Weyhill
| Weyhill | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Weyhill Church | |
  Weyhill Location within Hampshire | |
| Population | 794 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SU3146 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Andover |
| Postcode district | SP11 |
| Dialling code | 01264 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Weyhill is a village, 2.5 miles (3.8 km) west of Andover, Hampshire. It sits within the civil parish of Penton Grafton, which includes the village of the same name. The village is famous for having a medieval fair and then later a livestock fair, with up to 100,000 sheep a day being auctioned.[2][3][4] The fair owed its existence to Weyhill being positioned on 8 ancient trackways, including the Harrow Way.
History
[edit]The Church of St Michael and all the Angels dates back in part to the Norman period, with a 16th-century nave. It is on the site of an earlier Saxon church, itself possibly a successor to a pagan temple in Roman times, being close to the Roman road. It is a Grade II* listed building[5]
The fair has been held on the site since the 11th century, with the first written records from 1225.[2][6] By the mid-19th century the fair had stopped attracting large crowds, as communications and business changed, reducing the variety of items for sale. The last fair happened in 1957.[3][4] The parish council bought the fairground after it fell into disrepair and converted it into small independent craft studios and shops in 2005.[4]
Communications
[edit]Weyhill railway station was opened on 1 May 1882, by The Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway, and closed on 11 September 1961.[7] The village is just north of the A303 dual carriageway. The A342 Andover to Devizes road runs through the town.
Attractions
[edit]Nearby attractions are Thruxton aerodrome and motor racing circuit to the west and the Hawk Conservancy Trust just south of the A303.
Popular culture
[edit]The historic Weyhill fairground was the site used by Thomas Hardy in his book The Mayor of Casterbridge where Michael Henchard sells his wife. Hardy called it Weydon Priors.[2]
Gallery
[edit]-
The Weyhill Fair pub
-
The Weyhill fairground
-
St Michael & All Angels Church
-
War Memorial gate, entrance to Church
External links
[edit]- Penton Grafton parish profile from Test Valley Council
- Penton Grafton Parish Council
- History of Weyhill
- Fairground Craft - Official Website
References
[edit]- ^ 2011 Census - Key Statistics
- ^ a b c "Weyhill Fair". Hampshire History. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ a b "History of the Weyhill Fair". The Somborne & District Society. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Fairground". Penton Grafton Parish Council. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Michael and all the Angels (1229819)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Penton Gradton, Hampshire". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ Aerial photo of station site
