Visited with @Chloe Explores. have posted in the military section given its history.
I have seen this referred to as a WW1 Governors House.
set in a wooded area off a dirt track, the satnav sent us right up to the area the house is situated and i’m still surprised that a Renault Kadjar coped really well with what was essentially off-road driving. unfortunately i didn’t see the little sign saying private as i drove up.
absolutely stunning view from the site and tucked away in the trees is a beautiful derp in the shape of a crumbling house looking like something out of a horror film. the upstairs is falling through and it is literally just a shell with a couple of outbuilding/barns.
whilst there a farmer appeared, he had seen the car and wondered if someone had abandoned it, lovely chap who had no issues with us being there as the house wasn’t his property. i apologised for driving up so far.
he knew the property as Percy Hobbs house, there is a roundabout nearby named after the man and also used to be a pub. however, i couldn’t find much information of Percy Hobbs and instead found it’s true history although that’s not to say Mr Hobbs didn’t live there at one point.
History -
I first discovered about a railway:
T.B. Sands states, referring to the First World War, "....three large camps grew up at Avington Park, Winnall Down and Morn Hill in the angle formed by the D.N. and S.R. and the Alresford and Alton branch of the London and South Western Railway north east of Winchester". Robertson and Simmons (see sources) remark "more obscure is the rail link that was laid from the D.N. and S.R. north of the Winchester tunnel to serve the camps, the junction being brought into use on 20th October 1918". Both authorities state that the line was some three miles in length.
On the 6" field plot the line is easily traced to what is now Pits Farm, but this only 2.5 miles. A further mile would still not take it right into Avington Park although what would seem to be a contemporary track certainly leads in the right direction. There is a well defined north-south embankment at this point but this is pre-1900s.
At the 2.5 mile mark is now Pits Farm which according to OS Maps is the place this house is situated. Originally, there had been a chalk pit here (now hidden in a small wood). The farm was just to the west of the pit where some of the farm outhouses now stand. The line skirted the southern tip of the pit. A continuation from here to Avington Park would have taken a slightly north of north-east direction and then curved round to north and north-west, depending on how far it went.
Then i discovered the military information :
During WW1 soldiers disembarked from the trains at Chesil Station Winchester and marched up St Giles Hill along the old Roman road. They arrived at large Army Camps on Winnall Down and Morn Hill. The role of Morn Hill was as a transit base for troops moving to France and Belgium through the port of Southampton.
Most stayed for only a few days before moving on. When a division was fully assembled it was transported from Winchester ,by train, to Southampton, and then most likely to the Front line in France.
The Morn Hill Camp was one of the largest military transit camps of the First World War and was the temporary home of thousands of men on the way to the Western front. Around 2 million soldiers are thought that passed through Winchester during the war. The camp was situated on the downs each sides of the Alresford Road. It probably housed some 50,000 men at the time, more than double the entire population of Winchester at the time.
When America joined the War in the April 1917, Morn Hill was transferred to the US Army also for the rest and transit soldiers. During the war some 700-800,000 American troops passed through the camps.
There were two main camps. The Magdalen Hill Camp was situated north and south on the Alresford Road, some of it occupying the current day Magdalen Hill Butterfly Reserve. The Avington Park Camp was situated north of the Alresford Road and South of Avington Park. The layout of the camps has been taken from a copy of a map made by F. J. Bevis de Vitie Lt cre and dated 09/04/1919.
In 1918, a branch from the Great Western Railway at Winnall was built to serve the camps but was only used for a short period as the War ending in November.
In 1919 Morn Hill served as an assembly place for troops of all Allied nations awaiting repatriation. When this was complete the camps closed and the buildings were demolished.
The Percy Hobbs connection :
local pub The Percy Hobbs at Morn Hill, Hampshire - Renamed (from New Inn) in 1982 in honour of a local man who had been drinking there since 1920. the pub is now closed.
I have seen this referred to as a WW1 Governors House.
set in a wooded area off a dirt track, the satnav sent us right up to the area the house is situated and i’m still surprised that a Renault Kadjar coped really well with what was essentially off-road driving. unfortunately i didn’t see the little sign saying private as i drove up.
absolutely stunning view from the site and tucked away in the trees is a beautiful derp in the shape of a crumbling house looking like something out of a horror film. the upstairs is falling through and it is literally just a shell with a couple of outbuilding/barns.
whilst there a farmer appeared, he had seen the car and wondered if someone had abandoned it, lovely chap who had no issues with us being there as the house wasn’t his property. i apologised for driving up so far.
he knew the property as Percy Hobbs house, there is a roundabout nearby named after the man and also used to be a pub. however, i couldn’t find much information of Percy Hobbs and instead found it’s true history although that’s not to say Mr Hobbs didn’t live there at one point.
History -
I first discovered about a railway:
T.B. Sands states, referring to the First World War, "....three large camps grew up at Avington Park, Winnall Down and Morn Hill in the angle formed by the D.N. and S.R. and the Alresford and Alton branch of the London and South Western Railway north east of Winchester". Robertson and Simmons (see sources) remark "more obscure is the rail link that was laid from the D.N. and S.R. north of the Winchester tunnel to serve the camps, the junction being brought into use on 20th October 1918". Both authorities state that the line was some three miles in length.
On the 6" field plot the line is easily traced to what is now Pits Farm, but this only 2.5 miles. A further mile would still not take it right into Avington Park although what would seem to be a contemporary track certainly leads in the right direction. There is a well defined north-south embankment at this point but this is pre-1900s.
At the 2.5 mile mark is now Pits Farm which according to OS Maps is the place this house is situated. Originally, there had been a chalk pit here (now hidden in a small wood). The farm was just to the west of the pit where some of the farm outhouses now stand. The line skirted the southern tip of the pit. A continuation from here to Avington Park would have taken a slightly north of north-east direction and then curved round to north and north-west, depending on how far it went.
Then i discovered the military information :
During WW1 soldiers disembarked from the trains at Chesil Station Winchester and marched up St Giles Hill along the old Roman road. They arrived at large Army Camps on Winnall Down and Morn Hill. The role of Morn Hill was as a transit base for troops moving to France and Belgium through the port of Southampton.
Most stayed for only a few days before moving on. When a division was fully assembled it was transported from Winchester ,by train, to Southampton, and then most likely to the Front line in France.
The Morn Hill Camp was one of the largest military transit camps of the First World War and was the temporary home of thousands of men on the way to the Western front. Around 2 million soldiers are thought that passed through Winchester during the war. The camp was situated on the downs each sides of the Alresford Road. It probably housed some 50,000 men at the time, more than double the entire population of Winchester at the time.
When America joined the War in the April 1917, Morn Hill was transferred to the US Army also for the rest and transit soldiers. During the war some 700-800,000 American troops passed through the camps.
There were two main camps. The Magdalen Hill Camp was situated north and south on the Alresford Road, some of it occupying the current day Magdalen Hill Butterfly Reserve. The Avington Park Camp was situated north of the Alresford Road and South of Avington Park. The layout of the camps has been taken from a copy of a map made by F. J. Bevis de Vitie Lt cre and dated 09/04/1919.
In 1918, a branch from the Great Western Railway at Winnall was built to serve the camps but was only used for a short period as the War ending in November.
In 1919 Morn Hill served as an assembly place for troops of all Allied nations awaiting repatriation. When this was complete the camps closed and the buildings were demolished.
The Percy Hobbs connection :
local pub The Percy Hobbs at Morn Hill, Hampshire - Renamed (from New Inn) in 1982 in honour of a local man who had been drinking there since 1920. the pub is now closed.
I'm really sorry i spent all day yesterday trying to find it
