Downton, Hampshire
| Downton | |
| Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Downton, The Royal Oak | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SZ268932 |
| Location: | 50°44’18"N, 1°37’14"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Lymington |
| Postcode: | SO41 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | New Forest |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
New Forest West |
Downton is a coastal neighbourhood in Hampshire, clustered a crossroads on the A337 road (the Lymington to New Milton road) with a lane to a cattle farm by the cliffs and another, broader lane, within a few hundred metres to the heart of mother parish of Hordle, north. Part of the Green belt, the village's population fluctuates as it has two holiday/static home parks with amenities and some small camp sites.
Lengthened accessway to coast
The part of the cliff and beach known as Taddiford Gap [1] most associated with Downton has become inaccessible directly from Downton due to coastal erosion. A forest path through Shorefield Holiday Park reaches West Road car park, with amenities, from which Hordle Cliff Beach (also known as Milford Beach) can be access, more than five miles of favorable bathing and sunbathing, weather and conditions depending.
History
Downton is first mentioned in the Pipe rolls for 1160 as a 'new place'.[2] The name is first recorded as Dunchinton although more commonly Donketon and Coates states that this is most likely derived from Dunneca's farm or otherwise from *OE dunnocatu-n (farm of hedge sparrows).[3] In 1263 the estate seems to have belonged to Thomas de Orweye although, by 1397, it had expanded to include part of Everton in Milford.[4]
After about 1500, the manor became part of the extensive possessions of the Milles family of Southampton, builders of Hurst Castle. The manor was purchased at end of the 18th century by Sir William Cornwallis (with adjoining manors in Milford) whose heir, Anne Whitby was the grandmother of Colonel William Cornwallis-West.[4] His son George Cornwallis-West went bankrupt around 1920 and the estate was sold. The western part, owned by the Ashley Clinton family, was sold a few years later although the planned large scale development was prevented.
Piecemeal house building followed for the next few decades. Before the 1980s, the A337 road west of Downton made six sharp turns,[5] but the road has since been straightened.
The region has always been one of dispersed settlement although, with its forge and the inn known as The Royal Oak,[4] Downton provided one centre for the provision of services in Hordle. Whilst the inn remains, today the adjacent businesses are car-related. In 2009 permission was granted for gravel extraction on a nearby site, despite opposition from local residents.[6]
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Downton, Hampshire) |
References
- ↑ "Taddiford Gap Beach | Hampshire". https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-west-england/hampshire/taddiford-gap.htm.
- ↑ Pipe Rolls 11 Henry II
- ↑ R. Coates, Place names of Hampshire, 19
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 A History of the County of Hampshire - Volume 5 pp 110-115: Parishes: Hordle (Victoria County History)
- ↑ See the 1940s Ordnance Survey Popular Edition map for an example of the old road layout
- ↑ Group gives up fight to stop gravel pit bid, Southern Daily Echo, 13 December 2009
