Mudeford
Encyclopedia
Mudeford was originally a small fishing village in the borough of Christchurch
, Dorset
southern England
, lying at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour
. The River Mude (which starts from Poors Common in Bransgore
, Hampshire
) and Bure Brook (which starts from Nea Meadows in Highcliffe
, Dorset) flow into the harbour there. In recent times the boundaries of Mudeford have expanded and include modern housing. Approximately 4000 people now live in the area giving a population density of roughly 24 persons per hectare.
Mudeford includes two woodland areas (known as Mudeford Woods and Peregrine Woods), a recreation ground on the north side of Stanpit (used to play cricket since the 19th century, probably as far back as the 1860s) and All Saints Church (built in 1869 as a gift by Mortimer Ricardo, who lived at Bure Homage House).
The village is home to both Mudeford Infants School and Mudeford Junior School.
Today the quay which consists of The Haven Inn public house, a number of ex-fishermans' cottages and a large car park is still used by local fishing boats as well as being a base for many water sports. A RNLI inshore lifeboat
station is located on the quay.
In 1809, a troopship carrying 100 soldiers returning from the Peninsular War
, sank in Christchurch Bay. The whole complement was saved by fishermen from the village. A specially built lifeboat was stationed at Mudeford from 1802, privately owned and manned by the local fisherman. It was subsumed by the RNLI in 1962 and in June 1963 a new inflatable boat was delivered. Between 1963 and 1995, the Mudeford Lifeboat
was launched 766 times and rescued 308 people.
The Mudeford ferry
operates between the Quay and Mudeford Sandbank on Hengistbury Head
. The ferry was until the 1960s operated by rowing boats with payment being at the discretion of the passenger.
Mudeford Quay is at the entrance to the Harbour known as "The Run". The area was historically much involved in smuggling
and the site in 1784 of The Battle of Mudeford. George III is recorded as having visited Mudeford in 1801 and using a bathing machine
.
and pushed towards the shore by waves from the east, the spit is the most mobile of Dorset's geographical features. Prior to the construction of the long groyne at Hengistbury Head in 1938, it tended to grow steadily in a north-easterly direction and on occasion stretched as far Steamer Point and Highcliffe Castle
; most notably in 1880. It has been breached a number of times naturally; 1883, 1911, 1924, 1935 and once deliberately in the 17th century when an attempt was made to construct another entrance to the harbour. After the last breaching in 1935, the end of the spit broke off and drifted towards the beach at Friars Cliff where it formed a lagoon. The groyne built in 1938 to protect Hengistbury Head from erosion had an adverse affect on the spit as it prevented movement of material around it. The spit began to erode due to wave action from the east and many attempts have been made since to stabilise the situation. Small seawalls were constructed on the spit in the 1960s and a large number of rubble groynes were put down during the 1980s.
The Beach hut
s, located on Mudeford Spit, can be reached on foot or land train
from the Hengistbury Head side of the harbour, or by the Ferry from Mudeford Quay. Also on the spit is the "Black House", a local landmark. Although it features in a number of local smuggling legends, it was only built in 1848 for the manager of the Hengistbury Head Mining Company, and therefore these tales are unlikely to be true.
, Member of Parliament and close friend and advisor to the prime minister William Pitt
. It was built on the beach at Mudeford and Sir George's other great friend, King George III stayed there on a number of occasions, helping to promote Christchurch as a tourist destination. Sandhills, Mudeford was also home to George Rose's two sons: Sir George Henry Rose
, politician and diplomat, and William Rose
, poet. Field Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn, GCB, GCSI
, son of George Henry Rose also spent time living at the family home. Sandhills is now a holiday park owned by Park Holidays UK
with static caravans in the grounds but the house still remains although it has been converted to flats.
. Visitors to the house included fellow poets Coleridge
and Southey
. Sir Walter Scott
stayed there whilst writing his epic poem Marmion. Rose designed one of the rooms to resemble an Arab
tent, circular with a shallow pitched, conical roof.
. In 1837, it was sold to Sophie Dawes, a renowned smuggler who became a French Baroness.
During World War II, it was used as an officers mess by the 405th Fighter Group who operated at RAF Christchurch
. After the war it was used for a while by the Signals Research and Development Establishment
. It was demolished in 1957. It was situated in the area which is now called Bure Homage Gardens, and accessed via the lodge which is still to be seen opposite the Waterford Hotel. It was associated with the nearby Highcliffe Castle
which was built later between 1831 and 1835. The land is now occupied by residential housing.
, covered the fringes of Mudeford, but was mainly in the neighbouring district of Somerford. Since the airfield complex was demolished in 1966, it was largely replaced with residential housing and the boundary of Mudeford has expanded to include it.
The Stanpit road connects from the end of the original Mudeford road through to Purewell Cross. Along part of the south west side of Stanpit road is Stanpit Marsh.
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
(1086) as 'Stanpeta' meaning 2 estates with meadows.
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...
, 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...
southern 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 at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
. The River Mude (which starts from Poors Common in Bransgore
Bransgore
Bransgore is a village and parish within the New Forest District, Hampshire, UK. The village developed in the 19th century when a church and a school were built...
, 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...
) and Bure Brook (which starts from Nea Meadows in Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
, Dorset) flow into the harbour there. In recent times the boundaries of Mudeford have expanded and include modern housing. Approximately 4000 people now live in the area giving a population density of roughly 24 persons per hectare.
Mudeford includes two woodland areas (known as Mudeford Woods and Peregrine Woods), a recreation ground on the north side of Stanpit (used to play cricket since the 19th century, probably as far back as the 1860s) and All Saints Church (built in 1869 as a gift by Mortimer Ricardo, who lived at Bure Homage House).
The village is home to both Mudeford Infants School and Mudeford Junior School.
Mudeford Quay
Mudeford Quay was constructed in the late 1940s. Prior to this, The Haven, as it was then known was surrounded by sloping beaches. The Run then was much wider than it is now and the area was subject to terrible erosion. So much so that Christchurch Council purchased the whole area in 1945. Five years later the area had been raised and reinforced with steel piles and concrete.Today the quay which consists of The Haven Inn public house, a number of ex-fishermans' cottages and a large car park is still used by local fishing boats as well as being a base for many water sports. A RNLI inshore lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
station is located on the quay.
In 1809, a troopship carrying 100 soldiers returning from the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, sank in Christchurch Bay. The whole complement was saved by fishermen from the village. A specially built lifeboat was stationed at Mudeford from 1802, privately owned and manned by the local fisherman. It was subsumed by the RNLI in 1962 and in June 1963 a new inflatable boat was delivered. Between 1963 and 1995, the Mudeford Lifeboat
Mudeford Lifeboat Station
Mudeford Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations at Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset in England. The first lifeboat was stationed on Mudeford Quay 1963 and the present station was opened in 2003...
was launched 766 times and rescued 308 people.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operates between the Quay and Mudeford Sandbank on Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Milford on Sea in the English county of Dorset.At the end is a spit which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour.-Location:...
. The ferry was until the 1960s operated by rowing boats with payment being at the discretion of the passenger.
Mudeford Quay is at the entrance to the Harbour known as "The Run". The area was historically much involved in smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
and the site in 1784 of The Battle of Mudeford. George III is recorded as having visited Mudeford in 1801 and using a bathing machine
Bathing machine
The bathing machine was a device, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, to allow people to change out of their usual clothes, possibly change into swimwear and then wade in the ocean at beaches. Bathing machines were roofed and walled wooden carts rolled into the sea...
.
Mudeford Spit
Historically part of Christchurch, Mudeford Spit was sold to Bournemouth Borough Council in 1935. It is the larger of the two features, the other being the Haven, that almost encloses Christchurch Harbour, leaving the water within to exit through a narrow channel known as The Run. Formed by sand and shingle brought around Hengistbury Head by longshore driftLongshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
and pushed towards the shore by waves from the east, the spit is the most mobile of Dorset's geographical features. Prior to the construction of the long groyne at Hengistbury Head in 1938, it tended to grow steadily in a north-easterly direction and on occasion stretched as far Steamer Point and Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability...
; most notably in 1880. It has been breached a number of times naturally; 1883, 1911, 1924, 1935 and once deliberately in the 17th century when an attempt was made to construct another entrance to the harbour. After the last breaching in 1935, the end of the spit broke off and drifted towards the beach at Friars Cliff where it formed a lagoon. The groyne built in 1938 to protect Hengistbury Head from erosion had an adverse affect on the spit as it prevented movement of material around it. The spit began to erode due to wave action from the east and many attempts have been made since to stabilise the situation. Small seawalls were constructed on the spit in the 1960s and a large number of rubble groynes were put down during the 1980s.
The Beach hut
Beach hut
A beach hut is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings...
s, located on Mudeford Spit, can be reached on foot or land train
Trackless train
A trackless train is a road-going articulated vehicle used for the transport of passengers, comprising a driving vehicle pulling one or more carriages connected by drawbar couplings, in the manner of a road going railway train.-Terminology:Trackless train or land train...
from the Hengistbury Head side of the harbour, or by the Ferry from Mudeford Quay. Also on the spit is the "Black House", a local landmark. Although it features in a number of local smuggling legends, it was only built in 1848 for the manager of the Hengistbury Head Mining Company, and therefore these tales are unlikely to be true.
Sandhills
Sandhills was the holiday home of Sir George RoseGeorge Rose
The Right Honourable George Rose was a British politician.Born at Woodside near Brechin, Scotland, Rose was the son of the Reverend David Rose of Lethnot, by Margaret, daughter of Donald Rose of Wester Clune...
, Member of Parliament and close friend and advisor to the prime minister William Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
. It was built on the beach at Mudeford and Sir George's other great friend, King George III stayed there on a number of occasions, helping to promote Christchurch as a tourist destination. Sandhills, Mudeford was also home to George Rose's two sons: Sir George Henry Rose
George Henry Rose
Sir George Henry Rose GCH PC was the eldest son of George Rose. He was Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1794–1813 and for Christchurch from 1818–32 and 1837–44, Clerk of the Parliaments from 1818–55 and sometime Envoy Extraordinary to Munich and Berlin, and to the...
, politician and diplomat, and William Rose
William Stewart Rose
William Stewart Rose was a British poet and translator, son of George Rose, who held various Government offices, including that of Treasurer of the Navy...
, poet. Field Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn, GCB, GCSI
Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
, son of George Henry Rose also spent time living at the family home. Sandhills is now a holiday park owned by Park Holidays UK
Park Holidays UK
Park Holidays UK operate 25 holiday parks in the south of England, with more sites than any other Holiday Park operator along the South Coast. All of the parks have been graded by VisitBritain quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars...
with static caravans in the grounds but the house still remains although it has been converted to flats.
Gundimore
Gundimore is a house near Avon Beach built in 1796 for the poet William RoseWilliam Stewart Rose
William Stewart Rose was a British poet and translator, son of George Rose, who held various Government offices, including that of Treasurer of the Navy...
. Visitors to the house included fellow poets Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
and Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
. Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
stayed there whilst writing his epic poem Marmion. Rose designed one of the rooms to resemble an Arab
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
tent, circular with a shallow pitched, conical roof.
Other historic buildings still in existence
- Mudeford House (later Avonmouth Hotel and Christchurch Harbour Hotel)
- Waterford Lodge (later Waterford Lodge Hotel)
- Elmhurst (later The Anchorage)
Bure Homage House
On the outskirts of the original Mudeford village, close to the course of Bure Brook, was an imposing mansion called Bure Homage House with a large associated estate which included Friars Cliff. It was built at the start of the 19th century, replacing Bure Farmhouse, by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de RothesayCharles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay GCB, PC , known as Sir Charles Stuart between 1812 and 1828, was a British diplomat...
. In 1837, it was sold to Sophie Dawes, a renowned smuggler who became a French Baroness.
During World War II, it was used as an officers mess by the 405th Fighter Group who operated at RAF Christchurch
RAF Christchurch
Christchurch Airfield was located southeast of the A337/B3059 intersection in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset, England.It was a civil airfield starting from 1926, then it was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force...
. After the war it was used for a while by the Signals Research and Development Establishment
Signals Research and Development Establishment
The Signals Research and Development Establishment was a British government military research establishment, based in Christchurch, Dorset from 1948 until it merged with the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern, Worcestershire to form the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment in 1980...
. It was demolished in 1957. It was situated in the area which is now called Bure Homage Gardens, and accessed via the lodge which is still to be seen opposite the Waterford Hotel. It was associated with the nearby Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability...
which was built later between 1831 and 1835. The land is now occupied by residential housing.
Christchurch Airfield
Christchurch Airfield, which had an important role in World War II as RAF ChristchurchRAF Christchurch
Christchurch Airfield was located southeast of the A337/B3059 intersection in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset, England.It was a civil airfield starting from 1926, then it was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force...
, covered the fringes of Mudeford, but was mainly in the neighbouring district of Somerford. Since the airfield complex was demolished in 1966, it was largely replaced with residential housing and the boundary of Mudeford has expanded to include it.
Notable residents
- Sir George RoseGeorge RoseThe Right Honourable George Rose was a British politician.Born at Woodside near Brechin, Scotland, Rose was the son of the Reverend David Rose of Lethnot, by Margaret, daughter of Donald Rose of Wester Clune...
(1744–1818), Member of Parliament and close friend and advisor to the prime minister William PittWilliam Pitt the YoungerWilliam Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, built a home, 'Sandhills', at Mudeford. His other great friend, King George III stayed there on a number of occasions, helping to promote Christchurch as a tourist destination. - Sandhills, Mudeford was also home to George Rose's two sons: Sir George Henry RoseGeorge Henry RoseSir George Henry Rose GCH PC was the eldest son of George Rose. He was Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1794–1813 and for Christchurch from 1818–32 and 1837–44, Clerk of the Parliaments from 1818–55 and sometime Envoy Extraordinary to Munich and Berlin, and to the...
(1771–1855), politician and diplomat, and William RoseWilliam Stewart RoseWilliam Stewart Rose was a British poet and translator, son of George Rose, who held various Government offices, including that of Treasurer of the Navy...
(1775–1843), poet. - Field Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn, GCB, GCSIHugh Rose, 1st Baron StrathnairnField Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
, (1801–1885) son of George Henry Rose also spent time living at the family home.
Stanpit
Stanpit village is a historic area along the southern boundary of current day Mudeford.The Stanpit road connects from the end of the original Mudeford road through to Purewell Cross. Along part of the south west side of Stanpit road is Stanpit Marsh.
The village is mentioned 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...
(1086) as 'Stanpeta' meaning 2 estates with meadows.
Further reading
- Morley G (1983) Smuggling in Hampshire and Dorset 1700–1850. Newbury. Countryside Books.
- Samuel OJ (1985) Bure Farm in the Homage of Bure, Mudeford. Christchurch Local History Society
- Thomas E & Jacobs A The History of All Saints Church, Mudeford. Christchurch Local History Society.