Formulative Influences on the Landscape

During the Palaeolithic (750,000-10,000BC), Hampshire and the rest of southern England was connected to the continent, allowing movement between the two during times of low sea level. Population numbers were small and people moved across their landscape living as hunter-gatherers1 (SWRC 1996:9). River valleys, such as the Test, were highly attractive to these people during this period and evidence to support this is in the form of flint artefacts and stone tools[2]. By the end of this period temperatures began to rise leading to the development of soils and the establishment of plants. Primeval woodlands and marshes were beginning to take shape[3].

The onset of the Mesolithic period (10,000-6,000BC) saw the maturation of a mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland which must have covered the entire Test Valley district. The population remained small in number, consisting of nomadic hunter-gatherer groups most probably based around extended family units1. Human beings probably only had a minimal impact upon the landscape at this time although there is evidence of occupation remains and a possible structure at Broomfield, near Braishfield, where flint production was a primary industry. Members of the Test Valley Archaeology Unit and Southampton University have also excavated several hut like features dating to the later Mesolithic at Bowman’s Farm within the district. Other evidence is limited to stray finds and artifact scatters4.

The Neolithic period (6,000-2,800BC) saw a dramatic change in the appearance of the landscape and the way people perceived, experienced and utilized the landscape. Groups became increasingly rooted to a single area or territory and increasingly relied on the new technologies of agriculture and animal husbandry for subsistence although this did not preclude the continued practice of hunting, fishing and fowling. The development of arable and pastoral farming processes required the clearance of land to fuel the agricultural economy and so much of the surviving woodland was cleared from the chalk downland[5].

In both the Test Valley and Hampshire as a whole, discoveries of settlements are limited. Current evidence is dominated by scattered finds of flint and pottery attributable to the widespread occupation of the chalk, where soils would have been fertile (ibid.). The clearest indicator of occupation within the district is in the monuments prepared for the dead, with long barrows dominating the northern half of the district (such as those seen on Danebury Down). Other evidence for activity comes from flint mines (e.g. Martins Clump near Over Wallop) and pottery scatters and hearths (such as those seen near Braishfield)[6]. Although it has not been conclusively proved, it is believed that occupation was generally restricted to fords across the major rivers and upon the higher chalk downland which was better drained and provided land which was easier to farm[7].

The forest clearance of the Neolithic period continued throughout the Bronze Age (2,800-1,200BC) and resulted in large areas of open country on the chalk. Groups also began to colonize the lower lying, less exposed areas[8]. As with the Neolithic, evidence for actual occupation is at present scant although there are some indications of Bronze Age occupation at Danebury. Where occupation evidence has been found, it has tended to consist of small groups of buildings with no formal enclosures or defensive works. They are usually found on the chalk of the northern portion of the district, where remains are often ephemeral and much evidence must have been lost to the plough during the ensuing centuries. Such farmsteads were often associated with field systems and near areas of pasture indicating a mixed agricultural economy[9]. Again the hypotheses rely largely upon scattered finds and the funerary monument (round barrows or tumuli) which dominate the ridgelines of the district.

The development of iron led to widespread clearance of woodland cover on the heavier, clay soils on the lower slopes of the downs and in the river valleys. For the first time the landscape was divided into a series of fields for crops of wheat and barley[10]. Settlement evidence has been found in the Test Valley and includes a large group of hut circles at present day Andover. The majority of evidence recovered is till from the northern section of the Test Valley.

The most notable sites at this time are the hill-forts and their surrounding landscapes, the best survivor of which is Danebury. The Danebury Environs Project has identified an intensively used landscape with fields, trackways and small settlements and the hill fort dominating the surrounding area. It is probable that other forts in the valley retained such landscapes with the main defensive elements used for storage and protection only in times of threat. These defenses are traditionally considered to be a development associated with the upland chalklands, however Woolbury can be found straddling the valley floor, masked by woodland.

During this period woodland clearance gained a new momentum due to the increase in the population and demand for fuel, resulting in all but the heaviest soils having to be farmed, woodland being cleared and coppicing[11]. In most areas of the country a complex patchwork of roads, villas (and their estates), farmsteads, and townships developed across Britain although the rural population may well have not encountered radical changes in their lives.

This ‘Romanisation’ of the Test Valley appears to have largely occupied the lower slopes of the downs, the river valleys and the coastal plain[12]. Roman occupation does not appear to have significantly affected inland settlement or field systems in the Test Valley other than with the introduction of villa sites such as at Thruxton and East Anton. Other settlements may have been established close to Roman roads or where two roads intersected (ibid.). From the general evidence of the Test Valley, it would appear that this region remained largely an unchanged rural landscape.

Roman roads cross the Test Valley in a number of places[13]. One road crossed the Test at Horsebridge, linking Winchester (the fifth largest Roman town and administrative capital) with Old Sarum, whilst another one crossed from Winchester to Cirencester, via Andover. A third linked Silchester to Old Sarum, crossing through Andover[14].

Woodland clearance continued at such a pace during this time that legislation was imposed to protect the woodland cover. The Saxon passion for hunting led to the formation of extensive hunting parks (‘haga’), which included the Forests of Chute, the principle hunting domain of the Saxon kings who made Andover their headquarters.

Archaeological evidence for this period is limited although it has been assumed that the majority of present day villages date to this period. In the Test Valley, rural settlement seems concentrated in the upper valleys of the Test and its tributaries and on the northern chalk land around Andover[15]. It was at this time that the parish system evolved and parish churches appeared, such as that seen at Kings Somborne.

Although legislation was in place regarding forest clearance by the Middle Ages[16] it was the Normans who introduced laws relating to the management of the forest[17]. For the first time castles or fortified manors appeared in the landscape, for example John of Gaunt’s palace at King’s Sombourne. John of Gaunt’s deer park, west of the hunting lodge at King’s Sombourne, can still be traced and partly lies on the meadows of the River Test. Also new to the landscape was the inclusion of monastic foundations with their large complexes of stone buildings and extensive estates (e.g. Mottisont Priory).

The Middle Ages was a time of relative prosperity and rapid population growth[18]. In the Test Valley villages continued to remain the focus for populations and outlying farms remained unusual. These villages were typically surrounded by a farming system of large open fields (such as those recorded in the Andover region), which were divided into individually owned strips which were collectively farmed.

By the 13th and 14th centuries farming practices changed from the open field system to enclosed fields. Instead of the previous domination of arable farming, sheep rearing increased in importance resulting in grazing becoming a feature of the chalk downland. Romsey, at this time, was to flourish and become an important wool center.

By the middle of the 16th century the prosperous wool trade led to an increase in the number of sheep required. This in turn fueled the need for more efficient grazing in the available space resulting in the enclosure of grazing land. Increase in numbers of stock led to a lack of late winter and early spring fodder. This resulted in the development of a system of water meadows which allowed water to run across valley bottoms early in the year and so produce an early grass crop. This new system was to have a profound affect upon the character of the river valleys, particular the River Test, where sluices are still evident.

The 18th century was a time of great change. The turn of the century saw the enclosure of fields into small, irregular shapes and the appearance of winding lanes and tracks in the landscape[19]. Enclosures defined specific parcels of land and were constructed to identify ownership and control of a valuable commodity. The early development of enclosures was designed to remove land from the more ubiquitous common land and offered a more efficient method of farming. In the south of the Test Valley Borough there were still large areas of woodland and extensive tracts of heathland, while in the north there was both open and enclosed chalk downland. The second half of the 18th century witnessed the Agricultural Revolution and the disappearance of the common field system. Down pasture areas were converted to arable and commons and heaths were enclosed. The previously witnessed enclosure, with its irregular patterned fields, was replaced by the new enclosures which were square or rectangular fields surrounded by straight hedges of hawthorn. New wider roads, with grass verges either side replaced the winding lanes. Any remaining fields were enclosed by Parliamentary enclosure during the 19th century.

A notable change in the landscape during this period was the establishment of the 18th century country mansion situated within the landscaped park. In the Test Valley Borough the landscaped park at Broadlands proves an excellent example of this aristocratic trend and was designed by the most prominent designer of the time Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, who suggested the widening of the River Test near the house. The picturesque style, which was to follow and patroned by John Nash, was also witnessed in the Test Valley and an example can be seen at Houghton dating to the end of the 18th century.

The need to impress one’s peers in the landscaping of their estate led to a demand for exotic and selectively bred plants. This led to a number of businesses appearing to meet these demands – such as the Hillier Gardens and Arboretum, near Romsey[20].

The Victorian and Edwardian interest in sporting and leisure pursuits led to many belts of trees, copses and hedgerows being planted or retained as cover for game birds. Fishing was the main pursuit in the Test Valley and the River Test has become world-famous for its trout fishing[21].

The most apparent change in the Test Valley during this time is the changes in farming practice and the enlargement of the urban areas. New farming techniques have led to field size being expanded and downland pasture being converted to arable land. This process of agricultural improvement and intensification has also affected parts of the river valleys, specifically the lower Test Valley. This trend has begun to slow down now due to agricultural surplus and new ‘agri-environment’ policies (such as the designation of the Test Valley as an Environmentally Sensitive Area in 1988).

The Borough’s main towns and area is still experiencing significant development pressures and this has led to the ‘suburbanisation’ and loss of rural character of a number of the Borough’s villages. This is also coupled with the continuing demand for sand and gravel extraction in the south of the Borough, resulting in a dramatic change in the appearance of the landscape[22].