Hedge End, United Kingdom

Farming at the Manor of Shamblehurst is mentioned in a record dating to 1219. Although this area is within the boundary of modern Hedge End, the original hamlet of Hedge End first established itself on Botley Common. This land was granted to the men of Botley as common pasture in 1250. That area is towards the bottom of the hill that rises up to Netley Common and is rich with natural streams and springs. Prior to the Erection of Cottages Act 1588, an Englishman could build his house on common land if he could raise the roof over his head and have a fire in the hearth between sunrise and sunset and claim the dwelling as his home. That procedure and the presence of a reliable water supply would have allowed a few dwellings to become established on Botley Common from 1250 onwards.

In 1267, Royal Charters allowed Botley to hold an annual fair and a weekly market. It became a market town. The inhabitants of Botley Common would have found the proximity of that market and the mills at Botley and Bursledon to be conveniently situated.

The Manor of Shamblehurst died out in the 16th century. Botleigh Grange was built in the 16th century on land that was formerly part of the Manor of Shamblehurst.

The origin of the name Hedge End is uncertain, but it was in use by the beginning of the 18th century. There is an explicit reference to Hedge End in a Court Baron held at Botley Manor on 19 May 1735, concerning the tenancy of a cottage and garden at Hedge End. There is further reference to dating to 1764 concerning a £10 fine for taking in part of the common at Hedge End. Hedge End is also marked on a 1759 map of Southampton.

The inclosure acts ended the system of open farming on common land. Such land was required to be fenced in and title-deeded. This allowed a number of farms to establish themselves in the Hedge End area during the late 18th and 19th centuries.

The development of two new roads to serve the toll bridges at Northam and Woolston brought travellers closer to Hedge End. Northam road was opened in 1799, with a tollgate at Hedge End. In 1839, another new road was built to provide access to the Floating Bridge at Woolston. This new road cut through the centre of Botley Common, opening the way for further development. In modern Hedge End this is St. Johns Road.

An inclosure act of 1863–1865 formally divided Botley Common into plots. Some plots were used for development, 2 acres (8,100 m2) were for allotments and 3 acres (12,000 m2) were assigned to the lord of the manor, William Warner to be used for a Recreation Ground.

St. John's School was built in 1863, admitting its first 13 children on 18 January 1864. By 1885, the building had been enlarged twice. By 1888, the building was also used as a library.

St. John's Church was consecrated on 15 July 1874 construction having started in 1873 to a design by John Colson. In February 1876, St. John's, Hedge End was constituted as a separate parish for ecclesiastical purposes.

A sub-post office was established on 2 August 1894. Hedge End was constituted a civil parish at its inaugural meeting on 14 December 1894. In 1895, the parish took over responsibility for the recreation ground. The recreation ground between St John's Road and Bursledon Road is all that remains of Botley Common.

In the late 19th century, Hedge End, like many neighbouring villages in the area, was a strawberry growing area. Its produce was despatched to London and Scotland by train service from Botley station.

St. John's Rooms was built in 1907, which was the church hall until the Underhill Centre (named after the Reverend Mervyn Spenser Underhill, Vicar of St John's Church 1961–1994) was opened in 2002. St. John's Rooms now serves as a day nursery for small children.

To avoid the air-raids, some of Southampton's citizens rented accommodation or otherwise sought shelter in Hedge End during World War II. In 1943 and 1944, during the build-up to D-Day and the invasion of Europe, Hedge End was on the outermost edge of a huge marshalling site set up in Hampshire by the military, known as Area C with the nearest camp, camp C3, located at Netley Common. Hedge End was actually part of sub-area Z within Area C. St Johns Road and Upper Northam Road are shown on a military map dated 1 May 1944 as being operational routes for the flow of military vehicles around the area. Upper Northam Road is also recorded on that map as being used as a vehicle park.

Hedge End was situated within Regulated Area (No 2) established 31 March 1944, which placed restrictions on the movement of people in the final build-up to D-Day.

A V-1 flying bomb fell on HMS Cricket, a military camp just outside Hedge End on 15 July 1944.

Development of another new road, the M27 motorway enabled Hedge End to expand further in the final two decades of the 20th century, although as a Southampton suburb, rapid development had commenced in the two decades before the arrival of the motorway.

Hedge End is situated near Junctions 7 and 8 of the motorway. With access to the new infrastructure, there was rapid expansion of the village with office parks, out-of-town superstores and new residential areas.