Crookham Village

Crookham Village
A preserved 1960s Aldershot and District Traction Company bus (a Dennis Loline III) passes an old cottage in Crookham Village
Crookham Village  Crookham Village shown within Hampshire
Population	3,648 [1](2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SU792524
– London	42 mi (68 km)
Civil parish	Crookham Village
District	Hart
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FLEET
Postcode district	GU51, GU52
Dialling code	01252
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	North East Hampshire
Website	Crookham Village Parish Council
List of places UK England Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°16′27″N 0°51′40″W / 51.274052°N 0.861053°W

Crookham Village is located south-west of Fleet, in northeast Hampshire, England and lies within the Hart District.

History

Crookham (formerly Crokeham) dates back at least as far as the Domesday Book, although Crookham Village and Church Crookham did not become separate entities until the founding of the Christ Church in 1840.^[2][3] It is this church for which Church Crookham is named. Whilst Church Crookham has become largely subsumed in the urban dormitory town of Fleet, Crookham Village lies across the Basingstoke Canal from its neighbour, in a more rural setting.

The village centre has evolved around scattered ancient cottages, many of which are timber-framed. Agriculture and horticulture are important industries, and hops were grown and kiln-dried in the parish until 1974. Crookham was formerly noted for brick making and potteries which produced coarse red ware of the flower-pot-type. A traditional Mummers play is performed outside two of the public houses and on the village green each Boxing Day.

Notes of Interest

The Basingstoke Canal passes through Crookham Village, and a wharf once existed at the historic former Chequers public house, now rebuilt and renamed The Exchequer. Here, timber was loaded and coal unloaded. A picnic area is now at the site, and the towpath provides is used by walkers. Another of the village pubs, the Fox and Hounds, was host to the Fleet Folk club from the 1960s until 2001 when redevelopment work at the pub removed the venue. The club was run independently of the pub management in a separate function room and gained a reputation for featuring high quality musicians in the tiny room, often early appearances by artists later to become famous. The Black Horse is the village's third pub.

One of the old houses to the south-west of the village was formerly King Henry VIII's holiday home, where he stayed during the hunting season to hunt deer (the namesake of the district of Hart).

Twin towns

Crookham Village is twinned with Lévignen, France.^[4][5][6] Groups of families from one town cross the Channel for weekend stays with families from the other, alternating between visiting and hosting each year.

References

1. "Neighbourhood Statistics: Parish Headcounts". Retrieved 2008-02-16.
2. Church Crookham.co.uk. "Church Crookham: A pleasant village in Hampshire, England". Retrieved November 28, 2006.
3. Hampshire Treasures: Volume 3 ( Hart and Rushmoor), Page 32 - Crookham Village
4. Hicks, Charles. "Crookham Village Twinning with Lévignen, France". Crookham Village Parish Council. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
5. Hart District Council's guide to Hart
6. "British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-12.

Further reading

• Rose, B. (2001). Family walks around Fleet, Crookham and Crondall. Fleet: Footmark. ISBN 0-9527363-7-3

External links

• Crookham Village Parish Council
• The Basingstoke Canal
• The Exchequer Public House
• Fleet & Crookham Environment Is Threatened