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~~~~~ Wickham to Droxford ~~~~~
 

 

Wickham Water Meadows Millennium Green ~ It was a long held wish of villagers that the water meadows should be made available as a public open space. After decades of hard work the project eventually came to fruition in September 1999 when the Mayor of Winchester performed the official opening of the Water Meadows.

 

A male Banded Damoiselle damselfly.

 

The path through the meadows passes over the River Meon and onto the Wickham to West Meon path.

 

The steps leading from the meadows up to the path.

 

In 1903 the Meon Valley Railway arrived in Wickham which considerably improved communications, but the line didn't survive the wholesale closures of railway lines as a result of the Beeching Axe in the 1960s. Another of Wickham's claims to fame is the now defunct iron-foundry, famous for producing high quality tools.

 

 

 

 

 

Isolated from the main village by a main road, the church of St Nicholas which dates from the 1120s stands on a large mound. During the Victorian era the church was restored, Nikolaus Pevsner in his book The Buildings of England comments, "a most unfortunate building, so thoroughly restored in 1862 and 1872-7 that it has lost all its medieval interest, without gaining any positive Victorian character".

 

Old and new, the roofs of Wickham.

 

Onward to Droxford.


Page 3 - Droxford  Please click here  

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All Photographs copyright David Packman © 2002 - 2009 (All Rights Reserved)