Woodgreen
| Woodgreen | |
 The village centre |
|
  Woodgreen |
|
| Population | 537 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU170175 |
| Civil parish | Woodgreen |
| District | New Forest |
| Shire county | Hampshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FORDINGBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | SP6 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | New Forest West |
Coordinates: 50°57′26″N 1°45′33″W / 50.95724°N 1.75918°W
Woodgreen is a village and civil parish within the New Forest district of Hampshire in England.
Overview
Woodgreen lies between Breamore and Hale to the east of the River Avon.[1] It is located due south of the city of Salisbury, its nearest town is Fordingbridge lying to the southwest. In the 2001 UK Census the parish was home to 537 people in 220 households.[2] Its nearest railway station is Dean railway station.[3]
The village has one pub called The Horse and Groom.[4] In 2006 the village shop and post office was threatened with closure, but the village pulled together and acquired the lease for five years.[5] On 14 May 2011 a new Woodgreen Community Shop was opened after more than four years of campaigning and fundraising by the local community.[6]
Two thirds of the parish is an area of woodland, heathland, acid grassland, scrub and valley bog, supporting a richness and diversity of wildlife.[7]
One mile to the south of the village are the earthwork remains of Castle Hill, comprising an oval ring motte with an outer bailey.[8] The castle may have been a siege castle recorded in 1148.[8]
History
Woodgreen was originally an extra-parochial area of the New Forest, reckoned as part of Godshill tithing.[9] The settlement has been known as Woodgreen since the mid 17th century.[10] The "Wood" is Godshill Inclosure which separates the village from the rest of the New Forest; "Green" is a common name in southern England for a secondary settlement.[10] The civil parish of Woodgreen consisting of just 47 acres[9] was created in 1858.[11] In 1932 the parish was much enlarged with the addition of 166 acres from Breamore parish and 175 acres from Hale parish.[11]
When the village hall was built in 1930-1, two students from the Royal College of Art (Robert Baker and Edward Payne) were commissioned by the Carnegie Trust to decorate the walls entirely with murals, depicting village life as it was then.[1][12] The mural shows poachers looking down from Castle Hill; the Sunday School in the Methodist Church; folk dancing; fruit picking; the Horse and Groom; the village flower show; making cider; and the caretaker lighting the stove.[12]
The building that is now the village church dates from 1913 and was originally a church reading room.[13] In 1949, it was dedicated as a church with the name of Saint Boniface and was extended to its present size in 1963.[13] Since 1927, Woodgreen has been part of the ecclesiastical parish of Hale and Woodgreen, sharing the same clergy and with shared services.[13]
Governance
Woodgreen parish council has seven members.[14] The parish forms part of the Downlands and Forest Ward which is represented on the New Forest District Council by a single seat, currently occupied by Edward Heron[15] of the Conservative Party.[16] Woodgreen is within the New Forest West parliamentary constituency, represented by another Conservative, Desmond Swayne.[16][17]
References
- 1 2 Hampshire Treasures Volume 5 (New Forest) Page 321, retrieved 2 October 2011
- ↑ "Parish Headcounts; Area: Woodgreen CP (Parish)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ "Map of Woodgreen". Multimap. Microsoft. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ The Horse and Groom
- ↑ History | Woodgreen Community Shop, retrieved 2 October 2011
- ↑ Woodgreen Community Shop, retrieved 2 October 2011
- ↑ Hampshire Treasures Volume 5 (New Forest) Page 323, retrieved 2 October 2011
- 1 2 Godshill Castle Hill, Woodgreen at Gatehouse, retrieved, 2 October 2011
- 1 2 Victoria County History of Hampshire: Fordingbridge
- 1 2 Woodgreen, Old Hampshire Gazetteer
- 1 2 Relationships / unit history of WOODGREEN, A Vision of Britain through Time, retrieved, 2 October 2011
- 1 2 Hampshire Treasures Volume 5 (New Forest) Page 324, retrieved 2 October 2011
- 1 2 3 St Boniface, Woodgreen, Avon Valley Partnership, retrieved 2 October 2011
- ↑ "Woodgreen Parish Council: The Councillors". Retrieved 2011-10-02.
- ↑ "District Councillors by Parish". New Forest District Council. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- 1 2 "Councillor Edward Heron". New Forest District Council. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ "MP - New Forest West". New Forest District Council. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
External links
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