Lasham

Lasham is a village in Hampshire, England. It is four miles to the north west of Alton, just off the Alton to Basingstoke road (A339). Lasham airfield was once famous as a wartime airfield. It is now a well-known gliding centre. The centre of the village still retains much of its original character.

Many of the houses that have not been sold off by the Herriard Park have been modernised and extended, the Old Post Office being one and also Pear Tree Cottage which used to be the home of the blacksmith. In the grounds stands an 18th century building which held the forge and blacksmith's shop. The village pond is fed by local springs and is regularly cleaned out, now it is the home of waterfowl and there is a large stock of goldfish.

Lasham airfield

The airfield was constructed in 1942 and a beech avenue that was planted by George Jervoise in 1809 was demolished to make way for it. The road between Herriard and Lasham was closed and a concrete road which is now part of the A339 was built by Italian labourers and Italian prisoners of war. A major employer is ATC Lasham Ltd who service Boeing airliners.

Lasham parish

For around 200 years Lasham was part of the Herriard Park estate and until recent reorganisation, Herriard and Lasham were served by the same vicar, with the rectory being in Lasham. Today though it comes under the benefice of Shalden, Bentworth and Lasham and the church of St Mary was constructed in 1866 on the site of an old Saxon church.

Water supply

Church Farm at Lasham was managed by Mrs Beatrice Jervoise during WWI and she was so very concerned over the shortage of water that she brought in a dowser. He was so successful that Major and Mrs Jervoise founded the Herriard and Lasham Water Company and reservoirs were constructed in Lasham Wood to hold the water. Water was then pumped from here to Lasham, Herriard, Shalden,Bentworth, Wield, Tunworth, Weston Corbett, Ellisfield, Medstead, Bradley and Preston Candover.

External links

Hampshire County Council site for Lasham Lasham Gliding Society ATC Lasham Ltd