Chineham
Encyclopedia
Chineham is a civil parish
in the Basingstoke and Deane
district of Hampshire
, England
. It lies about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of central Basingstoke
, just north of the A33 road
between Basingstoke and Reading
.
is much older and was first recorded in the Domesday Book
as Chineham in Basingestoch Hundred - Hantescire in 1086.
The name may suggest a farm or enclosure, though Coates suggests a derivation from the Old English 'cinu' which means a 'ravine or rift', which may refer to the way that the Basingstoke-Reading railway line passes between low hills in the vicinity, and implying that Chineham means 'rift estate'.
The ecclesiastical parish
was formed in 1990, prior to this Chineham formed a detached part of the parish of Monk Sherborne
, and its tithing was part of Basingstoke hundred.
Predating the manor but within the current parish, an Iron Age
settlement has been excavated recently in Great Binfield Copse. The Agger
of the Roman road
from Silchester
to Chichester
uncovered during the laying of an electricity pipeline in 2002 and evidence of a Roman enclosure and metal working site found in Daneshill during the 1980s. Binfields Farm, now the site of Chineham District Centre, was first documented in 945 as Becmnit Felda (open land with bent grass).
By 1848, Chineham had developed into a tiny hamlet with 34 inhabitants,. In the same year, the Berks and Hants Railway was opened, crossing the Basingstoke to Reading road nearby. By the 1960s there were about seventy dwellings, mostly along the road from Basingstoke to Reading, with a small wooden Church, a village shop, a petrol station, a small village hall, and a Toll House
at the Reading end of the village.
Since the late-1970s, Chineham has developed into a sizeable residential suburb, and a bypass
was constructed on the main A33 road so that the growing traffic flow was moved away from the housing areas. The railway has survived and prospered, as an increasingly important link between the port of Southampton
and northern England. However, no passenger station has ever been built in Chineham, despite several recent attempts to promote one.
Chineham District Centre is effectively the town centre with a wide array of high street retail outlets (including a Tesco superstore and outlets of Next and Matalan) and a public library. There is also a large, modern business park called Chineham Park, which incorporates the Hampshire International Business Park, harbouring many offices of national and international organisations.
Today Chineham is contiguous with the Basingstoke urban area and is generally considered as one of the town's outer suburbs, though many residents perceive Chineham as more of a small satellite town/large commuter village. In fact Chineham has it own town/village sign on the A33 when approaching from Basingstoke.
Chineham today is predominantly a residential area with good road links to Basingstoke, Reading and the M3 motorway
. The area is well served with local amenities, including:
and and part of the Chineham ward
of Basingstoke and Deane borough council
. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district
of Hampshire County Council
.
The parish boundaries are formed in the north by the limit of development of Cufaud Village. In the east the boundary is the A33
, whilst to the south part of the parish is south of the A33 and encompasses the Chineham Centre with a southern boundary of Great Binfields Road. To the west the boundary is the western property boundary of the Reading to Basingstoke railway line
.
The parish is bounded on the north east by the Hampshire parish of Sherfield-on-Loddon. To the south east is the parish of Old Basing and Lychpit and to the east is Chineham Business Park, part of Basingstoke
.
The Basingstoke and Deane
ward of Chineham is formed of the parish of Chineham along with the neighbouring Taylors Farm portion of Sherfield-on-Loddon and Chineham Business Park, as ward boundaries are not always contiguous with those of parishes.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its primary settlement is Basingstoke. Other settlements include Bramley, Tadley, Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley, Whitchurch and the hamlet of Deane, some from Basingstoke....
district of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of central Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, just north of the A33 road
A33 road
The A33 is a major road in England. The road formerly ran from Reading to Southampton, but now consists of three disjoint sections:*Reading to Basingstoke*The A30 road south of Basingstoke to just north of Winchester...
between Basingstoke and Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
.
Demography
The population of Chineham in 2001 was 7,003 in 2,918 households. The 2001 census data also shows the following percentages to be significantly higher in Chineham than the national average:- full time employees (61% - national average 41%)
- graduates or equivalent (30% - national average 20%)
- owner-occupied households (82% - national average 68%)
- good general health (81% - national average 68%)
History
The current parish was established in 1986, but the manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
is much older and was first recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Chineham in Basingestoch Hundred - Hantescire in 1086.
The name may suggest a farm or enclosure, though Coates suggests a derivation from the Old English 'cinu' which means a 'ravine or rift', which may refer to the way that the Basingstoke-Reading railway line passes between low hills in the vicinity, and implying that Chineham means 'rift estate'.
The ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was formed in 1990, prior to this Chineham formed a detached part of the parish of Monk Sherborne
Monk Sherborne
Monk Sherborne is a village in north Hampshire, England.Sherborne Priory is the burial place of William of Drogheada.-Governance:Monk Sherborne is a civil parish and is part of the Sherborne St. John ward of Basingstoke and Deane borough council. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district...
, and its tithing was part of Basingstoke hundred.
Predating the manor but within the current parish, an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement has been excavated recently in Great Binfield Copse. The Agger
Agger
An agger is an ancient Roman embankment or rampart, or any artificial elevation. It is a Latin word.It is especially used for the raised and cambered embankment carrying a Roman road...
of the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
to Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
uncovered during the laying of an electricity pipeline in 2002 and evidence of a Roman enclosure and metal working site found in Daneshill during the 1980s. Binfields Farm, now the site of Chineham District Centre, was first documented in 945 as Becmnit Felda (open land with bent grass).
By 1848, Chineham had developed into a tiny hamlet with 34 inhabitants,. In the same year, the Berks and Hants Railway was opened, crossing the Basingstoke to Reading road nearby. By the 1960s there were about seventy dwellings, mostly along the road from Basingstoke to Reading, with a small wooden Church, a village shop, a petrol station, a small village hall, and a Toll House
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
at the Reading end of the village.
Since the late-1970s, Chineham has developed into a sizeable residential suburb, and a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
was constructed on the main A33 road so that the growing traffic flow was moved away from the housing areas. The railway has survived and prospered, as an increasingly important link between the port of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and northern England. However, no passenger station has ever been built in Chineham, despite several recent attempts to promote one.
Today Chineham is contiguous with the Basingstoke urban area and is generally considered as one of the town's outer suburbs, though many residents perceive Chineham as more of a small satellite town/large commuter village. In fact Chineham has it own town/village sign on the A33 when approaching from Basingstoke.
Chineham today
M3 motorway
The M3 motorway runs in England for approximately from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, to Southampton, Hampshire and forms an unsigned section European route E05. It is dual three lanes as far as Junction 8 near Basingstoke and then dual two lane until Junction 9 near Winchester and then dual three...
. The area is well served with local amenities, including:
- Chineham District Centre, with supermarketSupermarketA supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, shops and a public libraryPublic libraryA public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries... - Four Lanes Community InfantInfant schoolAn Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
and Junior SchoolJunior schoolA junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
s - Great Binfields Primary School
- Linguatastic Foreign Language School
- Christ Church (interdenominational), built in 1987 and significantly extended in 2004
- Chineham Medical Practice (local health centreClinicA clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
) and two dental practices - a free monthly community magazine Chineham Chat distributed to all households
- Chineham Village HallVillage hallIn the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, and the Chineham Arms (local pub) - a regular bus service to Basingstoke town centre
Government
Chineham is a village, civil parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
and and part of the Chineham ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Basingstoke and Deane borough council
Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its primary settlement is Basingstoke. Other settlements include Bramley, Tadley, Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley, Whitchurch and the hamlet of Deane, some from Basingstoke....
. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
.
Geography
The parish also contains the settlements of Sherfield Park and Cufaud Village, but does not cover Chineham Business Park east of the railway line.The parish boundaries are formed in the north by the limit of development of Cufaud Village. In the east the boundary is the A33
A33 road
The A33 is a major road in England. The road formerly ran from Reading to Southampton, but now consists of three disjoint sections:*Reading to Basingstoke*The A30 road south of Basingstoke to just north of Winchester...
, whilst to the south part of the parish is south of the A33 and encompasses the Chineham Centre with a southern boundary of Great Binfields Road. To the west the boundary is the western property boundary of the Reading to Basingstoke railway line
Reading to Basingstoke Line
The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the...
.
The parish is bounded on the north east by the Hampshire parish of Sherfield-on-Loddon. To the south east is the parish of Old Basing and Lychpit and to the east is Chineham Business Park, part of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
.
The Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its primary settlement is Basingstoke. Other settlements include Bramley, Tadley, Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley, Whitchurch and the hamlet of Deane, some from Basingstoke....
ward of Chineham is formed of the parish of Chineham along with the neighbouring Taylors Farm portion of Sherfield-on-Loddon and Chineham Business Park, as ward boundaries are not always contiguous with those of parishes.