This study came about largely because Val and I wanted to find a name for our rather plain looking house. After a miserably slow start, we suddenly found that we had masses of information: deeds, photographs, plans and even sketches made around 1800. So much, indeed, that we felt able to make sketches giving an impression of the appearance of Abbey Close right back to the 1500s. Since neither of us has much artistic talent we asked Romsey artist Rex Trayhorne to do the job properly for us and his excellent and detailed watercolours appear in the following four pages along with our comments on the history.

This was our first venture into local history and what started as mere curiosity gradually became an exciting adventure as pieces of the history jigsaw began to fit together and the overall picture emerged.

It was a lot of work and it seemed a pity to just put it on a shelf to gather dust. So we decided to publish a summary of it, without references or dull lists of who lived where, in the hope that it might interest and perhaps inspire others. The above photograph was taken from Romsey Abbey roof and looks over Abbey Close to Horsefair and the Strongs brewery site buildings. It was this view that was used to construct sketches of how the Close looked in past years.

We would like to thank Rex Trayhorne for allowing us to publish his watercolours, Phoebe Merrick and Barbara Burbridge of LTVAS (Romsey’s local history society), staff of the Hampshire Record Office and other county record offices, Bowood House archives, Winchester College, Broadlands collection at Southampton University and Southampton City Archives for their help in finding information.

Geoff and Val Morris
October 2006

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