Romsey

This article is about the market town in Hampshire, England. For the district called Romsey Town in the city of Cambridge, England, see Mill Road, Cambridge. For the town in Australia, see Romsey, Victoria.

Romsey
Market town
Romsey is located in Hampshire
Romsey
Romsey
Location within Hampshire
Population14,768 (2011 census, parish)[1]
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townROMSEY
Postcode districtSO51
Dialling code01794
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteRomsey Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
50°59′20″N 1°29′48″W / 50.989°N 1.4966°W / 50.989; -1.4966

Romsey (/ˈrɒmzi/ ROM-zee) is a town in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The town is situated 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Southampton, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Winchester and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Salisbury. It sits on the outskirts of the New Forest, just over 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of its eastern edge. The population of Romsey was 14,768 at the 2011 census.[2]

Romsey is one of the principal towns in the Test Valley Borough and lies on the River Test, which is known for fly fishing, predominantly trout.[3] In 2019, the town centre underwent substantial remodelling, removing the roundabout around the statue of Lord Palmerston, and creating a pedestrianised area.[4]

Romsey was home to the 17th-century philosopher and economist William Petty and the 19th-century British prime minister, Lord Palmerston, whose statue has stood in the town centre since 1857. The town was also home to the 20th-century naval officer and statesman Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who lived at Broadlands. Romsey Abbey, the largest parish church in Hampshire, dominates the centre of the town. Other notable buildings include a 13th-century hunting lodge, an 18th-century coaching inn and the 19th-century corn exchange.

  1. ^ "Romsey (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
  2. ^ "Romsey (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
  3. ^ Environment Agency (2006).Fact file on the River Test Archived 8 April 2005 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 3 November 2007
  4. ^ "Town Centre Improvements". Hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2019.