252, when the bailiff and men of the town received a grant of

pontage Pontage was a term for a toll levied for the building or repair of bridges dating to the medieval era in England, Wales and Ireland. Pontage was similar in nature to murage (a toll for the building of town walls) and pavage (a toll for pavin ...

for one year towards its repairs. Several similar grants followed, the last being dated in 1452. The bridge is 40 metres long and consists of seven stone arches, and it is the one of the two bridges with seven arches in the UK.Salisbury and Fordingbridge Ancient Bridge
www.engineering-timelines.com The bridge brought much traffic through the town. At the east end of the bridge was a Saint John the Baptist Hospital (hospitalry) for poor travellers.
It was founded 1272, and dissolved 1546; some foundation walls remain, but no other remains. A custom which survived until 1840 obliged the lord of Fordingbridge during one summer month known as "fence month" to keep the bridge guarded and arrest anyone found taking

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, in ...

from the

. Significant alterations were made in 1841 when both sides were widened, adding 45 cm to the width of the bridge. The original arches are still visible, being smaller in span than the 19th-century additions. A reinforced concrete footpath on one side was added in 1901 to widen the bridge.

Notable residents

* Major General Andrew Hay – British Army officer, born in 1762 and moved to Fordingbridge in 1802 until his death at the

Battle of Bayonne The Battle of Bayonne (14 April 1814) saw the French garrison of Bayonne led by General of Division Pierre Thouvenot launch a sortie against a besieging force of British, Portuguese, and Spanish troops commanded by Lieutenant General John ...

in 1814 * William Ernest Brymer - (1840-1909) - politician and a Member of Parliament was born in Fordingbridge. * Charles Chubb – (1779–1845), an English lock and safe manufacturer *

(1816–1845), the last British person killed in a duel in Britain; he is buried at St Mary's Church * John Charles Durant – (15 July 1846 – 14 December 1929) was an English printer and a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician *

– Welsh portrait artist, born 1878, who lived in Fordingbridge from 1927 until his death in 1961 * Frank Jefferis – (1884–1938), former

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, Everton and

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 b ...

footballer * Neil McCarthy – actor, born 1933 *

Anne-Marie Mallik Anne-Marie Mallik (born Barbara Anne-Marie Mallik; 10 September 1952, in Fordingbridge, Hampshire), later Mrs. Anne-Marie Huxstep, is a British former child actress who played the title role in Jonathan Miller’s production for BBC Television of ' ...

– born 1952, former child actress, portrayed Alice in

Alice in Wonderland (1966 TV play) ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1966) is a BBC television play, shot on film, based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''. It was directed by Jonathan Miller, then best known for his appearance in the satirical revue '' Be ...

Paul Kidby Paul Kidby (born 1964) is an English artist. Many people know him best for his art based on Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld''. He has been included on the sleeve covers since Pratchett's original illustrator, Josh Kirby, died in 2001.Alison Flood ( ...

– artist, born 1964, best known for his art based on

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchett's first nov ...

's ''

Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat pla ...

'', lives and works in Fordingbridge *

Daniel O'Mahony Daniel O'Mahony (born 24 July 1973) is a half-British half-Irish author, born in Croydon. He is the oldest of five children, his siblings including Eoin O'Mahony of the band Hamfatter, and Madeleine O'Mahony, who has designed and made hats for Ca ...

– writer, born 1973 *

David Oakes Rowan David Oakes (born 14 October 1983) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in the series ''The Pillars of the Earth'', '' The Borgias'', '' The White Queen'', ''Victoria'', '' Vikings: Valhalla'', and for his discursive Natural ...

– actor, born 1983

References

External links

Fordingbridge Town CouncilFordingbridge MuseumRockbourne Roman VillaBreamore House
* National Statistics �
Fordingbridge (Ward)

{{authority control Towns in Hampshire Market towns in Hampshire Civil parishes in Hampshire New Forest District