Hampstead Norreys
| Hampstead Norreys | |
|---|---|
 Church Road (part of the B4009) in the east |
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 Hampstead Norreys
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| Hampstead Norreys shown within Berkshire | |
| Area | 17.03 km2 (6.58 sq mi) |
| Population | 832 (2011 census) |
| • Density | 49/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU528763 |
| Civil parish |
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| 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 |
| UK Parliament | |
Hampstead Norreys (alternatively spelt Hampstead Norris as it is pronounced) is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is centred on the small tributary the River Pang, north of Newbury.
Hampstead Norreys was awarded Berkshire's best-kept village in 1979.
As well as the nucleus of Hampstead Norreys, the parish includes the hamlets or localities of Bothampstead, Eling and Wyld Court. Hampstead Norreys has a large recreational field, Dean Meadow, that is used for fetes and parties and by the village football and cricket teams. The school also uses the field for activities.
Wyld Court is home to The Living Rainforest, an indoor glass house tropical rainforest with plants, animals and butterflies. It is an ecological centre, an educational centre and a visitor attraction.
The village was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hanstede. The village is noted for its Norman parish church and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in the nearby woods.
The village was close to the wartime airfield of RAF Hampstead Norris, an RAF Bomber Command Operational Training Unit (OTU) station. The airfield was host to a small number of squadrons of Wellington bombers. The site was bombed on 16 September 1940 by the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. In 1945, the station was used by squadrons of Mosquito fighter bombers and became an ammunition storage depot as part of the Bramley Central Ammunition Depot near Basingstoke after its closure in 1946. Little of the wartime station now remains. There are four remaining pillboxes around where the airfield was and a few air raid shelters in the woods. Part of the bomb storage site remains also.
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Wikipedia