Melody Art
Melody Art
Fine art giclee print
Description: Signed Giclée print.
Edition: Open
Original Painting Information
Description: Original oil and acrylic on paper.
Image size: 10.5 h x 14 w in
26.7 h x 36 w cm
Frame: 1.2 in gold frame
18.7 h x 22.3 w in
47.5 h x 56.6 w cm
mount 3 in 7.5 cm
Code:: MA28
All work includes delivery to UK mainland
© 2004 to 2008 Melody Art - All images and text - All rights reserved - Prices correct at the time of publishing
English country garden - Alresford
Original acrylic painting on paper
The Fulling Mill can be seen as you walk from the Town centre along the Itchen River.
This is a lovely walk and is part of the character of the town. For information
on the Fulling Mill please follow the link
There is evidence of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age occupation on numerous sites
in the Alresford area, with a Roman or Romano-British site on nearby Fobdown and
to the south-east of the town in Bramdean. There is evidence of a grant to the Church
at Winchester sometime before the 9th century, which became known as the Liberty
of Alresford. The settlement was listed in the Domesday Book.
New Alresford was founded in the 12th/13th century, the idea originally being that
of Henri de Blois, the Bishop of Winchester and brother of King Stephen of England.
The design of the T-shaped town (originally named Novum Forum) was followed by de
Blois' successor Godfrey de Lucy. Alresford was one of the Bishop's six new towns
and was his most profitable plantation- his palace was situated in nearby Bishop
Sutton, perhaps less than a mile distant.The medieval stone bridge he built at this
time is still in place. This expansion also involved the construction of the Great
Weir between New Alresford and Old Alresford, creating Old Alresford Pond. This remarkable
period in the town's history even included the construction of one of the oldest
canal systems in England, based on the River Itchen.
New Alresford quickly became established as a prosperous market town, focussed on
the wool, leather, and the other products from sheep and cattle- in the 14th Century
Alresford was one of the top five Sheep market towns of England. Alresford sent two
members to parliament until the population was reduced by the Black Death. The town
quickly picked up the label as a dangerous place to live due to the uncommonly frequent
fires which razed it to the ground- much of the medieval town was destroyed by a
fire in 1689 that destroyed 117 houses in the town as well as the Church and Market
House. Much of the town was rebuilt in the 18th century, with many of the Georgian
buildings remaining today.
In the spring of 1644, the Battle of Cheriton took place on Cheriton Down, reaching
the outskirts of Alresford. Defeated Royalists set fire to houses in the town as
they withdrew.
A turnpike linking London to the Channel ports (now the A31) was built in 1753, passing
through the town.
During the late 18th century, Alresford Cricket Club was one of the strongest sides
in England.
Alresford was the birthplace of artist Graham Ovenden and novelist and dramatist
Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855) who lived at 37 Broad street until the age of ten.
Furthermore, the noted actor-manager Francis Robert Benson (1866-1939) spent his
childhood in nearby Langton House. The cricket commentator John Arlott resided in
Alresford during the 1950s and 60s. Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling is also a resident,
living on Rosebery Road.
From the medieval period, the fulling of cloth was often undertaken in a water mill,
known as a fulling mill (also as walk mills or tuck mills). In Wales, a fulling mill
is a pandy. In these, the cloth was beaten with wooden hammers, known as fulling
stocks. Fulling stocks were of two kinds, falling stocks (operating vertically),
used only for scouring, and driving or hanging stocks. In both cases the machinery
was operated by cams on the shaft of a waterwheel or on a tappet wheel, which lifted
the hammer.
Driving stocks were pivotted so that the 'foot' (the head of the hammer) struck the
cloth almost horizontally. The stock had a tub holding the liquor and cloth. This
was somewhat rounded on the side away from the hammer, so that the cloth gradually
turned, ensuring that all parts of it were milled evenly. However, the cloth was
taken out about every two hours to undo plaits and wrinkles. The 'foot' was somewhat
triangular in shape, with notches to assist the turning of the cloth.
