Laverstoke

Laverstoke
Laverstoke is located in Hampshire
Laverstoke
Laverstoke
Location within Hampshire
Population415 (2011 Census including Freefolk)[1]
OS grid referenceSU4916148543
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWhitchurch
Postcode districtRG28
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
51°14′02″N 1°17′50″W / 51.2340°N 1.2973°W / 51.2340; -1.2973

Laverstoke (/ˈlævərstk/ LAV-ər-stohk) is a village in north west Hampshire, England. The On the other side of the River Test there is the settlement at Freefolk which is included in the Laverstock census return.

In the early 18th century, Laverstoke Mill was purchased by the Portals, a family of Huguenot immigrants from Languedoc who were establishing a successful paper making business. Henry de Portal was naturalised in 1711 and had the mill rebuilt in 1719. In 1724 he won the contract to make Bank of England notes and pioneered the use of the watermark in paper currency.

Henry Portal's son Joseph went on to become High Sheriff of Hampshire and purchased the Laverstoke estate adjoining the mill. Following generations prospered further, becoming major land owners. By the 1790s they also owned the Manor at Freefolk Priors and Ashe Park House.

Jane Austen and her family were acquainted with the Portals and two of her brother Edward's sons went on to marry members of the Portal family.

In 1796 the Portals had the old Laverstoke House demolished and a new house erected in neo-classical style by John Bonomi. It is this house that still stands today (although no longer owned by the Portals and not open to the public).

The Bombay Sapphire gin distillery has been located in the old paper mill since late 2014.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Home Of Bombay Sapphire". Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  3. ^ "A First Glimpse of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery | Gintime". 19 September 2014.