Romsey

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Map sources for Romsey at grid reference SU3521

Romsey is a small market town, in the county of Hampshire, England.

It is 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Southampton and 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Winchester. Just over 13,000 people live in Romsey, which has an area of about 4.93 square kilometres.

Romsey lies on the River Test, which is famous for trout fishing. It is one of the principal towns in the Test Valley Borough. A large Norman abbey dominates the centre of the town.

Romsey was home of the late Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the 19th century British prime minister Lord Palmerston, and the 17th century philosopher and economist William Petty.

Romsey's MP has been Sandra Gidley of the Liberal Democrats since a by-election in 2000 after the previous Conservative MP Michael Colvin died with his wife in a house fire. Gidley's majority was cut to 125 votes in the 2005 General Election, partly because the Countryside Alliance targetted her as she opposes fox hunting.

Romsey is twinned with Paimpol in Brittany, France and Battenberg, Germany.

1 History
- 1.1 Middle Ages to The Civil War
- 1.2 The 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
2 Mills and milling
3 Miscellaneous
4 Yearly and Other Events
5 Education
6 External links

[edit] History

Arms of Romsey Town Council

Romsey town centre

[edit] Middle Ages to The Civil War

The name Romsey is believed to have originated from the term Rūm's Eg, meaning "Rūm's area surrounded by marsh". Rūm is probably an abbreviated form of a personal name, like Rūmwald (glorious leader).

What was to become Romsey Abbey was founded in 907 AD. Nuns, led by Elflaeda daughter of Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, founded a community — at his direction — in what was then a small village. Later, King Edgar refounded the nunnery, circa 960 AD, as a Benedictine house under the rule of St. Ethelflaeda whose devotional acts included chanting psalms while standing naked in the cold water of the River Test.

The village swelled alongside the religious community. Viking raiders sacked Romsey in 993 AD, burning the down the church. But the village recovered, and the abbey was rebuilt in stone in circa 1000 AD. The religious community flourished as a seat of learning — especially for the children of the nobility. A market was established outside the abbey gates.

The Normans built the large current abbey that dominates the town (between circa 1120 and 1140 AD) on the site of the original Saxon church. By 1240 AD, 100 nuns lived in the convent.

King Henry I granted Romsey its first charter. This allowed a market to be held every Sunday, and a four-day annual fair in May. In the 13th century, Henry III permitted an additional fair in October.

The lucrative woollen industry appears to have powered Romsey's growth during the Middle Ages. Wool was woven and then fulled — pounded with wooden hammers whilst being washed. It was dyed, and then exported from nearby Southampton.

Romsey continued to grow and prosper until plague struck the town in 1348-9. The Black Death is thought to have killed up to half of the Romsey's population of 1000. The number of nuns fell as low as 19. Prosperity never returned to the abbey. It was finally suppressed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. Many religious buildings were destroyed during this time.

But the abbey was saved from demolition because part of it was a parish church for the people of Romsey. The town purchased the abbey from the Crown for £100 in 1544. Ironically, the part of the abbey that had saved the abbey, the church of St Lawrence, was then demolished.

By the mid-16th century Romsey's population was about 1,500; its woollen and tanning industries fuelled growth. In 1607 the town was granted a charter making it a borough.

Romsey changed hands several times during the English Civil War. Both Royalist and Parliamentary or Roundhead troops occupied and plundered the town. Royalists remained in control of the borough until January 1645.

[edit] The 18th, 19th and 20th centuries

The town's woollen industry survived until the middle of the 18th century, but was beaten by competition from the north of England. But new fast-growing enterprises soon filled the gap with brewing, papermaking and sackmaking — all reliant upon the abundant waters of the Test.

By 1794 a canal connected Romsey to Redbridge — at the mouth of the River Test — and Andover. Industry continued to grow. Romsey was a reasonably large town for the early 19th century: its population was 4,274 in the first census of 1801 — compared with just 8,000 for Southampton.

But expansion slowed, despite the railway arriving in 1847. In 1851 Romsey's population was 5,654 and was almost the same half a century later (5,597 in the 1901 census).

Lord Palmerston, the 19th century British Prime Minister was born and lived at Broadlands, a large country estate on the outskirts of the town. His statue stands in the Market Place outside the Town Hall.

Romsey was famous for making collapsible boats during the 19th and early 20th centuries, invented by the Rev. Edward Lyon Berthon in 1851. The Berthon Boatyard in Romsey made the boats from 1870 until 1917. They were used as lifeboats on ocean-going liners, including the Titanic.

Broadlands later became the home of Lord Mountbatten of Burma, known locally as "Lord Louis". He was buried in Romsey Abbey after being killed in an IRA bomb explosion in Ireland on 27 August 1979. In 1947, Mountbatten was given his earldom and the lesser title "Baron Romsey, of Romsey in the County of Southampton".

After Lord Mountbatten of Burma died, his titles passed to his elder daughter, Lady Brabourne, who thus became Lady Mountbatten of Burma. Her eldest son is now styled by the courtesy title "Lord Romsey".

The Prince and Princess of Wales spent the first night of their honeymoon at Broadlands

[edit] Mills and milling

Sadler's Mill

Watermills have played an important part in Romsey's history as an industrial town. The Domesday Book of 1086 provides the earliest record of watermills in Romsey, which identifies three (possibly four) mills.

Sadler's Mill is probably the best known of Romsey's surviving mills and is apparently the only mill to be developed on the main course of the River Test. The existence of Sadler's Mill is first recorded in the 16th century, when it was owned by the manor of Great and Little Spursholt. Functioning as a corn and grist mill, it has passed through a succession of owners including Lord Palmerston who rebuilt it in 1747 and sold it in 1777 to one Benjamin Dawkins. Following another succession of owners it returned to the Broadlands estate in 1889. Milling ceased in 1932, when the mill building became redundant. The Broadlands estate sold the building in 2003, at which point it was close to collapse having been derelict for many years. The new owners, Anthony and Sarah de Sigley, restored the building in 2005, rebuilding much of the original structure. During the restoration evidence of an earlier structure was found; carbon 14 dating established the age of this to be circa 1650.

[edit] Miscellaneous

King John's House & Tudor Cottage was allegedly a hunting lodge used by King John of England whilst hunting in the New Forest. However the exisiting building dates from much later. It does contain a number of extremely unusual and exciting historical features - including medieval wall decorations and graffitti as well as a floor made of animal bones.

The body of King William II "Rufus" was carried through Bell Street in Romsey on its way to Winchester, after he had been killed whilst hunting in the New Forest.

The town's memorial park contains a Japanese World War II artillery gun, one of a pair captured by the British and brought back to Romsey by Lord Mountbatten of Burma. One was donated to the town by Lord Mountbatten and the other was retained in the grounds of his country estate, Broadlands.

The town contains a swimming pool, the Romsey Rapids.

In the 1980/90s, Romsey was used as the location of 'Kingsmarkham' in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. Filmed by Meridian TV, numerous Romsey locations appear throughout the series concerning Inspector Wexford played by George Baker

It has a railway station with most services between Portsmouth and Bristol. Of note, a new service which runs to Eastleigh and then down to Southampton started in 2004 and also serves Chandler's Ford. This line attracted many complaints from local residents and is currently threatened with closure.

[edit] Yearly and Other Events

The Mayor's Picnic takes place in early-mid summer and is held in Romsey's Memorial Park. There is music performed by local schools, a variety of stalls, and the popular Duck Race, in which numbered plastic ducks 'race' each other along the river Test, to be scrupulously retrieved before awarding a prize to whoever chose the winning duck.

The Beggars Fair is held in the streets and pubs of Romsey on the 2nd Saturday in July. It is a free festival featuring all types of music, together with dance and other street entertainment.

Romsey Carnival week takes place during a week in July with the highlight being the procession through the streets of Romsey on the final Saturday evening.

The Romsey Show is a large agricultural show which takes place every September at Broadlands.

The Winter Carnival takes places each year when Romsey's Christmas lights are switched on.

Shortly afterwards, on a Friday evening in December, to the delight of local children, Santa Claus appears on the rooftops, to be rescued by the local fire brigade, who bring a vintage fire-engine to the event. This marks the beginning of Romsey's Christmas late night shopping.

The Romsey Arts Festival occurs every 3 years, showcasing talent from local area. The next festival is due in 2008.