Weyhill

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Weyhill
Village
Weyhill Church - geograph.org.uk - 158807.jpg
Weyhill Church
Weyhill is located in Hampshire
Weyhill
Weyhill
Location within Hampshire
Population794 [1]
OS grid referenceSU3146
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAndover
Postcode districtSP11
Dialling code01264
PoliceHampshire
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
  • North West Hampshire
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
51°13′01″N 1°32′46″W / 51.217°N 1.546°W / 51.217; -1.546Coordinates: 51°13′01″N 1°32′46″W / 51.217°N 1.546°W / 51.217; -1.546

Weyhill is a village, 2.5 miles (3.8 km) west of Andover, Hampshire. It sits within the civil parish of Penton Grafton, which includes the village of the same name. The village is famous for having a medieval fair and then later a livestock fair, with up to 100,000 sheep a day being auctioned.[2][3][4] The fair owed its existence to Weyhill being positioned on 8 ancient trackways, including the Harrow Way.

History[]

The Church of St Michael and all the Angels dates back in part to the Norman period, with a 16th-century nave. It is on the site of an earlier Saxon church, itself possibly a successor to a heathen temple in Roman times, being close to the Roman road. It is a Grade II* listed building[5]

The fair has been held on the site since the 11th century, with the first written records from 1225.[2][6] By the mid-19th century the fair had stopped attracting large crowds, as communications and business changed, reducing the variety of items for sale. The last fair happened in 1957.[3][4] The parish council bought the fairground after it fell into disrepair and converted it into small independent craft studios and shops in 2005.[4]

Communications[]

Weyhill railway station was opened on 1 May 1882, by The Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway, and closed on 11 September 1961.[7] The village is just north of the A303 dual carriageway. The A342 Andover to Devizes road runs through the town.

Attractions[]

Nearby attractions are Thruxton aerodrome and motor racing circuit to the west and the Hawk Conservancy Trust just south of the A303.

Popular Culture[]

The historic Weyhill fairground was the site used by Thomas Hardy in his book The Mayor of Casterbridge where Michael Henchard sells his wife. Hardy called it Weydon Priors.[2]

Gallery[]

  • The Weyhill Fair pub

  • The Weyhill fairground

  • St Michael & All Angels Church

  • War Memorial gate, entrance to Church

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ 2011 Census - Key Statistics
  2. ^ a b c "Weyhill Fair". Hampshire History. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b "History of the Weyhill Fair". The Somborne & District Society. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Fairground". Penton Grafton Parish Council. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Michael and all the Angels (1229819)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Penton Gradton, Hampshire". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  7. ^ Aerial photo of station site


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