Holdenhurst
Encyclopedia
Holdenhurst is a small isolated village
situated in green belt
land in the north-east suburb
s of Bournemouth
, England
. The village comprises fewer than 30 dwellings, two farms and the parish church
. There are no shops and few local facilities in the village.
The village has only been accessible by car via a single narrow lane
since the through route was cut off in the late 1960s by the building of the Bournemouth Spur Road (A338
). There is no public transport.
Although the village itself has always been small, the civil parish
at one time included the greater part of what is now Bournemouth. The civil parish no longer exists (having been subsumed into Bournemouth County Borough in 1931). However, the ecclesiastical parish still exists; it encompasses Hurn
, East Parley and Bournemouth International Airport, as well as the Townsend and adjacent areas of Bournemouth.
as Holeest suggesting an etymology
of Old English
holegn meaning "holly
"and hyrst meaning "grove, wood", giving a meaning of "wood where holly
(Ilex aquifolium) grows. In succeeding centuries it was spelt Holeherst (12th century), Holhurst (13th century), Hollehurst (14th century), Holnehurst (15th century), Holnest (16th century) and Holnirst (17th century).
valley made it an ideal location for early farmers. There have been a large number of archaeological finds in the area including coins of the Durotriges
tribe of Celtic Britain, and Roman coins
have also been discovered making it likely that the Romans
also settled in the area.
The hundred of Holdenhurst existed in 1176, but was soon extended and became known as the hundred of Christchurch
; with that part west of the Stour (the original hundred of Holdenhurst) being known as the district of West Stour, or Westover
. By 1263, however, the hundred of Christchurch with Westover had again become known as the hundred of Holdenhurst.
in the west. The area was still a remote and barren heathland, and much of it was common land used by the inhabitants for livestock and by the poor for wood and turves.
In 1802, however, the Christchurch Inclosure Act
, entitled An Act for dividing, allotting and inclosing certain Commonable Lands and Waste Grounds within the Parish or Chapelry of Holdenhurst in the County of Southampton was passed in Parliament
. Commissioners were appointed to divide up the land and allot it according to an individual's entitlement, and to set out the roads and to sell plots of land in order to pay for their work.
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Holdenhurst like this:
Up until 1894 the parish comprised 7390 acres (29.9 km²). In that year part of it was formed into a separate parish of Winton
, and that part lying on the coast was transferred to the new parish of Bournemouth. Further portions of the parish were later transferred to Bournemouth and to Southbourne
, and by 1912 the parish of Holdenhurst comprised an area of 3080 acres (12.5 km²).
In 1931, the whole of the remaining part of the parish was subsumed into the County Borough of Bournemouth, later to be transferred from the county of Hampshire
to Dorset
, and in 1997 to become a unitary authority
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated in green belt
Green Belt (UK)
In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
land in the north-east suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, 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...
. The village comprises fewer than 30 dwellings, two farms and the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. There are no shops and few local facilities in the village.
The village has only been accessible by car via a single narrow lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
since the through route was cut off in the late 1960s by the building of the Bournemouth Spur Road (A338
A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
). There is no public transport.
Although the village itself has always been small, the civil parish
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...
at one time included the greater part of what is now Bournemouth. The civil parish no longer exists (having been subsumed into Bournemouth County Borough in 1931). However, the ecclesiastical parish still exists; it encompasses Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
, East Parley and Bournemouth International Airport, as well as the Townsend and adjacent areas of Bournemouth.
Etymology
Holdenhurst is recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday 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 Holeest suggesting an etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
holegn meaning "holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
"and hyrst meaning "grove, wood", giving a meaning of "wood where holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
(Ilex aquifolium) grows. In succeeding centuries it was spelt Holeherst (12th century), Holhurst (13th century), Hollehurst (14th century), Holnehurst (15th century), Holnest (16th century) and Holnirst (17th century).
Early history
The location of Holdenhurst on the edge of the flood plain of the lower StourRiver Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
valley made it an ideal location for early farmers. There have been a large number of archaeological finds in the area including coins of the Durotriges
Durotriges
The Durotriges were one of the Celtic tribes living in Britain prior to the Roman invasion. The tribe lived in modern Dorset, south Wiltshire and south Somerset...
tribe of Celtic Britain, and Roman coins
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
have also been discovered making it likely that the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
also settled in the area.
The hundred of Holdenhurst existed in 1176, but was soon extended and became known as the hundred of Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
; with that part west of the Stour (the original hundred of Holdenhurst) being known as the district of West Stour, or Westover
Westover, Hampshire
Westover, Hampshire, was the ancient manor, now in Dorset, over which much of modern Bournemouth has developed. This area of land marked a historic boundary between Celtic and Saxon civilisations, which found expression as the county boundary between Hampshire to the east and Dorset to the west...
. By 1263, however, the hundred of Christchurch with Westover had again become known as the hundred of Holdenhurst.
19th and 20th centuries
Although there were many boundary and name changes over the years, even by the start of the 19th century the parish of Holdenhurst (also known as the Liberty of West Stour) encompassed the whole area between Christchurch in the east and PoolePoole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
in the west. The area was still a remote and barren heathland, and much of it was common land used by the inhabitants for livestock and by the poor for wood and turves.
In 1802, however, the Christchurch Inclosure Act
Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802
The Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802 was a United Kingdom local and personal Act of Parliament for the dividing, allotting, and inclosing, certain commonable lands, and waste grounds within the parish or chapelry of Holdenhurst, in the county of Southampton.Bournemouth, in the late 18th century...
, entitled An Act for dividing, allotting and inclosing certain Commonable Lands and Waste Grounds within the Parish or Chapelry of Holdenhurst in the County of Southampton was passed in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. Commissioners were appointed to divide up the land and allot it according to an individual's entitlement, and to set out the roads and to sell plots of land in order to pay for their work.
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Holdenhurst like this:
- HOLDENHURST, a village and a parish in Christchurch district, Hants. The village stands on the river Stour, 3 miles NW of Christchurch r. station. The parish contains the tythings of Redhall. Moordown, CharminsterCharminster (disambiguation)Charminster is a place name.* Charminster is a village in Dorset, England* Charminster is a suburb of Bournemouth, with a high concentration of students living in sublet accommodation nearer to Bournemouth University and the language colleges as well as a substantial quantity of larger family homes...
, Stronden, Great Dean and Little Down, Muccleshell, Muscliffe, and ThroopThroop, Dorset-Geography and Administration:Although within the historic county boundaries of Hampshire, at the time of the 1974 local government re-organization it was considered desirable that the whole of what is now called the South East Dorset conurbation, which includes Bournemouth and Poole, should be...
; extends to the coast: and is all included in Christchurch borough.
Up until 1894 the parish comprised 7390 acres (29.9 km²). In that year part of it was formed into a separate parish of Winton
Winton, Dorset
Winton is a suburb of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It lies approximately north of Bournemouth town centre, along Wimborne Road .-History:...
, and that part lying on the coast was transferred to the new parish of Bournemouth. Further portions of the parish were later transferred to Bournemouth and to Southbourne
Southbourne, Dorset
Southbourne is a suburb of Bournemouth. It is the most easterly part of the borough, between Boscombe and Christchurch, Dorset. The area was previously known as Stourfield....
, and by 1912 the parish of Holdenhurst comprised an area of 3080 acres (12.5 km²).
In 1931, the whole of the remaining part of the parish was subsumed into the County Borough of Bournemouth, later to be transferred from the county 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...
to Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and in 1997 to become a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
.
External links
- http://www.holdenhurstvillage.co.uk/
- http://www.ruttergadd.co.uk/westover/