Key facts

OS grid ref: SU203210
Postcode: SP5
Post town:  Salisbury
What3words: ///reassured.expires.hired
Unitary Authority:  Wiltshire
Parliamentary Constituency: Salisbury

Redlynch

Redlynch and its quirkily-named neighbours, Lover and Bohemia, Woodfalls, Morgan’s Vale and Hamptworth, are set against a stunning backdrop of forest, moorland and countryside, with much of the area in the northern part of the New Forest National Park.

The picturesque villages are about 20 minutes from the cathedral city of Salisbury with its shops, restaurants, bars, culture and heritage. The train from here to London takes less than 90 minutes.

The pretty town of Fordingbridge, which has a bustling road of shops, frequented by donkeys and ponies, is just seven miles away.

The Kings Head in Redlynch is a classic local with real ale and home-cooked food. As well as a warm welcome, there’s a roaring fire in the inglenook fireplace on colder days and a lovely beer garden to enjoy the warmer ones.

There’s a parish website, village hall, mobile library and Salisbury Reds operates a bus service through here.

History

Redlynch and its surrounding villages have evolved over centuries, with a history shaped by agriculture, forestry and other rural industries.

It is likely the area first came under the Roman village at Downton, and that the Saxons used the wooded areas for hunting and as a feeding ground for pigs.

The whole area is included in the Downton estate in the Domesday Book, but it’s not likely to have been more than a few hovels at that time, with a population of around 50 people.

By 1700, lacemaking had become a cottage industry at Redlynch and lime kilns were operating alongside brick kilns making high quality bricks for the good 18th Century houses of Downton.

In 1802, it was decided that the area around Nomansland was not in the New Forest and settlers built mud houses of clay and heather with thatched roofs.

The settlement at Bohemia started to grow early in the 19th Century and, by 1841, Morgan’s Vale was recognised as a village.

By 1839, Redlynch had smithies and a foundry, and broom making was a local trade that continued until WWII. Woodfalls had an iron foundry by 1855, and many people, both here and at Morgan’s Vale, were involved in lacemaking and shoemaking.

The parish of Redlynch was created in 1896, and Morgan’s Vale, Woodfalls and Nomansland were transferred to it in 1934.

During the first part of the 20th Century, housing increased in all areas, becoming concentrated on the former commons in Redlynch. Today the parish is an interesting example of a formerly forested area that has only seen population growth over the last two centuries.

Walking and cycling

The area is criss-crossed with pathways, cycle routes and bridle paths.

If you’d like to explore the area this bike ride (or walk) from the New Forest National Park is ideal.

Explore our
Patch

It’s safe to say that we live in one of most beautiful places in the British Isles, with everything from the culture and heritage of a city and the buzz of a market town, right down to the quietest rural villages. Each area has its own unique charm, so explore our patch to uncover where is perfect for you.