The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The Old Post Office
63 - 67 Church Street
The Old Post Office 1920
Our sincere thanks to Nigel & Mary Croney, former owners of the property, for the following information.
We believe that the house is one of the oldest in Micheldever and probably built on the site of a much older house. Before King Alfred’s cottages were built behind, an archaeological survey discovered Saxon tanning pits. We think our old house had Saxon origins when the fireplace, which still remains, would have been in the centre of the house. There were a few bread ovens, from different generations. The main building of the house is 18th century - timber frame with wattle and daub walls, (some remaining so today). The left-hand side single story (looking from the street) was added much later and in-filled a passageway between 63 and 62. In the process they half built over a substantial well which may have been communal or for the use of 62.
63 and 67 became separate cottages (probably in the 19th century) with a family living in each. In the census of 1901, there was also a cottage with another family living about where the old privy is now. The old privy was still in use by 67 until about 1970 when the Tilletts bought it and combined the 2 cottages. However, 67 didn’t have its own toilet until 2005.
There were at least another 2 and probably 3 wells. One well is still completely intact; we discovered a collapsed well near the extension we built and another one near the privy - possibly for the now non-existent cottage.
The bedrooms upstairs at the front of the house, onto the street, have unusually high ceilings, maybe indicating a slightly grander house, way in the past. In the back area, built at right angles to the street, the rooms are smaller and lower, probably another cottage - the missing 65? and built later. This is only partially half-timbered and is built with poor quality brick.
All the windows are relatively new and there was an upstairs window to the front on the right-hand side in some of the early 20th century photos, making for a better symmetry at the front.
1910
From the street 2010
The privvy still there in 2010
1910