Overton, United Kingdom

The development of the village began in earnest during the 10th century when Frithstan, the Bishop of Winchester, in a chartership dated 909, was granted "Uferantun" by King Edward the Elder. Overton developed over the next century and by the time of Domesday Book the settlement included a large number of dwellings, the Church of St Mary and several corn mills primarily due to its location on the River Test. By the 12th century Overton was a significant location with a royal residence, Tidgrove Kings House, being developed just north of Overton. The residence was built for Henry II for use on journeys between Windsor and either Winchester or Hamwych (Southampton) which was the customary port for travel to and from his French possessions. The importance and expansion continued throughout the 12th and 13th centuries facilitated in 1218 by Henry III providing a royal grant to the bishop of Winchester for a market in "his manor of Overton" when burgage tenure was introduced. By this period Overton was becoming a major settlement on the north–south route to and from Winchester.

In 1246 Henry III granted a fair on the "eve, feast and morrow of the Translation of St. Thomas of Canterbury" which can be considered as the first "official" sheep fair and by the late 13th century Overton had grown to such a size that in 1295 two representatives were sent to Parliament and by the early 14th century the town was providing a rent of £12 0s 9½d to the bishopric (equivalent to £2.75 million in 2015).

Overton was significantly impacted by the Black Death, rents fell by over a half, parliamentary representatives were withdrawn to save costs, the tourns (medieval courts) were not held and the population stagnated. Despite this stagnation Overton survived by consolidating farms and by support from the bishopric though the effects lasted until the end of the 14th century.

By the 15th century trade began to increase enough to support an inn and the White Hart, the oldest inn in Overton, was first recorded in 1442. In this period a new fulling mill was built and there was a large increase in population. It was in this period that Thomas Wolsey, Bishop of Winchester, obtained licence in 1519 to hold an additional fair at Overton on the "eve, the feast and the morrow of the Feast of St. George the Marty".

By the start of the 16th century a period of growth was established with expansion westward along the River Test. The economy in the area was still primarily agricultural based around sheep and corn; with the sheep fair recording 30,000 average sheep penned. The economy was also being bolstered by the increase of mills along the River Test including corn mills, fulling mills and silk mills.

With the increase in prosperity came a desire for greater power, the freeholders began to choose their own officers; port reeve, constable, bailiffs, beer-tasters and leather sealers at the court leet of the borough.

Despite this in 1587 the Court of Chancery deemed that Overton should lose its charter as a town 'through neglect' and it reverted to being a village.

A significant impact on Overton was the development of papermaking within the area by Henry Portal a French Huguenot who took the lease on Bere Mill on the River Test, between Overton and Whitchurch, in 1712.

By this time the focus of the village was the west–east route from London to the West Country and in 1754 the road was turnpiked and what is now the High Street had a large number of inns to service the Stagecoach Passengers.

In 1805 Overton was one of the changes of horses for the post chaise of Lieutenant Lapenotiere, HMS Pickle who carried the historic dispatches of Lord Nelson's victory and death in the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. This event is commemorated by the Trafalgar Way, the plaque being located on the village library.

The major impact on the village in the Victorian era was the arrival of the railways with the London and South Western Railway opening the West of England Main Line and Overton railway station in 1854. The railway caused problems for the local inns and the New Inn, which had only been built in 1770 was sold and demolished in 1860.

The vacant site of the New Inn was donated by George Lamb for the building of the new village school. Lamb paid for the building of the school and land for a separate infants school in Red Lion Lane. These two schools, opened in 1868 and 1871 served the town for nearly a hundred years when the junior and infants schools were combined at a new school in Court Drove.