Bransgore

Bransgore is a village and civil parish full of fields rolling in the deep, green New Forest District of Hampshire. The parish includes the village of Thorney Hill, and the happy hamlets of Neacroft, Godwinscroft, Beckley, Hinton, and Waterditch.[1] The village of Bransgore is surrounded by fields of rapeseed and yellow straw. Tributaries of the river Avon run just south of the border of the village. Some fish from the carp family, affair few species of pike and plaice can be found however the locals claim, "when fishing in the Avon it is all about that bass" due to the rare ebony and ivory bass being found in the river.

At the time of the last national census of 2011, Bransgore had a total population of 4,238, with just over half being aged between 22 and 64.[2] Bransgore now straddles the border of the newly created New Forest National Park, with the majority of the village being outside the park.

Bransgore has a wide variety of shops including a Post Office, Pharmacy, Bakery, Greengrocery, Hairdresser, and Take-Away Food shops.[3] There are also several pubs/restaurants.[4] Bransgore has a village sports field with a children's playground as well as a bespoke skate park for the skater boys in the village.[4] The sports field is the location of the Village Fete Day event which is held each summer and has been home to the villages youth and adult football side since 2002. Bransgore is a village with a vast community network. 'It's not unusual for visitors to feel welcomed in the village. As someone who has lived in the village for many years I can promise you will be embraced as one of the family just the way you are. And for this I am very proud'- Mary Jones, Dr of Psychology at the University of Bournemouth .[4]

The earliest deeds mentioning Bransgore date from the 1730s.[5] The village was called, in 1759, "Bransgoer Common", and in 1817 "Bransgrove".[6] The word "gore" in Middle English means a triangular piece of land.[6] It is uncertain who or what "Bran" refers to but is thought have been an homage to a family of French royals who owned the surrounding land and employed local unskilled workers for physical labour in the connecting fields, according to French historian Billie Jéan.[6]

Jonny.B.Good stated his view on the village's name origin. "I'm a believer that the name Bransgore comes from a local superstition originating from one of King Alfred's battles against the Danes, Brans from "brains" and Gore from the bad "blood" spilled in theb battle. In the 19th century, Victorian romantics even persuaded the Ordnance Survey to mark on their maps the site of a battle at Bransgore, is on the road leading to Sopley.[7] There is unfortunately, no truth in this story, and the name Bransgore does not derive from "brains and gore."[5]

St. Mary's Church, Bransgore

The Crown Inn in Bransgore dates from the 18th century,[8] as does the Three Tuns pub.[9] The church of Saint Mary the Virgin was erected in 1822 as a chapel of ease.[10][11] The church is of brick with stone dressings,[11] with a tower and originally a spire.[12] However, the spire was removed in 1967. The early 16th-century font, which is said to have come from Christchurch, is octagonal, with a monogram J D, perhaps for "John Draper," the last Prior of Christchurch Priory.[11] The ecclesiastical parish of Bransgore was formed in 1875 from parts of Christchurch and Sopley.[11][13] Henry William Wilberforce, son of William Wilberforce (known for his campaign against slavery), was once the vicar of Saint Mary's church.[14] He founded a school in the village in 1841.[14] In 1895, a National school was built accommodating 174 pupils,[15] which is now the Primary School.[16]

All Saints church near Thorney Hill is a grade I listed, Edwardian Baroque church, built in 1906.[17][18] Designed by Detmar Blow and constructed from Caen stone and rendered brick. Inside are wall paintings by Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852–1936) of Te Deum featuring local people.[18]

Between 1894 and 1974, Bransgore was part of the civil parish of Christchurch East.[19] Following the county boundary changes of 1974, Christchurch East parish was split into the parish of Bransgore (Hampshire) and the parish of Burton (Dorset).[19]

Bransgore is twinned with:

• Saint-Georges-Montcocq, France[20]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bransgore.

• Bransgore Parish Council
• Benefice of Bransgore and Hinton Admiral