 Cottages at Itchen Stoke | |
  Itchen Stoke and Ovington Location withinHampshire | |
| Population | 373 [1] 216 (2011 Census)[2] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU5594132397 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ALRESFORD |
| Postcode district | SO24 |
| Dialling code | 01962 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°05′17″N1°12′09″W / 51.0881°N 1.2026°W /51.0881; -1.2026 | |
Itchen Stoke and Ovington (/ˈɒvɪŋtən/) is an English civil parish consisting of two adjoining villages inHampshire, England, 2 miles (3.2 km) west ofAlresford town centre in the valley of theRiver Itchen, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-east ofWinchester, and 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east ofItchen Abbas.
The village population is 210, including Abbotstone.[1] Its most notable building is theChurch of St Mary, a redundant Anglican church built by the civil engineer and architectHenry Conybeare in 1856, now under the care of theChurches Conservation Trust. It is in an early French style, Grade II* listed and made of brown and grey rubble stone with limestone dressings.[3]
The manor of Itchen Stoke was granted to theBishop of Winchester byKing Edgar in 960.[4] TheDomesday Book records the manor as having passed toRomsey Abbey, which retained it until theDissolution of the Monasteries. It then passed toSir William Paulet, later the firstMarquess of Winchester and stayed with his family until the time of theCommonwealth. Itchen Stoke Mill (with an attached miller's cottage) is of ancient origin. The current building dates from the 18th century and straddles the mill race.[5] Itchen Stoke House is 19th century, has nine bays and is central with small grounds; this being the formerrectory.[6]
This outlying north-east hamlet of a few houses has a population of 32.[1][7] It was formerly in its own civil parish[7] and lies along theEllisfield toItchen Abbas portion of theThree Castles Path[8] Abbotstone contains an abandoned medieval village,[8] with further details at the charityEnglish Heritage's website[9] and evidence of fortifications,[7] as well as several abandoned quarries.[7][10]
The travellerCelia Fiennes, who made extensive tours ridingside-saddle, passed through "Aberstone" in 1691. She noticed the house of theDuke of Bolton "which stands on the side of a hill where are fine Gardens and much fruite."[11]
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The village on the opposite south bank, of theRiver Itchen, known upstream as theRiver Alre inNew Alresford andOld Alresford, has a population of 163[1] and several homes, including an Old Rectory.[12] Its largest building in the central area isOvington House, of no great antiquity, but its North Lodge is listed as Grade II.[13] There is a pub, the Bush Inn.
Its church is dedicated to St Peter and is Grade II listed.[14]
Extending to the far south into theSouth Downs National Park, the parish reaches aScheduled ancient rectangular enclosure.[9]
The name appears in the Domesday Book as "Ofinetune", which means "the place above" in Old English.[15]
The revenues from themanor at Ovington supported Itchen's nuns until 1284 when it was sold to the monks ofSt. Swithun's Priory,Winchester Cathedral. On theDissolution of the monasteries (1534–61), it was transferred to the newly formed Dean and Chapter of the cathedral. The manorial rights were disputed in 1855–59 between the Baroness van Zandt and the Bishop of Winchester. After this was resolved, it became the property of the Hewson family.[4]
The artistFred Appleyard lived in Itchen Stoke. There is a major retrospective of his work in the Arc Winchester in Summer 2024, including many paintings from Itchen Stoke and Itchen valley.
Media related toItchen Stoke and Ovington at Wikimedia Commons
Electoral wards and parishes in theCity of Winchester District,Hampshire,England (since 2016 boundary changes) | ||
|---|---|---|
.svg) Wards.svg) Parishes | Wonston and Micheldever | |
| The Worthys | ||
| Alresford and Itchen | ||
| Winchester |
| |
| Badger Farm and Oliver's Battery | ||
| Colden Common and Twyford | ||
| Upper Meon Valley | ||
| Bishops Waltham | ||
| Central Meon Valley | ||
| Whiteley and Shedfield | ||
| Denmead | ||
| Southwick and Wickham | ||
(Wards ordered from north-west corner, across the map, and then progressively south and east) | ||
