Manor Farm Country Park

Manor Farm Country Park, formerly Upper Hamble Country Park, runs along the west bank of the River Hamble between the villages of Botley and Bursledon in Hampshire at grid reference SU496111.

The ancient duckpond

The park first opened in 1979. In 1984, the Manor Farm museum was opened. The museum site was once at the heart of the village of Botley^[1]. The ancient duckpond in Manor Farm and the neighbouring St Batholomews Church are mentioned in the Domesday book^[1]. There is evidence of a Roman Road running through the site ^[2], which would have been the route between the Roman settlements at Clausentum and Portchester^[3]

This park is on the site of the former Royal Navy shore establishment named HMS Cricket.

Once decommissioned in 1946, the buildings that were left behind by the Royal Navy were used to house citizens of Southampton that were displaced by bombing during World War II. The site was then known as "The Cricket Camp", until 1952 when it was no longer required for that purpose^[4].

Most of the wartime buildings have been demolished, but Manor Farm Country Park retains a much smaller "Cricket Camp" which is used by Scouts. It is also home to the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Activities Centre.

External links

• Manor Farm Country Park - official site
• Local Heritage Initiative
• QE2 activity centre (click on "useful info" for more on HMS Cricket)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hampshire County Council
2. ^ Ordnance Survey
3. ^ Joyce B Blyth. The changing face of Hedge End
4. ^ Local Heritage Initiative website

Coordinates: 50°53′56″N 1°17′20″W / 50.899°N 1.289°W / 50.899; -1.289