Ossemsley
Ossemsley is an extended hamlet in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. It lies close to the village of Bashley. The nearest town is New Milton, which lies approximately 1.7 miles (2.4 km) to the south.
History
The name Ossemsley probably means "Osmund's wood/clearing".[1] An estate called "Oselei" appears twice in the Domesday Book, but it is listed with places in the Boldre area, so it is thought unlikely to refer to Ossemsley.[1][2] In 1670 Thomas Stevens is known to have been in possession of "Osmondsley".[3]
Ossemsley has never developed into a village, and today it is a scatter of houses in a mix of farmland and woodland. The most notable building is Ossemsley Manor House, although the current building only dates from 1908.[4] Ossemsley Manor was one the houses in which Siegfried Sassoon's wife, Hester Gatty, spent her childhood.[5] Sassoon himself is known to have visited Ossemsley Manor in the 1930s.[6] In the lead up to the D-Day invasion of 1944, the battalion of the 2nd Glosters were stationed (in tents) at Ossemsley manor.[7] It is also reported that there was a prisoner-of-war camp at Ossemsley, but its precise location is not certain.[8][9]
The manor house was later sold to Harold Walker, chairman of Bournemouth Football Club. The manor house earned some notoriety in the 1960s and 70s as a country club run by the professional golfer Ernest Milward. The house has since been sold and subdivided into flats.
References
- ^ a b A. T. Lloyd, J. E. S. Brooks, (1996), The History of New Milton and its Surrounding Area, Centenary Edition, page 14
- ^ H. C. Darby, Eila M. J. Campbell, (2008), The Domesday Geography of South-East England, page 327. Cambridge University Press
- ^ A. T. Lloyd, J. E. S. Brooks, (1996), The History of New Milton and its Surrounding Area, Centenary Edition, page 28
- ^ Ossemsley Manor House, English Heritage
- ^ Max Egremont, (2006), Siegfried Sassoon, page 384. Pan Macmillan
- ^ Max Egremont, (2006), Siegfried Sassoon, page 385. Pan Macmillan
- ^ Andrew Holborn, (2010), 56th Infantry Brigade and D-Day: An Independent Infantry Brigade and the Campaign in North West Europe 1944-1945, page 57. Continuum International
- ^ Every prisoner of war camp in the UK mapped and listed, The Guardian, retrieved 14 January 2012
- ^ Prisoner of War Camp 624, Pastscape, retrieved 14 January 2012
