History in Chandlers Ford

This is where you can find out about the history of the area.

Being part of the forest, there were a number of brooks and streams that flowed through the area merging together and finally joining the River Itchen.

Chandler's Ford is located on the old Winchester to Southampton road and the 'Ford' is thought to refer to one of three fords that existed along old pathways, later to become some of the main roads of Chandlers Ford. The ford of Monks Brook, Hursley Road was shown on a Hursley map of 1588 as "Charnells foord", there was one on the main Winchester-Southampton road and another on Leigh Road. It is still not known which one was used in the name as the spelling has changed several times over the centuries, and no clear documentation has come to light.

Again it is thought that the "Chandler's" prefix was added in the late 16th century, and is derived from the surname, Chaundler, referring to a family in the area from the 14th Century.

Hiltingbury Farm is now a public house but first appeared on a map printed in 1588 and may originally have been owned by the Hursley Park Estate and was later sold to Cranbury Park Estate.  It ceased to be a working farm in the late 1970s, when the area was redeveloped. Almost certainly, there were other communities that revolved around farms in the area but Chandler's Ford was sparsely populated until the 19th century.

1870s saw one of the largest brickworks in England established between the railway and Castle Lane. It was here where the brickworks produced 35 million bricks used in the construction of the London Law Courts.

Not until 1889, was an iron church building and some a school constructed. The civil parish of Chandlersford was established in 1897, created from the areas of North Stoneham, North Baddesley, and Ampfield, with the railway station being retained by the North Baddesley parish.

In the 1920s, new buildings were erected in the King's Court, Merdon and Hiltingbury areas with later development in the Hursley Road area, followed by new housing development within the Hiltingbury, Scantabout, Peverells Road, Spring Hill and Oakmount areas. More recently, there have been further housing developments in South Millers Dale, North Millers Dale and a new area of the town known as Valley Park which is to the West of Chandlers Ford. Chandlers Ford is considered to be to the West of the M3 motorway and today it forms the majority of the Borough of Eastleigh urban area.

There is not much in the way of a 'town centre' in Chandlers Ford. The main commercial centre is the Fryern Centre at the area of the Halfway Inn, near the old toll house for Winchester-Southampton, but other smaller shopping areas include the Central Precinct and at the junction of Winchester Road and Hursley Road.

St Boniface Church was constructed in 1904 and another Anglican Church was added at Hiltingbury in the 1960s. The Roman Catholic church, St Edward the Confessor was erected as a result of the generosity of a Mrs Edward Christian, who was the American born wife of the Lord of the Manor of Otterbourne. The church was consecrated on 10th March 1938 by Bishop Cotter.

To read up about the history of the area you may wish to obtain a copy of the book 'Chandler's Ford' by Barbara Hillier. It is also available in Chandlers Ford library.

www.chandlersford.org.uk