Droxford
Encyclopedia
Droxford is a village in Hampshire
, England
, lying in the Meon
valley, and lies around 3¾ miles (6 km) east of Bishop's Waltham
within the new South Downs National Park
. The A32
passes through the village between Gosport
and Alton
. Local amenities include a post office
, two garages, two pubs and a village hall.
Droxford is first recorded in history when the Manor of Drocenesforda (Droxford) was granted to the Prior
and monk
s of St. Swithun, Winchester
, by King Egbert
in 826. By the time of the Domesday Survey it had passed to the Bishop of Winchester
, to support the monks. This arrangement continued until 1551 when it was surrendered to the crown and it was passed on to the Earl of Wiltshire
.
The Bishopric regained the manor in 1558 and then held it until the Civil War
. During the rule of Parliament the manor was transferred into private hands but on the Restoration
of King Charles II
it was, again, restored to the Bishopric.
This situation then continued until 1869, when the manor was finally removed from the Bishopric as part of the Bishops' Resignation Act of 1869.
The railway came to Droxford in 1903 with the building of the Meon Valley Railway
. A station
was built around ½ mile (1 km) outside the village on the other side of the river. A small sub-settlement grew around the station including a hotel, railway workers' cottages and a cluster of private homes.
In June 1944 Allied leaders including, Churchill
, Eisenhower
and de Gaulle
met in a train carriage at Droxford station
to discuss the imminent D-Day invasion. There is a bench in the village to commemorate this meeting of world leaders in Droxford. British Railways closed the railway in 1962.
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...
, lying in the Meon
Méon
Méon is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
valley, and lies around 3¾ miles (6 km) east of Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
within the new South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
. The A32
A32 road
The A32 is a road in Hampshire, southern England, that links Gosport and Alton. Starting at Gosport, facing Portsmouth, it travels north via Fareham, Wickham, Droxford, before joining the A31 road near Alton...
passes through the village between Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
and Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
. Local amenities include a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, two garages, two pubs and a village hall.
Droxford is first recorded in history when the Manor of Drocenesforda (Droxford) was granted to the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
and monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of St. Swithun, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, by King Egbert
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
in 826. By the time of the Domesday Survey it had passed to the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, to support the monks. This arrangement continued until 1551 when it was surrendered to the crown and it was passed on to the Earl of Wiltshire
Earl of Wiltshire
The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....
.
The Bishopric regained the manor in 1558 and then held it until the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. During the rule of Parliament the manor was transferred into private hands but on the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
it was, again, restored to the Bishopric.
This situation then continued until 1869, when the manor was finally removed from the Bishopric as part of the Bishops' Resignation Act of 1869.
The railway came to Droxford in 1903 with the building of the Meon Valley Railway
Meon Valley Railway
The Meon Valley Railway was a cross-country railway in Hampshire, England that ran for between Alton and Fareham, closely following the course of the River Meon. At its northern end, it joined with the Mid-Hants Railway to Winchester, the Alton Line to Brookwood and the Basingstoke and Alton...
. A station
Droxford railway station
Droxford railway station was an intermediate station on the Meon Valley line which ran from Alton to Fareham during the first half of the 20th century. Opened on 1 June 1903, it has a place in every history book as the location where Churchill and Eisenhower put the finishing touches to the D Day...
was built around ½ mile (1 km) outside the village on the other side of the river. A small sub-settlement grew around the station including a hotel, railway workers' cottages and a cluster of private homes.
In June 1944 Allied leaders including, Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
met in a train carriage at Droxford station
Droxford railway station
Droxford railway station was an intermediate station on the Meon Valley line which ran from Alton to Fareham during the first half of the 20th century. Opened on 1 June 1903, it has a place in every history book as the location where Churchill and Eisenhower put the finishing touches to the D Day...
to discuss the imminent D-Day invasion. There is a bench in the village to commemorate this meeting of world leaders in Droxford. British Railways closed the railway in 1962.