Bransgore
Bransgore was a fairly unknown place, and its name has had many interpretations over the years, most notably is the 'gore' on the end as this relates to violence but in Middle English the word meant a clearing of a field that was shaped like a spearhead and it seems right to say that this was a variation on a field owned by somebody called Bran who was more than likely to have come here from Soppa, or as it is known today Sopley.

In the middle of the 16th century it was often referred to as Bransgoer Common and in 1817 reports suggest it was Bransgrove ant that Bransgore did not come into use until   1850. Though there is some discrepancy here as the name Bransgore was used earlier in 1820.The Canon of Winchester, Samuel Wilberfore referred to Bransgore in 1840 as a "neglected common with a group of mud cottages" . . "the refuge, for the most part, of those who have been chased from more civilised places"

Yet another local tale says that Bransgore came from the Vikings and it may have been named after one of the battles around Derritt Lane and The Lamb Inn and the Brans part comes from Brains.

The parish of Bransgore was once not recognised by either the church or government as a region of note and in 1869 it was enclosed with Shirley, Upper Shirley, and Little Common all within the parish of Sopley. Then in 1874 the ecclesiastical parish of Bransgore was formed and the parishes of both Sopley and Christchurch remain as such to this day.

Bransgore is not one of Hampshire prettiest villages but it does have its little treasures hidden away. And lying just southwest of the New Forest it is a friendly community, that over the past quarter of a century has seen new housing estates being built all around the village, thus bringing a new breed of person in.

Smuggling was linked to the village and Beech House was set to be a meeting place for the aristocrats smuggled over to escape being beheaded during the French Revolution.

The main house in Bransgore is Bransgore House which lies in thick woodland to the east of the main Burley Road. A fine 36 roomed Edwardian mansion created by a Bournemouth architect. Up till the 1950s it remained as a single dwelling but became very run down and by the end of the 50s it was deserted.

The house once stood in 57 acres of garden, pasture and woodland and included three thatched cottages, a stables and a coach house. There were orchards a pond inside a walled kitchen garden and all was under the care of a team of gardeners who also managed several greenhouses in which peaches and grapes were grown. A Dutch garden with geometrically shaped flower beds enclosed by  box hedges about one foot high and alongside brick walled terraces thre were herbaceous borders, lawns and a tennis court.

It was said that the grass was cut by a machine pulled behind horses and that to protect the grass the hoofs were clad with leather shoes!

Sadly all that remains today is the Dutch garden, six pairs of houses are set in open plan and although the building itself is divided into 9 flats it still has some of the period features which include a magnificent Oriel Window.  the walls of the house have been covered with pebbles that come from Chesil beach in Dorset.

 
During World War II the village shared a lot of activity with the air bases at Wincton and Holmsley South. And not far away on Holmsley airfield the council and local enthusiasts have got together to erect a memorial to all the airfields that were in the New Forest.

Built in the summer of 1942 HOLMSLEY SOUTH (Plain Heath) opened for flying in September whilst still under construction. RAF Coastal Command was the first unit operating there until December 1943, after which control of the airfield passed to 2 TAF.

The church which was dedicated to St Mary was built in 1823 at a cost of £2,800 and stands on the east side of the village on the main road to Ringwood.

The registers in fact date from 1822 so indicate that some sort of worship was carried on here before the building was finished. Made of brick with stone dressings it has a tower at the west end fitted with a spire and a single bell, and inside is an apsidal chancel that has a small vestry to the north and south and there is also an organ chamber and nave.

It is believed the font  which is octagonal and bares the initials J.D. originated from Christchurch and dates back to the 16th century. The initials may refer to a former Prior of Christchurch John Draper.

The three stained glass windows were donated by J. Dart of Beech House.

The vicar here was the Henry Wilberforce,the son of the famous William Wilberforce who did a lot of campaigning for the abolition of slavery throughout the Empire in 1833. Henry's wife Mary was the daughter of Henry's tutor John Sargent and they Henry sired nine children, only to lose four of them between 1841 -1853.

A lot of restoration has been done and the church enlarged, a wall built around the churchyard and new seating added to seat 350 souls. New brass lamps were presented to the church in memory of Percy Jesson. The new annexe, the Resource Centre was opened in 1989.