Horndean

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name = Horndean
latitude = 50.91363
longitude = -0.99612
civil_parish = Horndean
population = 12,639
shire_district = East Hampshire
shire_county = Hampshire
region = South East England
constituency_westminster= East Hampshire
post_town = WATERLOOVILLE
postcode_district = PO8
postcode_area = PO
dial_code = 023
os_grid_reference = SU706131

Horndean is a village and civil parish in in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.3 miles (7km) north of Havant.

The nearest railway station is 2.2 miles (3.5km) southeast of the village at Rowlands Castle.

The village has a population of c.12,600.cite web |url= http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=795050&c=Horndean&d=16&e=15&g=449941&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1205336626982&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |title=Parish Headcounts, Area: Horndean CP|date=2001 |accessdate=2008-03-12 |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics ] It shares the semi-rural character of other settlements in the district.

The village was probably best-known as the home of Gales Brewery, which existed in the village from 1850. Privately owned until November 2005, when it was bought by Fuller, Smith and Turner, it was closed in April 2006. It was the largest local employer until the opening of the Safeway, now Morrisons, supermarket in 1994.

History

Horndean grew up in the early Middle Ages due to its convenient position as a staging post on the road from Portsmouth to London (now the A3). In the early 19th century it became home to the Hon. Sir Charles Napier Senior, father to the more famous Sir Charles Napier, whose house, Merchistoun Hall (named after his former home in Falkirk, Scotland), is now a Grade II listed building and serves as the village's major community centre. Horndean was bypassed by main line railways but was served by trams of the Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway until 1935 and thereafter by buses.

A three-storey workhouse was built during Victorian times to home the local poor. This stood on a site opposite the Good Intent public house (currently named The Colonial). This building had served a number of purposes including a local swimming pool. This was its primary function during the 1970s, provided by the use of a large polythene lined 'tank' on its ground floor. Using the pool was a fairly unpleasant experience by todays standards due to its small size, lack of poolside space and most of all - daylight. The first and second floors were used in latter years as a small lampshade factory. Defunct and dangerous, the entire building was demolished in spring 1982.

The village experienced significant expansion in the 20th century, particularly with the building of the Hazleton estate on the former grounds of Merchistoun Hall in the early 1960s, and the building of the A3(M) motorway in the 1970s, which passes under a bridge adjacent to the village centre. The easy access to the motorway has encouraged an influx of light industry to the village, most of it concentrated in three major estates, the most recent of which is Hazelton Interchange, built in the early 1990s.

Meaning of name

The name Horndean means "valley by a horn-shaped hill". Alternatively "Harne" is the old english word for Dormouse making it "valley of the Dormouse". Dean refers to the old English word "denu" meaning valley. [cite web |url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/ |title=Institute for Name Studies |publisher=Institute for Name Studies |accessdate=2006-10-09]

Community

Horndean's major community centres are Merchistoun Hall and Barton Hall, Horndean Technology College. There is also a popular youth centre, RKdia. Other venues include Napier Hall, which was partially rebuilt in 2004, and the Jubilee Hall, opened in 2002 but as yet underused. The "de facto" parish church is All Saints in neighbouring Catherington.

The surrounding villages are Catherington, Cowplain, Blendworth, Rowlands Castle and Clanfield.

Twinning

The village of Horndean has been 'twinned' with the town of Aubergenville in France since 1998. various activities and exchange visits are organised by the [http://www.horndean.net/twinning Horndean Parish Twinning Association] .

Politics

Horndean is in the East Hampshire constituency for elections to the House of Commons and the South East England constituency for elections to the European Parliament.

Papers

The local newspapers and publications are
* [http://www.horndean-clanfield-thevillagenews.net The Village News] (Free)
* Meon Valley News (Free)
* Petersfield Herald
* [http://www.portsmouth.co.uk The News]

References

* [http://www3.hants.gov.uk/localpages/south-east/waterlooville/horndean.htm Horndean on web pages of Hampshire County Council]

External links

* [http://www.horndean.net/ Horndean.net: Community Website for Horndean]
* [http://www.horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk/ Horndean Parish Council]
* [http://www.hampshire.gov.uk Hampshire County Council]
* [http://www.easthants.gov.uk/ East Hampshire District Council]
* [http://www.horndeantc.hants.sch.uk/ Horndean Technology College]