Hermitage, Berkshire

Hermitage

Garden Centre
Hermitage
Hermitage shown within Berkshire
Area 6.36 km2 (2.46 sq mi)
Population 1,943 (2011 census)[1]
• Density 306/km2 (790/sq mi)
Civil parish
  • Hermitage
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWBURY
Postcode district RG18
Dialling code 01635
Police Thames Valley
Fire Royal Berkshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England

Hermitage is a village and civil parish, near to Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire. The civil parish is made up of a number of settlements: Hermitage village, Little Hungerford and Wellhouse.

Location

The village is focussed residentially on the B4009, 5 miles (8.0 km) north east of Newbury in the heart of the North Wessex Downs, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is thus surrounded by protected woodlands and undulating fields providing a few elevated viewpoints.

Transport

Roads

Access to the M4 is within 5 miles (and it also passes through the edge of the parish), which links Wales to London, and the A34 passes through the edge of the parish, a main transport artery from the north to the south of the United Kingdom.

Public transport

From 1882 until the 1960s the village had a minor halt station. The station was erected by the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway, also the name of its line. As of 18 February 2013, Hermitage is served by buses 6 and 6A from Newbury.[2]

Amenities

It has a general store and post office, a church (Holy Trinity) and two public houses (The Fox and The White Horse of Hermitage). There is a large garden centre with a cafe, bonsai shop, pool & spa concession and lawnmower centre. The village primary school feeds into the Downs School. The area is predominantly agricultural and the main local employers are the village school, village pre-school, the garden centre and a small light industrial unit housing several small businesses. In addition, there is the Royal School of Military Survey at Denison Barracks housing a small garrison of troops and their families. However, though generally referred to as being in Hermitage, it is actually just across the border in the Curridge area of Chieveley parish.

History

On Oare Common are two curvilinear ditched enclosures which are probably of prehistoric date, although it has also been suggests that they may represent a motte and bailey castle. The hill fort of Grimsbury Castle is in Grimsbury Wood. A folly stands at its centre. A 2nd and 3rd century Roman villa of some pretensions was discovered at Wellhouse in Victorian times. Between 1917 and 1918 D. H. Lawrence lived in Hermitage.[3]

Housing expansion

Three early 21st century housing areas were completed in the north and south. These include Forest Edge and Hermitage Green.

Demography

2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership and extracts from Physical Environment, surveyed in 2005[1]
Output areaHomes owned outrightOwned with a loanSocially rentedPrivately rentedOtherUsual residentskm²
Civil parish192312661041619436.36

References

  1. 1 2 Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005
  2. ↑ http://www.newburyanddistrict.co.uk/pdf/jan13/connect-service-6-and-6A-%28effective-from-18-Feb-2013%29.pdf
  3. ↑ Online exhibitions - The University of Nottingham. Nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
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