Bishopstoke

Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke has a gravel beach which is created by fluctuations in the height of the River Itchen
Bishopstoke  Bishopstoke shown within Hampshire
Population	9,845
OS grid reference	SU472189
District	Eastleigh
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Eastleigh
Postcode district	SO50
Dialling code	023
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Eastleigh
List of places UK England Hampshire

Coordinates: 50°58′04″N 1°19′40″W / 50.9679°N 1.3278°W

Bishopstoke, a village recorded in the Domesday Book,^[1] is a civil parish in the borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD.^[2] The village is about a mile east of Eastleigh town centre, and is on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It adjoins Fair Oak on the east, in the Fair Oak and Horton Heath parish. The village was annexed to Eastleigh in 1932,^[3] and was split out again as an independent civil parish later. It forms part of the Southampton Urban Area.

Itchen Valley Navigation

The Itchen Valley navigation running between Winchester and Southampton was completed in 1710 and used until 1869. Bishopstoke includes a sizeable proportion of the navigation, including a sluice that was in use until the closure of the navigation.^[4]

Stoke Park Woods

Bordering the village to the North and comprising around 207 hectares, the Stoke Park Woods area contains 61% woodland and 39% arable land. It is home to many species, including the rare quaking grass. Originally these woods were owned by the Bishop of Winchester. King John of England hunted these woods in 1205. In 1540 they were licensed by King Henry VIII as a deer hunt enclosed by fences. They were purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1948 and are now a community woodland. They are managed by the commission to produce wood for paper pulp and timber.^[5]

Notable people

Amongst those born in Bishopstoke are:

• Richard Dummer (1589 – 1679), early settler in New England who has been described as "one of the fathers of Massachusetts".
• William Gilbert (1804 – 1890), novelist and Royal Navy surgeon, father of dramatist W. S. Gilbert.
• Samuel Sewall (1652 – 1730), Massachusetts judge, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials.

Today

Bishopstoke contains one infant school, Stoke Park Infant School, and one Junior School, Stoke Park Junior School which feeds to the secondary school in Fair Oak, Wyvern College. The village has a Girl Guide group off West Drive, including a Rainbow, Brownie and Guide unit. Eastleigh's museum in the High Street, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday, holds several files containing information about Bishopstoke's historic past and associated personalities, such as John Bale, Samuel Sewall, and Dean Garnier.

Bishopstoke still retains many buildings dating from the 18th century, although the village is expanding and now has a number of newer built residential and commercial premises.

The village is now effectively divided into Old Bishopstoke and New Bishopstoke, heading roughly West to East, reflecting the recent housing requirements within the area.

There are four churches in the village, which are St. Mary's C of E and St. Paul's C of E, Bishopstoke Evangelical Church on Stoke Park Road and Bishopstoke Methodist Church on Sedgwick Road.

References

1. History
2. Bishopstoke Parish Council
3. Vision of Britain
4. Twyford info
5. http://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/pdf/wildStokePark.pdf Eastleigh Council Report on Stoke Woods Management

Further reading

• Escombe, F. Dorothy (1935). Bygone Bishopstoke. Winchester: Wykeham Press.

External links

• Bishopstoke, Fair Oak & Horton Heath Local Community Magazine
• Stoke Park Woods Video on YouTube
• The Parish of Bishopstoke
• (http://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/lp36 Council proposals to build a link road and 1,000's houses in woodland countryside)