Lover

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Lover
Wiltshire
Lover Sign post - geograph.org.uk - 1709203.jpg
Location
Location: 50°58’47"N, 1°42’7"W
Data
Post town: Salisbury
Postcode: SP5
Dialling code: 01725
Local Government
Council: Wiltshire

Lover (pronounced like Dover) is a small village in Wiltshire, close to the border with Hampshire. It is part of the civil parish of Redlynch and lies about a mile south-east of Redlynch and seven and a half miles south-east of the city of Salisbury. The village is within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park.[1]

The settlement was once called Warminster Green, but by 1876 it was known as Lover, possibly a corruption of Lower Redlynch.[2] Lover consists of three roads that connect together to form a triangle. These are Besomer Drove, School Road and Church Hill. The name Besomer Drove refers to the tradition of broom-making in the area.[3]

Lover has St Mary's church, built in 1837 to serve the Redlynch area.[4] Nearby is Redlynch Village Hall.

A National School was built c. 1839 and rebuilt in 1878; it became Redlynch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.[5][6] After the school closed in 2006 its playing fields were transferred to the parish council. Renamed Lover Green, the area is maintained by the community and is the venue for the annual Lover Country Fayre.[7] In 2016 the school buildings were bought by the community.[8]

The Lover post office used to do much business around Valentine's Day, as the cards were postmarked "Lover".[9] The post office was regarded as a "vital" service for the 100 people a week who used it.[10] The post office was closed on 2 April 2008.[11]

Lover also once had a village store and pub, but both have been closed.[10]

References

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