Liphook
Encyclopedia
Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) west of Haslemere
, on the A3 road
, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.
Liphook has its own railway station
, on the Portsmouth Direct Line
.
The village grew as a coaching stop between London
and Portsmouth
during the 17th and 18th centuries. The village also served as a base during the First World War and the Second World War for Canadian
troops stationed in Southern England.
which was established by Norman times The first record to Liphook is in the Bramshott Manor Court Rolls to one 'Robert of Lupe' in 1281. Then follows Matilda of 'Lhupe' in 1337, William at 'Lupe' in 1365, John at 'Lepe' in 1386, and John Maunser at 'Leope' in 1423. On his death in 1428, John Maunser's tenancy at 'Lepe' between modern London Road and Headley Road is the first identifiable landmark in Liphook. Sir Edmund Pakynham inherited a tenement and land in 'Lepoke' in 1527, and John Hooke bought the manor of 'Chiltle' in 'Lippuck' in 1591. John Speed
's map of 1610 shows it as Lippocke. It was also a tuppe.
It seems some people escaped from the manors of Bramshott, Chiltlee and Ludshott to Liphook, an area above the marshes around the River Wey
, to evade taxes of their local Lords.
- Portsmouth
route. In Tudor
times mail was sent from London to Portsmouth via Southampton
and the route through Liphook only used in emergencies, such as the Armada
of 1588. The map of 1675 by John Ogilby
shows this road bypassing Bramshott and going through Lippock, however the quality of this road was very poor.
Originally travellers' needs were catered for by stalls, eventually replaced by the half-timbered houses that exist around The Square. Growth accelerated with wagons being replaced by coaches, and coaching in Liphook was firmly established by 1660. The roads were often unmaintained and unsigned - Samuel Pepys
records three journeys by this road in May 1661, April 1662 and August 1668, on the latter staying in Lippock:
A coach service from London
to Portsmouth started in 1688, which coincided with growth of the Royal Anchor coaching inn, and other 17th century buildings in The Square. The Royal Anchor itself has a fireback dated 1588 which supports the supposition that there was an earlier building on the site.
The Royal Navy
considered the road from Petersfield
to Portsmouth impassable in winter for heavy goods in the 17th century, but improvements were made in the 18th century to roads and coaches with the coming of the turnpike
. Turnpiking between Petersfield and Portsmouth began in 1710 and between Kingston and Petersfield via Liphook in 1749. The Old Toll House by Radford Bridge in Liphook dates from the 18th century. But highwaymen were still a problem as 18th century notices in the Royal Anchor show. By 1784 London-Portsmouth coaches carried mail through Liphook. Turnpiking reduced the journey from London-Portsmouth from two days in the 1660s to 10 hours in 1819. Cary's
New Itinerary of 1819 records seven coaches on weekdays left London for Portsmouth via Liphook and three during the night.
Local tradition has it that Nelson
spent his last night in England in Liphook before sailing for the Battle of Trafalgar
. George III and Queen Charlotte on their stay gave permission for the Blue Anchor to be renamed the Royal Anchor.
came to Liphook in 1859. The Portsmouth Direct Line
was built after the 1840s 'railway mania
'. Originally the LSWR route from London to Portsmouth was via a branch from Southampton to Gosport, where passengers then went on the chain ferry across Portsmouth harbour. This lasted until the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
extended their London-Brighton line to Portchester
. Initially the LSWR constructed a branch from Woking
to Guildford
in 1845 then Godalming
in 1849, but were reluctant to extend it to Havant
. Thomas Brassey, a railway contractor, was granted Act of Parliament to construct a single track in 1853 (doubling was completed on 1 March 1878{ } ). The first train arrived in Liphook on 24 January 1859, but a dispute between the LSWR and the LBSCR meant full service was not initiated until 8 May.
Railways caused the long-distance coaching trade to reduce in the village. The railway station became the hub of short-distance horse drawn transport, with the blacksmiths shop in The Square flourishing until at least 1918.
The railway was originally planned to bypass Liphook, but the Liphook Deviation amendment of the Act of Parliament altered it to its present course. In doing so it bisected the estate of Chiltlee Manor, a split that exists to this day. The northern part remained as fields and the village cricket pitch, until its requisition to become the British Army
's Ordnance Supply Unit in 1939. After decommissioning it was sold to Sainsbury's to form the site of their shop, the Millennium Centre and several other housing developments. The southern part was sold to Mary Ann Robb
in 1869, who built the house of Chiltlee Place and the surrounding arboretum
in 1880. In the 1960s the site was sold to the Berg firm of builders for construction of their housing estate.
Liphook's population grew modestly, from 1,367 in 1861 to 1,614 in 1891. The railway did not cause a more substantial increase, since many could not afford to pay the fare for more than an occasional excursion. The Kelly's Directory
of 1895 shows far more shopkeepers in Liphook than Bramshott: Liphook had become the predominant centre of the Parish of Bramshott. A few wealthy people however saw the potential of commuter travel, notably Mary Ann Robb and London solicitor William Thomas Longbourn, who bought Foley Manor in 1859. He later sold it to William Barrington Tristram, a former member of the Bombay Council who built the house's Victorian extension.
http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/flora/ lived in Liphook where her husband was postmaster. Her most well-known works include the trilogy Lark Rise, Over to Candleford and Candleford Green, memoirs of her childhood in 1880s Oxfordshire
. Her first work, Bog-Myrtle and Peat, was published in 1921 when she lived in Liphook. The roads 'Lark Rise' and 'Candleford Gate' are named after two of the works in the trilogy. In early 2008, the trilogy was the subject of the series 'Lark Rise to Candleford' which was televised by the BBC.
During both World War I
and II
Liphook was the base for many Canadian
troops. Many recent roads in Liphook have been given Canadian place names to commemorate the armed forces of that country that trained in this area during the First and Second World Wars and the cemetery of St Mary's church in Bramshott has a section of Canadian graves, war dead including many victims of the influenza
outbreak of 1918.
) and rail (Portsmouth Direct Line
) links between London and Portsmouth. Liphook is served by Liphook railway station
. Liphook is now (April 2010) part of the parliamentary
constituency of East Hampshire. Its Member of Parliament
is Damien Hinds, a member of the Conservative Party
.
Local attractions include the Forest Mere health spa and Hollycombe Steam Collection
. On 'the night the clocks go back' (usually the last Saturday in October) the village plays host to the Liphook Carnival, a procession of floats through the village followed by a bonfire which has taken place since 1903 http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/books/lipcarn.htm.
The village is also home to a large Sainsbury's store, which in March 2007 was enlarged. The Sainsbury's was fined £800 and ordered to pay £1042 costs after pleading guilty, at Alton Magistrates Court in 2003, to selling cigarettes to a minor, a 14 year old girl.
During the hot summer of 1983, Liphook hit the headlines as the hottest spot in the United Kingdom
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/15jul03maxtemps.html.
During 2004, Liphook again hit the headlines when the Government Laws on ASBO were used to their maximum limit to force eviction to two families from Housing Association properties. The fact that there was no warning given due to the alleged violent conduct of the involved families and the late night eviction excited media attention.
Part of the ASBO was later overturned, but one family was forced to leave with the other having lesser ASBI's served against them to keep the peace.
Junior school, (the Senior school being located in nearby Petersfield
) and Highfield Brookham preparatory school. The site previously housed Littlefield school, which was bought by Churcher's and converted. Liphook is also the home of Bohunt School
, a top fifty secondary state school
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 4.1 miles (6.6 km) west of Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, on the A3 road
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.
Liphook has its own railway station
Liphook railway station
Liphook railway station is a railway station serving the large village of Liphook, Hampshire, England. It is served by the semi-fast service on the Portsmouth Direct Line running between and . One train per hour in each direction calls at Liphook station at off-peak times...
, on the Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
.
The village grew as a coaching stop between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
during the 17th and 18th centuries. The village also served as a base during the First World War and the Second World War for Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
troops stationed in Southern England.
Pre-coaching times
The village grew out of the hamlet of BramshottBramshott
Bramshott is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 0.9 miles north of Liphook.-Overview:The nearest railway station is 1.3 miles south of the village, at Liphook....
which was established by Norman times The first record to Liphook is in the Bramshott Manor Court Rolls to one 'Robert of Lupe' in 1281. Then follows Matilda of 'Lhupe' in 1337, William at 'Lupe' in 1365, John at 'Lepe' in 1386, and John Maunser at 'Leope' in 1423. On his death in 1428, John Maunser's tenancy at 'Lepe' between modern London Road and Headley Road is the first identifiable landmark in Liphook. Sir Edmund Pakynham inherited a tenement and land in 'Lepoke' in 1527, and John Hooke bought the manor of 'Chiltle' in 'Lippuck' in 1591. John Speed
John Speed
John Speed was an English historian and cartographer.-Life:He was born at Farndon, Cheshire, and went into his father's tailoring business where he worked until he was about 50...
's map of 1610 shows it as Lippocke. It was also a tuppe.
It seems some people escaped from the manors of Bramshott, Chiltlee and Ludshott to Liphook, an area above the marshes around the River Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
, to evade taxes of their local Lords.
The coaching age
Liphook grew further as a coach stop on the LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
route. In Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
times mail was sent from London to Portsmouth via 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 the route through Liphook only used in emergencies, such as the Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
of 1588. The map of 1675 by John Ogilby
John Ogilby
John Ogilby was a Scottish translator, impresario and cartographer. Best known for publishing the first British road atlas, he was also a successful translator, noted for publishing his work in handsome illustrated editions.-Life:Ogilby was born in or near Killemeare in November 1600...
shows this road bypassing Bramshott and going through Lippock, however the quality of this road was very poor.
Originally travellers' needs were catered for by stalls, eventually replaced by the half-timbered houses that exist around The Square. Growth accelerated with wagons being replaced by coaches, and coaching in Liphook was firmly established by 1660. The roads were often unmaintained and unsigned - Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
records three journeys by this road in May 1661, April 1662 and August 1668, on the latter staying in Lippock:
A coach service from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Portsmouth started in 1688, which coincided with growth of the Royal Anchor coaching inn, and other 17th century buildings in The Square. The Royal Anchor itself has a fireback dated 1588 which supports the supposition that there was an earlier building on the site.
The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
considered the road from Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
to Portsmouth impassable in winter for heavy goods in the 17th century, but improvements were made in the 18th century to roads and coaches with the coming of the turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
. Turnpiking between Petersfield and Portsmouth began in 1710 and between Kingston and Petersfield via Liphook in 1749. The Old Toll House by Radford Bridge in Liphook dates from the 18th century. But highwaymen were still a problem as 18th century notices in the Royal Anchor show. By 1784 London-Portsmouth coaches carried mail through Liphook. Turnpiking reduced the journey from London-Portsmouth from two days in the 1660s to 10 hours in 1819. Cary's
John Cary
John Cary was an 18th century English cartographer.Cary served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London, before setting up his own business in the Strand in 1783...
New Itinerary of 1819 records seven coaches on weekdays left London for Portsmouth via Liphook and three during the night.
Local tradition has it that Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
spent his last night in England in Liphook before sailing for the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. George III and Queen Charlotte on their stay gave permission for the Blue Anchor to be renamed the Royal Anchor.
The railway era
The London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
came to Liphook in 1859. The Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
was built after the 1840s 'railway mania
Railway Mania
The Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
'. Originally the LSWR route from London to Portsmouth was via a branch from Southampton to Gosport, where passengers then went on the chain ferry across Portsmouth harbour. This lasted until the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
extended their London-Brighton line to Portchester
Portchester
Portchester is a locality and suburb 10km northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton, on the A27 main thoroughfare...
. Initially the LSWR constructed a branch from Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
in 1845 then Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
in 1849, but were reluctant to extend it to Havant
Havant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
. Thomas Brassey, a railway contractor, was granted Act of Parliament to construct a single track in 1853 (doubling was completed on 1 March 1878
Railways caused the long-distance coaching trade to reduce in the village. The railway station became the hub of short-distance horse drawn transport, with the blacksmiths shop in The Square flourishing until at least 1918.
The railway was originally planned to bypass Liphook, but the Liphook Deviation amendment of the Act of Parliament altered it to its present course. In doing so it bisected the estate of Chiltlee Manor, a split that exists to this day. The northern part remained as fields and the village cricket pitch, until its requisition to become the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Ordnance Supply Unit in 1939. After decommissioning it was sold to Sainsbury's to form the site of their shop, the Millennium Centre and several other housing developments. The southern part was sold to Mary Ann Robb
Mary Ann Robb
Mary Ann Robb was a 19th century English botanist. She is best known for naming the shrub Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae. She owned property in London as well as Chiltley Place in Liphook.-References:*...
in 1869, who built the house of Chiltlee Place and the surrounding arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
in 1880. In the 1960s the site was sold to the Berg firm of builders for construction of their housing estate.
Liphook's population grew modestly, from 1,367 in 1861 to 1,614 in 1891. The railway did not cause a more substantial increase, since many could not afford to pay the fare for more than an occasional excursion. The Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
of 1895 shows far more shopkeepers in Liphook than Bramshott: Liphook had become the predominant centre of the Parish of Bramshott. A few wealthy people however saw the potential of commuter travel, notably Mary Ann Robb and London solicitor William Thomas Longbourn, who bought Foley Manor in 1859. He later sold it to William Barrington Tristram, a former member of the Bombay Council who built the house's Victorian extension.
20th Century
From 1916-1928 author and poet Flora ThompsonFlora Thompson
Flora Jane Thompson was an English novelist and poet famous for her semi-autobiographical trilogy about the English countryside, Lark Rise to Candleford.-Early life and family:...
http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/flora/ lived in Liphook where her husband was postmaster. Her most well-known works include the trilogy Lark Rise, Over to Candleford and Candleford Green, memoirs of her childhood in 1880s Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. Her first work, Bog-Myrtle and Peat, was published in 1921 when she lived in Liphook. The roads 'Lark Rise' and 'Candleford Gate' are named after two of the works in the trilogy. In early 2008, the trilogy was the subject of the series 'Lark Rise to Candleford' which was televised by the BBC.
During both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Liphook was the base for many Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
troops. Many recent roads in Liphook have been given Canadian place names to commemorate the armed forces of that country that trained in this area during the First and Second World Wars and the cemetery of St Mary's church in Bramshott has a section of Canadian graves, war dead including many victims of the influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
outbreak of 1918.
Today
Liphook is located on both the main road (A3A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
) and rail (Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
) links between London and Portsmouth. Liphook is served by Liphook railway station
Liphook railway station
Liphook railway station is a railway station serving the large village of Liphook, Hampshire, England. It is served by the semi-fast service on the Portsmouth Direct Line running between and . One train per hour in each direction calls at Liphook station at off-peak times...
. Liphook is now (April 2010) part of the parliamentary
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...
constituency of East Hampshire. Its Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Damien Hinds, a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Local attractions include the Forest Mere health spa and Hollycombe Steam Collection
Hollycombe Steam Collection
The Hollycombe Steam Collection is a collection of steam-powered vehicles, rides and attractions based near Liphook in Hampshire. The collection includes fairground rides, a display farm and two railways.- History :...
. On 'the night the clocks go back' (usually the last Saturday in October) the village plays host to the Liphook Carnival, a procession of floats through the village followed by a bonfire which has taken place since 1903 http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/books/lipcarn.htm.
The village is also home to a large Sainsbury's store, which in March 2007 was enlarged. The Sainsbury's was fined £800 and ordered to pay £1042 costs after pleading guilty, at Alton Magistrates Court in 2003, to selling cigarettes to a minor, a 14 year old girl.
During the hot summer of 1983, Liphook hit the headlines as the hottest spot in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/15jul03maxtemps.html.
During 2004, Liphook again hit the headlines when the Government Laws on ASBO were used to their maximum limit to force eviction to two families from Housing Association properties. The fact that there was no warning given due to the alleged violent conduct of the involved families and the late night eviction excited media attention.
Part of the ASBO was later overturned, but one family was forced to leave with the other having lesser ASBI's served against them to keep the peace.
Schools
Liphook is the location of the public school Churcher's CollegeChurcher's College
Churcher's College is an English co-educational independent, fee-paying school which is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The senior school is located in the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire with the junior school in nearby Liphook...
Junior school, (the Senior school being located in nearby Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
) and Highfield Brookham preparatory school. The site previously housed Littlefield school, which was bought by Churcher's and converted. Liphook is also the home of Bohunt School
Bohunt School
Bohunt School is a state run Secondary School located in the rural village of Liphook, Hampshire. It is co-educational and takes children from age 11-16 and currently has over 1200 pupils enrolled...
, a top fifty secondary state school
Notable people
- Sir Adrian HolmanAdrian HolmanSir Adrian Holman KBE CMG MC was a British diplomat.-Early life:The son of Richard Haswell Holman, he was educated at Copthorne Preparatory School, Harrow School, and New College, Oxford.-Career:...
KBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
MCMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1895–1974), diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and... - Ken Wood (manufacturer)Ken Wood (manufacturer)Kenneth Wood was an entrepreneur and business man who is most famous for the development of the eponymous Kenwood Chef food mixer.- Life and career :Wood was born on 4 October 1916 in Lewisham London, England UK....
, founder of Kenwood Manufacturing Co. - Flora ThompsonFlora ThompsonFlora Jane Thompson was an English novelist and poet famous for her semi-autobiographical trilogy about the English countryside, Lark Rise to Candleford.-Early life and family:...
, author of Lark Rise to Candleford