Copythorne (meaning ‘cropped thorn’ from the practice of pollarding trees hereabouts) was a large common on the eastern edge of the New Forest. Now the parish consists of Bartley, Cadnam, Copythorne, Newbridge, Ower and Winsor. It is located about seven miles west of Southampton.

Many road names relate to the past, such as Pollards Moor, Pound Lane, Barrow Hill and Whitemoor Lane (owing to the low-lying area attracting mist in the early morning and evening). Many Romany families settled here from the Forest where they had lived for generations and brought their trade names to the area, such as Wytcher (withy cutter for hurdles, pegs and baskets).

Half Moon Common is known as Bartley Regis, the royal connection dating from the time that a certain charcoal burner by the name of Purkiss came across the body of King William Rufus in a Forest clearing in 1100. In transporting the body to Winchester on his cart he rested at this spot.

Paulton’s Park at Ower, the home of the Sloane Stanleys (owners of Sloane Square, London) since 1646, played a large part in the life of the community. The cricket club, which in 1989 celebrated their centenary year, started life in the celebrated Horseshoe Gardens, designed by Capability Brown, at Paulton’s. They now have a portion of Copythorne Common as their permanent site, whilst Paulton’s Park is now a well-known wildlife and leisure park, with an extensive rural life museum. Before 1939, Johnson’s Brakes used to come out from Southampton on a Sunday evening, bringing people to the 12th century inn, the Sir John Barleycorn, for a ride and a drink. Now the M27 whizzes traffic past to the west, and this beautiful thatched inn, reputedly the oldest in Hampshire, sits isolated, surrounded by the earthworks made by the building of the motorway. It is still popular with those who know of its existence and whereabouts.

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.