Churches
Schools
History of Odiham and North Warnborough
Celtic remains have been found locally as well as the remains of a Roman villa at Lodge Farm but the roots of Odiham’s history are in Saxon Wessex. The name comes from Anglo Saxon Wudiham or settlement on the edge of wooded land. North Warnborough takes its name from the river originally called the Weargaburna or ‘felons’ stream’ where malefactors were drowned. In the Domesday Book of 1086 Odiham, as a large royal manor, was the first entry in the Hampshire folio. At least two churches are recorded suggesting Odiham was a former minster serving a large area. The core of the settlement would have been the Bury.
The nineteenth century was a period of relative decline compared with neighbouring towns. Whilst Odiham’s population grew by 82% from 1801 to 1901 the population of England grew by 287%. The main stage coach route bypassed Odiham. The Basingstoke Canal was not a commercial success and was soon eclipsed by the railway which did not pass through the town. Agriculture continued to decline until the late 1930s. The establishment of the RAF station in 1938 was the first sign of revival and since WW2 the growth of motor car usage and the opening of the M3 in 1971 have transformed the community from a small town into the attractive village it is seen to be today!
Derek Spruce
