Lasham
Encyclopedia
Lasham is a small village and civil parish
in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northwest of Alton
, just off the A339 road. The nearest railway station is Alton
, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) southeast of the village.
Lasham Airfield
was once famous as a wartime airfield. It is now a well known gliding
centre. The centre of the village still retains much of its original character.
Until recent times, the name was pronounced 'Lass-ham' but 'Lash-am' now predominates.
The village gave its name to a Ham class minesweeper
, HMS Lasham
.
The airfield
was constructed in 1942 for use by RAF squadrons on active operations. A beech avenue that was planted by George Jervoise in 1809 was cut down to make way for it. To build the airfield, the road between Herriard
and Lasham was closed and a new concrete road, which is now part of the A339, was built to the west by Italian labourers and Italian prisoners of war. The airfield is now a major centre for the sport of gliding
, see also article on Lasham Airfield
. The airfield is also used by ATC Lasham Ltd who service Boeing airliners. They are the major employer in the area.
, near Alton
. In 1995 the oil field was developed into an underground gas storage facility, with a gas pipeline linking it to the national gas grid at Barton Stacey
. The replenished gas cap on the oil field increased the pressure on the remaining oil, boosting production and increasing the lifetime of the extraction.
and Lasham were served by the same vicar, with the rectory being in Lasham. Today it comes under the benefice of Shalden
, Bentworth
and Lasham. The church of St Mary was constructed in 1866 on the site of an old Saxon church.
Many of the houses have been modernised and extended e.g. the Old Post Office and Pear Tree Cottage which used to be the home of the blacksmith. In the grounds of Pear Tree Cottage stands an 18th century building which held the forge and blacksmith's shop. The village pond is fed by local springs and is regularly cleaned out, now it is the home of waterfowl and there is a large stock of goldfish.
on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
, until its closure in 1932.
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 East Hampshire
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
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 is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northwest of 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...
, just off the A339 road. The nearest railway station is Alton
Alton railway station
Alton railway station is a railway station in the town of Alton, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is the terminus for two railway lines; the Alton Line which runs to Brookwood and onto London Waterloo and the Mid Hants Watercress Railway, which runs to Alresford. The latter once ran...
, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) southeast of the village.
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield is located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding club, Lasham...
was once famous as a wartime airfield. It is now a well known gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
centre. The centre of the village still retains much of its original character.
Until recent times, the name was pronounced 'Lass-ham' but 'Lash-am' now predominates.
The village gave its name to a Ham class minesweeper
Ham class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
, HMS Lasham
HMS Lasham
HMS Lasham was one of 93 ships of the of inshore minesweepers.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Lasham in Hampshire.-References:*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships...
.
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield is located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding club, Lasham...
was constructed in 1942 for use by RAF squadrons on active operations. A beech avenue that was planted by George Jervoise in 1809 was cut down to make way for it. To build the airfield, the road between Herriard
Herriard
Herriard is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, situated between Alton, and Basingstoke. At the 2001 census it had a population of 247...
and Lasham was closed and a new concrete road, which is now part of the A339, was built to the west by Italian labourers and Italian prisoners of war. The airfield is now a major centre for the sport of gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
, see also article on Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield is located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding club, Lasham...
. The airfield is also used by ATC Lasham Ltd who service Boeing airliners. They are the major employer in the area.
Humbly Grove Oil Field and Gas Storage
The Humbly Grove oil field, east of the airfield, was discovered in 1980 and production began in 1984, with up to 1000 barrels a day of crude oil being piped to the terminal at HolybourneHolybourne
Holybourne is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1.3 miles northeast of Alton, just off the A31 road.The nearest railway station is 1.3 miles southwest of the village, at Alton....
, near 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...
. In 1995 the oil field was developed into an underground gas storage facility, with a gas pipeline linking it to the national gas grid at Barton Stacey
Barton Stacey
Barton Stacey is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, situated about seven miles south-east of Andover.-Civil Parish:The total area of the civil parish is 5,027 acres ....
. The replenished gas cap on the oil field increased the pressure on the remaining oil, boosting production and increasing the lifetime of the extraction.
Lasham parish
For around 200 years Lasham was part of the Herriard Park estate and until recent reorganisation, HerriardHerriard
Herriard is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, situated between Alton, and Basingstoke. At the 2001 census it had a population of 247...
and Lasham were served by the same vicar, with the rectory being in Lasham. Today it comes under the benefice of Shalden
Shalden
Shalden is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is northwest of Alton, just off the A339 road.The nearest railway station is Alton, southeast of the village....
, Bentworth
Bentworth
Bentworth is a village and large civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies approximately west of the town of Alton and about 8 miles south of Basingstoke, just off the A339 road. The parish covers an area of , of which about are woodland...
and Lasham. The church of St Mary was constructed in 1866 on the site of an old Saxon church.
Many of the houses have been modernised and extended e.g. the Old Post Office and Pear Tree Cottage which used to be the home of the blacksmith. In the grounds of Pear Tree Cottage stands an 18th century building which held the forge and blacksmith's shop. The village pond is fed by local springs and is regularly cleaned out, now it is the home of waterfowl and there is a large stock of goldfish.
Transport
The village was formerly served by the Bentworth and Lasham railway stationBentworth and Lasham railway station
Bentworth and Lasham railway station was a railway station which served the villages of Bentworth and Lasham in Hampshire, England and was located centrally between these two villages. The station was a stop on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway until its closure in 1932. Remarkably, the...
on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
The Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway was a railway in Hampshire, UK, opened on Saturday, 1 June 1901, with no formal ceremony.It was the first railway to be enabled by an Order of the Light Railway Commission under the Light Railways Act of 1896...
, until its closure in 1932.