39-648: Fair Oak is a large village to the east of the town of Eastleigh in Hampshire , England. Together with the village of Horton Heath , which lies to the south, it is part of the civil parish of Fair Oak and Horton Heath . Fair Oak takes its name from a tree in the Square which was felled and replaced in February 1843. A fair took place under the tree in June every year until 1918, and local historians believe this provided
78-555: A Mr Kipling bakery. Eastleigh is also home to a manufacturing plant owned by Prysmian Cables & Systems. Southampton Airport is located in Eastleigh; it is the 20th largest airport in the UK. The airport is served by a dedicated main line railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway , which is the next station stop south (5 minutes) from Eastleigh. The airport codes are ( IATA : SOU , ICAO : EGHI ). Eastleigh railway station
117-736: A naval air station on 23 July 1918 to assemble and repair Caproni Ca.5 and Airco DH.4 and DH.9 bombers for the Northern Bombing Group of the First World War. The base closed shortly after the First Armistice at Compiègne . Perhaps Eastleigh's best-known 'resident' is the Spitfire aeroplane which was built in Southampton and first flown from Eastleigh Aerodrome . A replica has recently been placed on
156-639: A majority of 1,771 votes following the resignation of Chris Huhne , in a by-election that was closely fought with UKIP coming in second and the Conservatives finishing in third place. In 2005 Huhne had been elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for the Eastleigh constituency after the previous MP ( David Chidgey , also Liberal Democrat) retired. Eastleigh has a tradition of close contests, and Huhne narrowly beat
195-407: A milkman for Hanns Dairies, on Factory Road, now Wells Place. His time working in Eastleigh on a horse-drawn milk float gave him his inspiration for his hit record, Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West . In Hill's honour, a plaque has been put up close to the site of the now demolished Hanns Dairies building and a new road has been named Benny Hill Close , though many of the people who had bought
234-478: A more detailed account of the settlement, which is referred to as 'Estleie'. In 1838 the London and South Western Railway Company (L&SWR) built a railway from Southampton to Winchester. It was decided to build a station near the little village of Barton. This railway station was originally named Bishopstoke Junction. In 1868 the villages of Barton and Eastley were combined into one parish. A parish church,
273-563: Is twinned with: It has a "sister city" relationship with: The friendship link with Kimry in Russia was suspended due to Russian invasion of Ukraine . Forest of Bere The Forest of Bere is a mixed-use partially forested area in Hampshire immediately north of Fareham , Portsmouth and Roman Road, Havant and including a small part of the South Downs National Park . The former uninterrupted forest
312-514: Is a town in Hampshire , England, between Southampton and Winchester . It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh , with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen , one of England's premier chalk streams for fly fishing , and a designated site of Special Scientific Interest . The area was originally villages until
351-474: Is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'a clearing in a forest'). There is additional evidence of this settlement in a survey from the time which details land in North Stoneham being granted by King Æthelstan to his military aid, Alfred in 932 AD. The prefix 'Est' or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of Baddesley . The Domesday Book of 1086 gives
390-413: Is home to two scout groups, the 7th and 8th Eastleigh. Fair Oak has a village hall and four pubs: 'The Old George', 'The Cricketers', 'The New Clock Inn', and 'The Fox and Hounds'. There are three schools: infant, junior, and a secondary school, Wyvern College , which has a public gym. There is also an independent Christian school, The King's School Senior . In 2017 Fair Oak Junior School represented
429-449: Is located close to the junction between the M3 motorway and M27 motorway , giving easy road access to London, Southampton, Winchester, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. The Swan Shopping Centre opened in 1989, and was built in the heart of the town's Victorian 'grid iron' road layout and blocked off Market Street and High Street – although through access was possible for pedestrians while the centre
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#1732798278124468-502: Is now a mix of woodland, open space, ponds, streams, heathland , farmland and downland interspersed by minor villages and the major settlements of Waterlooville (with Cowplain ) and Eastleigh (with Chandlers Ford ). There are a number of paths and bridleways for walking and cycling. In the southern portion, towards the area south of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park , conifer plantations were created in
507-634: Is on the South West Main Line from London Waterloo and Winchester to Southampton Central , Bournemouth , Poole and Weymouth ; South Western Railway provides services to those places. Eastleigh is also the junction station for two other routes: the Eastleigh–Fareham line and the Eastleigh–Romsey line . Eastleigh has bus services provided mostly by Bluestar , with Stagecoach operating one service to Winchester. Eastleigh
546-591: Is represented in the House of Commons by Liberal Democrat MP Liz Jarvis . She was elected in 2024. The previous MP was Paul Holmes . He was first elected for the constituency at the 2019 general election with a majority of 9,147 votes, taking over from Mims Davies , the Conservative MP who took the seat in 2015. Mike Thornton of the Liberal Democrats was elected at the 2013 by-election with
585-700: Is the secondary school for the town, and primary schools include Cherbourg Primary School, Norwood Primary School, Nightingale Primary School, the Crescent Primary School and Shakespeare Infant and Junior Schools to the north of the town. The Anglican parish church is All Saints in Desborough Road. The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross was built in Leigh Road in 1902 to replace an early tin church. Emmanuel Baptist Church
624-593: The London 2 South West . Also based at the Hub are "the Hurricanes", a team for young adults with learning difficulties. There is a broadly based running club. Eastleigh Swim Club provides swimming lessons, pool and land training sessions and competitions for young people and adults. The club is primarily based at Places Leisure, Eastleigh and also provides lessons and training at Oaklands Pool in Southampton. Eastleigh
663-467: The 16th century, Fair Oak Lodge is in Allington Lane and was extended in the 19th century. The building now houses The King's School , which purchased the property in 1987. Wyvern Community School was opened in 1965 and was renamed Wyvern Technology College in 2000. Then in 2012 the name was changed again to Wyvern College as a result of the school's conversion to an academy. The uniform crest
702-580: The 19th century, when Eastleigh was developed as a railway town by the London and South Western Railway . The modern town of Eastleigh lies on the old Roman road, built in A.D.79 between Winchester ( Venta Belgarum ) and Bitterne ( Clausentum ) . Roman remains discovered in the Eastleigh area, including a Roman lead coffin excavated in 1908, indicate that a settlement probably existed here in Roman times. A Saxon village called 'East Leah' has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. ('Leah'
741-697: The 2015–16 season. They are coached by Matt Guymon and play home games at the Fleming Park Leisure Centre . Eastleigh Ladies Hockey Club is based in South Hampshire. It fields 2 teams in the Hampshire Women's League (playing Saturdays), as well as playing floodlit and indoor league games (playing on weekdays). Eastleigh Rugby Football Club play from "the Hub" in Eastleigh. They currently have four senior sides, colts and young player development, their 1st XV currently play in
780-635: The Church of the Resurrection, was built in the same year, at a cost of £2,300. A local noted author of many novels, Charlotte Yonge , donated £500 towards the building of the church. She was rewarded by being given the privilege to choose a name for the 'new' parish; either Barton or Eastly. She chose Eastly, but with a new modern spelling; Eastleigh. In 1891 the L&;SWR Carriage and Wagon Works from Nine Elms in London were transferred to Eastleigh. This
819-657: The Conservative candidate Conor Burns with the second lowest swing against the Liberal Democrats of any seat with a retiring MP (2.6%). David Chidgey had succeeded the Conservative MP Stephen Milligan following his high-profile death. Chris Huhne was appointed as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change following the 2010 general election . Huhne resigned the seat in February 2013 after pleading guilty to perverting
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#1732798278124858-699: The Fair Oak Cricket Club. The home ground is Lapstone Park, at the end of Pavilion Close in Fair Oak. The first team are the only team from Eastleigh Borough to play in the Southern Premier League. FOCC's third and fourth teams do not play in Fair Oak itself, but the club homes all four sides at Lapstone Park for training and events. The club was established in 1947. Fair Oak is the boyhood home of 1979 500cc motocross world champion, Graham Noyce . Eastleigh Eastleigh
897-890: The Pavilion on the Park. Eastleigh F.C. is the town's sole senior football team playing in the National League as well as entering the FA Cup and the FA Trophy. They are known as The Spitfires. Solent Kestrels are the town and area's basketball club, and compete in the English Basketball League Division 1, the second highest level of the sport in the country, behind the nationwide British Basketball League . The team were promoted to Division 1 in 2016, after finishing as champions of Division 2 in
936-635: The South of England in football. In 2020, Hampshire County Council announced plans to close Fair Oak library. Stoke Park Wood to the north-west of the village (a remnant of the Forest of Bere ) lies partly in Fair Oak and partly in the neighbouring parish of Bishopstoke. With many bridleways running between the two villages via the woods, it is possible to walk from one village to another without setting foot on any other public highway. The woods cover some 207 hectares (510 acres) and are primarily of evergreen trees;
975-603: The area as an SSSI ensuring its protection from the proposed development projects. In 2015 a group of local volunteers saved 250 trees from destruction by transplanting them from Stokewood Park to Knowle Lane. Fair Oak lies on the London Clay deposits of the Hampshire Basin , to the northern edge of a small syncline separated from the main basin by the Portsdown anticline . The London Clay in this area, towards
1014-572: The centre of Fair Oak itself, where St Thomas' Church had a number of houses grouped around it. An inn , smithy , and church schools were nearby, and some cottages adjoined the road to Knowle Hill . Horton Heath was included in the civil parish and at that time, consisting of a post office, the Rising Sun Inn, Hammerley Farm and a Union Chapel, was considered "a detached portion of Fair Oak village". A number of country houses were sited around Fair Oak village. These included Fair Oak Park to
1053-454: The course of justice over a 2003 speeding case. Eastleigh Borough Council currently has 34 Liberal Democrats, 3 independent and 2 Conservative Councillors. On 1 April 2021 the town of Eastleigh became a civil parish, having previously been an unparished area within the borough. The B&Q head office is on Chestnut Avenue in Chandler's Ford , Eastleigh. The town was formerly home to
1092-407: The east, whose grounds covered about 120 acres (49 ha). To the northeast stood Stroudwood, while southwest of the village was Fair Oak Lodge , whose estate again covered about 120 acres (49 ha) and contained a lake known as Quobleigh Pond, which itself covered an area of about 7 acres (2.8 ha) and was noted for supporting a variety of water fowl species. Originally a convent dating from
1131-454: The new homes were not happy with the decision. An alternative suggestion was Cowpat Lane. Sir Arthur Young , the eminent chief of police , was born at 55 Chamberlayne Road in 1907. Sporting notables include Tommy Green who won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Games in the 50K walk, and Vince Hawkins who was British Middleweight Boxing Champion in the late 1940s. Other notable residents of Eastleigh include: Eastleigh
1170-525: The north to Horton Heath on the south. From Crowdhill, part of which is in Fair Oak, a fine view can be gained of the surrounding country, the Itchen valley stretching away to the south-west towards the Solent, and the chalk downs which lie round Winchester sweeping away to the north. At this point Crowdhill consisted of a Wesleyan chapel and approximately three houses, with Stocks Farm lying between Crowdhill and
1209-548: The roundabout at the entrance to the airport. Eastleigh Museum, which is to be found in the High Street, holds information about the town and the surrounding villages, including Bishopstoke which had been the largest residential area . Eastleigh has two further education colleges: Barton Peveril Sixth Form College (where Colin Firth was a pupil) and Eastleigh College (both on the same road). Crestwood Community School
Fair Oak - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-574: The sandy soil and long grass is home to wildlife including dormice, grey squirrels, pine martens, deer and adders. This forest is the biggest in Eastleigh and several watercourses run through it. Popular sites include the Eastleigh Falls, a semi-natural rapidly flowing chalk stream which supports a variety of locally rare plant and animal species. The site has been recognised as important habitat for Northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus). There are ongoing efforts by local activists to classify
1287-616: The top of the sequence, is fairly sandy and includes lenticular sand deposits. The sand pits on the east of the village are in the Whitecliff Sand. At Knowle Hill and south towards Horton Heath the London Clay is overlain by the clays and sands of Wittering Formation of the Bracklesham Group , with a small outlier capping Pylehill to the north. Fair Oak is the location of one of Hampshire's biggest cricket clubs,
1326-477: The tree, and subsequently the village around it, with its name. Documentary evidence exists of a settlement in the area called Cnolgette in 901 AD. The village has a history of sand quarrying, with some of the newer parts built over old restored quarries. In November 1830, during the Swing Riots , a group of labourers destroyed threshing machines in and around the village. The central church of St Thomas
1365-459: Was also changed slightly to a golden dragon. The name of the parish was changed in 1983 from "Fair Oak" to "Fair Oak and Horton Heath" to reflect the expansion of the latter settlement over the previous two decades. The church, St.Thomas has been designated a beacon church for the Winchester diocese . The village has also been the location for Christian outreach programmes in recent years. It
1404-530: Was followed by the Nine Elms Locomotive Works which were moved there in 1909. These railway works were closed in 2006 but have since reopened, albeit on a smaller scale. Eastleigh has seen a rapid and controlled expansion in residential, industrial and commercial development over recent years. The borough of Eastleigh was ranked the "9th best place to live in the UK 2006" by a Channel 4 programme. The United States Navy established
1443-700: Was founded in the early 1930s, in the former Desborough Mission Hall in Desborough Road. The building dates to 1905. Eastleigh Baptist Church is situated in Wells Place and was previously called Union Baptist Church. Adjacent to the main church building is the Wells Place Centre, built on the site of a former dairy which itself replaced a bacon factory. St Andrew's Methodist Church is located in Blenheim Road. Junction Church has premises in Eastleigh's High Street and Thrive Church meets at
1482-524: Was open. The Swan Centre included a French-style café and a new library (replacing the former library situated in the Park, now used as part of The Point ) Famous people linked to Eastleigh include the painter Mary Beale, Chrystabel Leighton-Porter , the model for the Second World War cartoon character Jane , and Benny Hill who both lived in the town. Hill's first job was at Woolworths on Leigh Road, Eastleigh. He then moved on to be
1521-492: Was originally built in 1863 to serve as a chapel of ease for Fair Oak cemetery. At this time the village was part of the parish of Bishopstoke with its church of St Mary. Fair Oak was established as a civil parish in its own right in 1894, covering an area of 1,680 acres (680 ha) which previously formed the eastern end of Bishopstoke parish. In 1908, Fair Oak was described thus: The village of Fair Oak consists of widely scattered houses and farms reaching from Crowdhill on
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