Romsey, Romsey Extra

TOP BORDER:Shields of individuals and families connected with Romsey's history: St Aethelflaeda; Pauncefoot; Ashley Family; St Barbe; Portman; the arms of Romsey; Romsey 1299 to 1537; Palmerston; Fleming; Sir William Petty; the badge designed by Prince Albert and presented to Florence Nightingale in 1855.

MIDDLE SECTION:Dominating the panel, as it does the town, is the beautiful and historic Abbey Church of St Mary and St Aethelflaeda. Top left is Broadlands in its 400-acre park on either side of the Test to the south of the town. Its magnificent site near the river Test is enhanced by the lawns and trees and one of the magnificent oaks can be seen in the upper left corner. Behind Broadlands is Green Hill with its splendid view of the Abbey. To the right is Saddlers Mill with the bridge where, in past Octobers, salmon could be seen jumping as they migrated upstream for spawning. Across the Test, is the bottom left hand corner, is the fine statue by Matthew Noble of Lord Palmerston which stands in the centre of the square in the town. To the right is the row of modern houses overlooking the Abbey Green while between those houses and the Abbey is King John's House and the Tudor Cottage, situated off Church Street. In the centre foreground is Linden House in The Hundred. Right of the Abbey is Romsey Town Hall. Below the Town Hall is Strong's Brewery now developed for offices and houses. The train, centre right, represents the lines from Eastleigh and Southampton which converge on Romsey. Above the train is the Sounding Arch, strictly in Wellow parish, which connected two parts of the Embley Estate. The trees in the top right hand corner are at the world famous Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum between Ampfield and Braishfield. Tucked in the bottom right hand corner is the little church of St Swithun's, Crampmoor. Among the fauna and flora to be seen at the bottom of the panel are: kingfisher, redshank, longtailed tit, mallard, and an owl, along with rosebay willowherb.