Laverstoke

Laverstoke
Laverstoke  Laverstoke shown within Hampshire
OS grid reference	SU4916148543
District	Basingstoke and Deane
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
List of places UK England Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°14′02″N 1°17′50″W / 51.233957°N 1.297254°W / 51.233957; -1.297254Laverstoke is a village in north west Hampshire, England. It forms a parish with the nearby village of Freefolk.

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 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.^{[1] [2]}

Literature

In Richard Adams' Watership Down, the punt on which the rabbits escape from the Efrafans was boarded on the River Test at Laverstoke.

See also

• St Mary's Church, Laverstoke

References

External links

• County Council page
• Parish Council page

Media related to Laverstoke at Wikimedia Commons

Towns, villages and hamlets in the Basingstoke and Deane District of Hampshire, England
	Towns	Basingstoke Tadley Whitchurch
	Civil parishes	Ashford Hill with Headley Ashmansworth Baughurst Bramley Burghclere Candovers Chineham Cliddesden Deane Dummer East Woodhay Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green Farleigh Wallop Hannington Herriard Highclere Hurstbourne Priors Kingsclere Laverstoke Litchfield and Woodcott Mapledurwell and Up Nately Monk Sherborne Mortimer West End Newtown North Waltham Nutley Oakley Old Basing and Lychpit Overton Pamber Popham Preston Candover Rooksdown Sherborne St John Sherfield on Loddon Silchester St Mary Bourne Steventon Stratfield Turgis Tunworth Upton Grey Weston Corbett Weston Patrick Winslade Wootton St Lawrence
	Villages and hamlets	Adbury Aldermaston Soke Aldern Bridge Andwell Ashe Ashe Warren Ashford Hill Ashley Warren Axford Axmansford Binley Bishop's Green Bramley Corner Bramley Green Broadmere Brock's Green Brown Candover Charter Alley Chilton Candover Cole Henley Dunley East Oakley Ecchinswell Ellisfield Ewhurst Freefolk Hare Warren Headley Heath End Ibworth Inhurst Litchfield Little London Lower Woodcott Lower Wyke Malshanger Mapledurwell Middle Wyke Nately Scures Newfound Newnham Newtown Common North Oakley North Sydmonton Old Basing Old Burghclere Pamber End Pamber Green Pamber Heath Penwood Plastow Green Quidhampton Ramsdell Southrope Stoke Spanish Green Sydmonton Tufton Warren Up Nately Upper Woodcott Upper Wootton Tufton Turgis Green Wadwick Wells-in-the-Field West Heath Whitnal Whitway Woolton Hill Wolverton Wolverton Common
	Districts of Basingstoke	Brighton Hill Hatch Warren Kempshott Oakridge South Ham Winklebury Worting Viables