Winchester services

Micheldever Wood is a wood near the village of Micheldever, in Hampshire, England, about 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Winchester. It is managed by Forestry England. There are prehistoric remains from the Bronze Age and other periods in the wood, including a Roman villa.

The Hampshire Downs form a large area of downland in central southern England, mainly in the county of Hampshire but with parts in Berkshire and Wiltshire. They are part of a belt of chalk downland that extends from the South Downs in the southeast, north to the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs, and west to the Dorset Downs. The downs have been designated a National Character Area (NCA 130) by Natural England, the UK Government's advisor on the natural environment. To the north lie the Thames Basin Heaths, to the east the Low Weald (Western Weald), to the south the South Hampshire Lowlands and the South Downs, and, to the west, Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs.The northern boundary of the Hampshire Downs follows a line from just north of Walbury Hill in Berkshire to Basingstoke and Farnham, forming a ridge and dramatic escarpment which rises to over 290 metres, overlooking the Thames Basin. In the east the boundary runs from Farnham to Alton, then swings southwards to Petersfield, forming an escarpment at the western edge of the Weald, including an area known as the East Hampshire Hangers. In the south the boundary runs westwards to Winchester, south to Twyford and Otterbourne, then west-northwest to Michelmersh; and in the west from Michelmersh through the Wallops to Ludgershall in Wiltshire, and back to Walbury Hill.The main rivers of the Hampshire Downs are the Test and River Itchen. The main settlements in the area are Andover, Alton, Basingstoke and Winchester. 20% of the area (the North Hampshire Downs) falls within the North Wessex Downs AONB, and around 6% within the South Downs National Park.

Martyr Worthy is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley, in the Winchester non-metropolitan district of Hampshire, England. It is part of the Worthys cluster of small villages. In 1931 the parish had a population of 350. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form Itchen Valley.Martyr Worthy is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester. The place-name 'Martyr Worthy' is first attested in Episcopal Registers of 1243, where it appears as Wordia le Martre. 'Worthy' means 'enclosure', and Martyr Worthy is recorded as having been held by Henricus la Martre in 1201. 'Martre' may be Old French martre meaning martyr, or meaning marten and used as a nicknameThe village has a Church of England parish church – St Swithun's – which is Grade II* listed.

St Swithun's Church, Martyr Worthy is a Church of England parish church in Martyr Worthy, Hampshire, England. The church, parts of which date from the 12th century, is a Grade II* listed building. The broach spire at The Barn Church in Kew, London is modelled on that of St Swithun's.

The Itchen Abbas railway station was in the county of Hampshire in England and opened on 2 October 1865 by the Mid-Hants Railway. It closed on 5 February 1973.

Itchen Valley is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Forming part of the City of Winchester district, it comprises the villages of Avington, Easton, Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy, with a population of 1,267 at the time of the 2001 Census. increasing at the 2011 Census to a population of 1,459.It is to the northeast of Winchester and takes its name from the River Itchen. The parish is crossed by the M3 motorway, and contains Winchester services. The main West–east route through the parish is the B3047. East bound from Winchester the B3047 enters the parish at Worthy Park and exits it at a point approx. 300m East of Rectory Lane, Itchen Abbas. It is located near to the civil parishes of Itchen Stoke and Ovington and New and Old Alresford. Largely rural in character, much of the parish is in both the South Downs National Park and the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is crossed by several designated walking paths and riding routes including the Itchen Way, King's Way, Pilgrims' Way, St. Swithun's Way, South Downs Way, Three Castles Path and Oxdrove Way.

Micheldever is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, situated 6 miles (10 km) north of Winchester. It lies upon the River Dever . The river, and village, formerly part of Stratton Park, lie on a Hampshire grass downland, underlain with chalk and flint. Parts of the river now disappear in summer through lack of replenishment, evaporation and, more specifically, the porous nature of the bedrock.

St Mary's Church is an Anglican church in Micheldever, Hampshire, England. It is in the Diocese of Winchester. The building, which is Grade II* listed, is unusual for its octagonal nave.

Itchen Abbas is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley, in the Winchester district, in the county of Hampshire, England. The village is on the River Itchen about 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Winchester.

Avington House is a 16th-century English country house which stands in Avington Park in the Itchen Valley near Winchester, Hampshire. It is a Grade I listed building.Originally a late 16th-century half-H house built by John Clerk it was substantially rebuilt in the 17th century by George William Brydges, who added the service courtyard and banqueting hall. It was then refronted in the late 18th century by James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos. In 1848 Sir John Shelley added a conservatory. The building is now constructed of brick and blue with slate and lead roofs. The half-H main block is in two storeys with a 13-bay frontage, of which the central 5 bays are recessed.

Avington is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley, in the Winchester district, in the county of Hampshire, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 198. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form Itchen Valley.It is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester. It is mentioned in a folk song, "Avington Pond", on the CD Folk Songs of Hampshire.

Easton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley, in the Winchester district, in the county of Hampshire, England, situated on the River Itchen, 2¾ miles north east of Winchester. In 1931 the parish had a population of 408. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form Itchen Valley.In 1870–72, John Goring's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Easton like this: "EASTON, a village and a parish in Winchester district, Hants. The village stands on the river Itchen, near the Southwestern railway, 2¾ miles NE by N of Winchester; is small and uninteresting; and has a post office under Winchester. The parish comprises 2,734 acres [11 km²]. Real property, £3, 656. Pop., 455. Houses, 106. The property is much subdivided. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £514.* Patron, the Bishop of Winchester. The church is late Norman; has a rich south doorway, and an apsidal vaulted chancel; contains a monument to Bishop Barlow's widow, recording that her five daughters were all married to bishops; and was restored in 1850. There is a Wesleyan chapel."In 2010 Easton remains a small village but underwent limited development during the inter and post-war period. The population has grown by about 300 since John Goring's time. Around ten additional houses have been built since 2000, and the land price has rocketed, although planning restrictions are very strict. The church mentioned in the above passage still stands and operates. There are two pubs in the village (The Chestnut Horse and The Cricketers Inn, the former of which having been acquired by Avington Park after a period of disrepair and set to reopen in late 2023), a small auto-garage and a village hall. The hall performs various functions including crèche services, WI meetings, a pavilion for the village cricket team and is the venue for an annual pantomime. The hall has just been rebuilt, after a 5-year fund-raising drive by villagers.