Whitsbury
| Whitsbury | |
|---|---|
 Whitsbury |
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 Whitsbury
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| Whitsbury shown within Hampshire | |
| Population | 185 210 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SU128189 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FORDINGBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | SP6 |
| Dialling code | 01725 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Whitsbury is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, close to Fordingbridge. Whitsbury is part of the group of villages on the edge of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The village of Whitsbury consists of a straggling village street with timbered and thatched houses. The parish was originally in Wiltshire, but was transferred to Hampshire in 1895. There are several tumuli on Whitsbury Down and an Iron Age hillfort, known as Whitsbury Castle, overlooks the village. The land rises generally from south to north, reaching a height of 120 metres at Whitsbury Castle. Whitsbury Wood and Whitsbury Common are to the east and south of the village. The Church of Saint Leonard, built in the 14th century, was altered and restored in the late 19th century.
The only inn in the village is the Cartwheel Inn. There used to be a shop, a small post office, and a village school, located just to the south of Major's Farm, the school was demolished during the 1950s and no sign of it now remains. The main employment is based upon the very successful equine and agricultural industry, comprising 4 major yards of racing stables, stud and dairy. Consequently, the people-intense nature of these businesses has allowed Whitsbury to retain a charm that has been lost in many other villages and communities.
William Hill, of betting shop fame, owned a stud farm in Whitsbury, and is buried in Whitsbury. The Gold Cup winner Desert Orchid was trained in Whitsbury.
Whitsbury is not listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 – it has occasionally been identified with the Witeberge listed in the Wiltshire folios, but Witeberge is usually identified with Woodborough. The name Whitsbury, recorded as Wiccheberia in the 12th century, may mean "fort of the wych elm." The fort ("burh") is presumably the hillfort.
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Wikipedia