Awbridge

Awbridge is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, about three miles northwest of Romsey, and near the River Test. According to the 2001 census the parish, which includes the villages of Awbridge, Upper Ratley and Lower Ratley, had a population of 695. Commonly the terms Upper and Lower Ratley are dropped, with locals referring to the entire area as Awbridge. Confusingly the center of the village, or at least the intersection of its 3 main roads, location of the village school, and previously Post Office, is in fact in Upper Ratley, and is denoted on Maps as such, with the mapped location of Awbridge being further towards Romsey than is generally accepted.

As if this naming ambiguity is not enough, there is often a 'Kent's Oak', listed on maps of the area as if this were also a location in its own right. It is in fact a large oak tree in the corner of the school field, and despite its impressive size and age is no more than a local landmark, and not another village.

Locally, the name of the village is pronounced 'A-bridge', with the letter 'w' silent. This pronunciation can be the subject of some snobbery (and reverse-snobbery).

It is within walking distance of Kimbridge, Dunbridge and Mottisfont, with Dunbridge providing a railway link to both Salisbury (to the north west) and Southampton (to the south).

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