Kimpton, Hampshire Explained

Country:England
Official Name:Kimpton
Population:337
Population Ref:(2011 Census)[1]
Shire District:Test Valley
Shire County:Hampshire
Region:South East England
Constituency Westminster:North West Hampshire
Post Town:Andover
Postcode District:SP11
Postcode Area:SP
Dial Code:01264
Os Grid Reference:SU2820446733
Static Image:The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Kimpton - geograph.org.uk - 920610.jpg
Static Image Caption:Church of St Peter and St Paul

Kimpton is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The village is situated west of Andover, in the north of the county, and has a boundary with Ludgershall, in Wiltshire. South of Kimpton there is Thruxton motor racing circuit, in the parish of Thruxton.

The main settlement in the parish is the village of Kimpton, in the south of the parish; in the north there is the hamlet of Shoddesden. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 352.[2]

Before the reorganisation of local government in 1974, the parish was in Andover Rural District.[3]

The A342 passes through the north-east corner of the parish. The Midland and South Western Junction Railway, which runs parallel to the road, was closed to passengers in 1961, however the line remains open as far as Ludgershall to serve an army depot on the edge of the town.

Kimpton Down, a rural area in the north and west of the parish, contains the remains of several historical sites including bowl barrows and Roman buildings. Excavations near Shoddesden found a former Iron Age/Romano-British settlement site.[4]

A racehorse training complex at Kimpton Down Stables was opened in 2003 by Toby Balding.[5] Ralph Beckett bought Kimpton Down Stables and gallops in late 2010, and trained Talent to win the 2013 Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse

The Grade I listed Church of St Peter & St Paul is situated in the village. The church is built of flint, stone rubble and brick, and has a tower and a cruciform layout. The oldest parts of the church are the nave and chancel, built in the 13th century; other parts were added later.[6] Kimpton Manor, originally built in 1444, is one of the oldest inhabited houses in Hampshire.

The village has a small pub called The Welcome Stranger, Kimpton Apple Press,[7] a park and a village hall which also acts as a pre-school.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Civil Parish population 2011. 18 December 2016. Office for National Statistics . Neighbourhood Statistics.
  2. Web site: 2001 Census: Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts: Area: Kimpton CP (Parish) . Neighbourhood Statistics . . 2009-01-10 .
  3. Web site: Kimpton CP/AP Hampshire through time – Local history overview for the Parish-level Unit . . University of Portsmouth & others . 2008 . 2009-01-11 .
  4. Web site: Hampshire Treasures: Volume 8 (Test Valley North): Page 106 – Kimpton . . 2006-03-29 . 2009-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605031933/http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol08/page106.html . 2011-06-05 . dead .
  5. Web site: Horse Racing: Kimpton Down Stables will be a real luxury for everyone . This Is Hampshire . . 2003-04-11 . 2009-01-11 .
  6. Web site: Detailed Record: Church of St. Peter & St. Paul . . 2009-01-10 .
  7. Web site: Kimpton Apple Press .