Romsey, Hampshire
| Romsey | |
|---|---|
 Romsey Town Centre |
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 Romsey
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| Romsey shown within Hampshire | |
| Population | 14,768 (2011 Census. parish) |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ROMSEY |
| Postcode district | SO51 |
| Dialling code | 01794 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Romsey Town Council |
Romsey (/ˈrɒmzi/) is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.
It is 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Southampton, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Winchester and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Salisbury. Neighbouring the village of North Baddesley, just over 18,000 people live in Romsey, which has an area of about 1.90 sq mi (4.93 km2).
Romsey is one of the principal towns in the Test Valley Borough and lies on the River Test, which is known for fly fishing, predominantly trout.Romsey Abbey, the largest parish church in Hampshire, dominates the centre of the town.
Romsey was home of the 20th-century soldier and statesman Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the 19th-century British prime minister Lord Palmerston, and the 17th-century philosopher and economist William Petty.
Romsey is twinned with Paimpol in Brittany, France, and Battenberg, Germany.
The name Romsey is believed to have originated from the term Rūm's Eg, meaning "Rūm's area surrounded by marsh". Rūm is probably an abbreviated form of a personal name, like Rūmwald (glorious leader).
The first abbey at Romsey was founded by the Anglo-Saxon King Edward the Elder in 907 for his daughter, Princess Aelflaed, a nun who became the first Abbess of Romsey. King Edgar the Peaceful re-founded the abbey under the Rule of Benedict in 967, appointing as abbess a noblewoman named Merewenna. Merewanna was given charge of King Edgar's step-daughter, Aethelflaed, who later served as abbess herself. Both Merewenna and Aethelflaed are revered as saints.
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