Brook and Bramshaw are two villages situated just inside the New Forest, about eight miles west of Southampton. The villages have changed considerably over the last few years, with the M27 motorway just one and a half miles away. However, the area has certainly not lost its charm and the New Forest ponies still walk along the roads and graze the verges and commons. It is not only ponies that have to be avoided by passing motorists but cows, donkeys, pigs and occasionally deer.

There is still the old forge building in Bramshaw. This has a long history and the cottage adjoining is dated 1793, with the initials ‘W .H.’ .William Henbest placed an advertisement in the Salisbury and Winchester Journal on 1st September 1794, respectfully informing the public in general ‘that he has erected a Foundery to cast iron of every sort’. In 1813 he made numerous cast iron safes for local churches at ?3 13s 6d each. There is one in Salisbury Cathedral, embossed with the initials ‘W.H.’ and ‘Bramshaw Foundery’.

Great attractions in the area are the two golf courses. One is over the open forest with spectacular views, but here the players have the added handicap of the ponies wandering on and off the greens. The main course is the venue for several tournaments, and the complex includes an hotel.

On the outskirts of Brook is the famous Rufus Stone. In August 1100 William Rufus, King William II of England, was shot dead by an arrow whilst he was out hunting in the Forest. The stone marks the spot where William Rufus died. Was it an accident, or was it murder by the hand of the French nobleman Walter Tyrell? The mystery remains to this day. Very near to the stone is the public house called the Sir Walter Tyrell.

The village information above is taken from The Hampshire Village Book, written by members of Hampshire Federation of Women’s Institutes and published by Countryside Books.