Lover(pronounced likeDover,/ˈloʊvər/) is a small village inWiltshire,England, close to thecountyborder withHampshire.It is part of theparishofRedlynchand lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Redlynch and 7.5 miles (12 km) southeast of the city ofSalisbury.The village is within the boundaries of theNew Forest National Park.[1]
The settlement was once called Warminster Green, but by 1876 it was known as Lover, possibly a corruption of Lower Redlynch.[2]Lover consists of three roads that connect together to form a triangle. These are Besomer Drove, School Road and Church Hill. The name Besomer Drove refers to the tradition of broom-making in the area.[3]
Lover has St Mary's church, built in 1837 to serve the Redlynch area.[4]Nearby is Redlynch Village Hall.
ANational Schoolwas built c. 1839 and rebuilt in 1878; it became RedlynchChurch of EnglandVoluntary Aided Primary School.[5][6]After the school closed in 2006 its playing fields were transferred to the parish council. Renamed Lover Green, the area is maintained by the community and is the venue for the annual Lover Country Fayre.[7]In 2016 the school buildings were bought by the community.[8]
The Lover post office used to do much business aroundValentine's Day,as items posted there werepostmarked"Lover".[9]Although the post office was regarded as a "vital" service for the 100 people a week who used it,[10]it was closed on 2 April 2008.[11]Since the closure, a temporary post office opens during the week of Valentine's Day so that the cards can be stamped with "Lover".[citation needed]
Lover also once had a village store and pub, but both have been closed.[10]
References
edit- ^"National Park boundary map".New Forest National Park Authority. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved9 March2015.
- ^"Redlynch".Wiltshire Community History.Wiltshire Council.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Victoria County History - Wiltshire - Vol 11 pp19-77 - Parishes: Downton".British History Online.University of London.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Church of St. Mary, Redlynch".Wiltshire Community History.Wiltshire Council.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Redlynch C. of E. VA Primary School".Wiltshire Community History.Wiltshire Council.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Redlynch Primary School".Archived fromthe originalon 24 April 2006.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Lover Green Association".Redlynch ONLINE.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^"Village clubs together to try and rescue former school building".SpireFM.Retrieved17 January2016.
- ^The lady who gets 2,000 valentine cards.BBC.Retrieved 2004.02.07.
- ^abFight to save Lover Post Office,Salisbury Journal, 11 January 2008
- ^In Pix: Lover's Post Office Closes,BBC Wiltshire. Retrieved 11 October 2011
External links
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