AA Walks: Romseys Grand Abbey
Romsey is the best preserved of all Hampshireâs market towns. Idyllically located beside the beautiful River Test, it developed around a Benedictine nunnery founded in ad 907 by Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, whose daughter, Aelfreda, became the first abbess. By the end of the 10th century, there was a small town outside the perimeter walls of the abbey, whose inhabitants served the needs of the growing community of nuns. Much of the great abbey church you see today was built between 1120 and 1130 by Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, but traces of the earlier Saxon church can be seen, notably two beautifully carved rood sculptures dating from ad 1000. The Abbey is now recognised as one of Europeâs most impressive Norman churches, and certainly the finest in Hampshire.Sale of the 16th Century. Fortunately for todayâs visitors and for the people of the town, the magnificent abbey was saved from destruction at the Dissolution, although the surrounding convent buildings were not so lucky. In 1544 the town secured an agreement with Henry VIII and bought the Abbey and its surrounding land for Â£100. You can see a copy of the Bill of Sale, signed and sealed by Henry VIII in the south choir aisle. How the money was raised is still one of Romseyâs great mysteries as no records have been found. A stroll around the majestic and lofty interior will reveal many of the abbeyâs treasures. You can marvel at the scale and splendour of the architecture, notably the massive pillars and rounded arches, view medieval paintings and tapestries, and seek out the monuments to Lord Palmerston, a Conservative Prime Minister during Queen Victoriaâs reign, Sir William Petty, economist and founder of the Royal Society, and Earl Mountbatten, Romseyâs most famous former inhabitant. The attractive townscape of Romsey is often eclipsed by its famous neighbour Broadlands, better known as the home of Earl Mountbatten. But against the backdrop of the abbey you will find splendid Georgian houses tucked away on winding side streets reflecting Romseyâs days as a thriving brewing and market town. Opposite the Abbey stands King Johnâs House, a hall house of 1240 and one of Englandâs oldest surviving dwellings. The walk leaves town by the only surviving stretch of the Andover and Redbridge Canal. Completed in 1794, it was 22 miles (35.4km) long and rose 164ft (50m) via 24 locks. It was never a real success and the arrival of the railway forced its closure in 1857. The tow path takes you into the Test Valley and you will soon be walking beside the crystal clear waters of Hampshireâs most famous chalk stream. Beyond the Dukeâs Head, a gentle climb through Squabb Wood leads you back to the water-meadows close to the Test. As you head towards Saddlerâs Mill, the view across the river to the Abbey rising above town is delightful.While you're there: Visit Broadlands, the home of Lord Mountbatten. This elegant Palladian mansion enjoys a lovely setting by the River Test and you can view inside the house.What to look out for: If visiting King Johnâs House (off Church Street), look for the small exposed section of knuckle bone floor, made from cattle bones in the 17th century, and the graffiti scratched by daggers on the plaster walls in 1306. In the autumn, at Saddlers Mill on the Test, look out for salmon leaping the weir as they return to their spawning grounds.

AA Walks: Romseys Grand Abbey