Itchen, River
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Hampshire
SU4209
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Eastleigh
Colden Common
Otterbourne
Compton and Shawford
Twyford
Itchen Valley
Headbourne Worthy
Kings Worthy
Itchen Stoke and Ovington
Tichborne
Cheriton
Bramdean
Hampshire
otherwise: Ichene juxta Southampton, 1372
ITCHEN, river, and modern parish carved out of St Mary Extra and others
The place is named from the river (701, 854 etc (various prepositions) 'icenan') which may appear as 'Cenio' in the Ravenna Cosmography (cf Coates 1981). The origin and meaning of this are unknown. Cf ITCHELL MANOR.
otherwise: ticceburna, 909-12; ticceburnan, 938-12; Ticheburne, 1235
TICHBORNE
Old English 'kid stream', containing the genitive plural of an unattested relative ('ticce') of the word 'ticcen'='kid'. (Cf TITCHFIELD, TISTED.) It may be hypothetical 'Ticcea' a masculine nickname based on the word in question. The stream is the upper course of the river Itchen. However 'burna' on the chalk downs, often means an intermittent stream, which the Itchen here is not. Did a winterbourne ever run down the valley from Gander Down? Or is the reference to a side channel of the Itchen, which divides for much of its length (cf TWYFORD)?
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
... The river Itchen which rises near Alresford, which runs down through Winchester to Southampton, goes down the middle of this valley, and waters all its immense quantity of meadows. ... The village of Easton is, like that of Avington, close by the water-side. The meadows are the attraction; and, indeed, it is the meadows that have caused the villages to exist.
...
... Just before you come to Ropley Dean, you see the beginning of the Valley of Itchen. The Itchen river, falls into the salt water at Southampton. It rises, or rather has its first rise, just by the roadside at Ropley Dean, which is at the foot of that very high land which lies between Alresford and Alton. All along by the Itchen river, up to its very source, there are meadows;
...
The water in the Itchen is, they say, famed for its clearness. As I was crossing the river the other day, at AVINGTON, I told Richard to look at it, and I asked him if he did not think it very clear. I now find, that this has been remarked by very ancient writers. ...
(20 miles long) is formed by several streams which unite in the neighbourhood of Alresford. Its course is westerly as far as Winchester, and thence southerly to Southampton.
- Hamp
otherwise: Alre
Period - 19th century, early
a river in Hampshire, which rises near Alresford, flows by Winchester, and enters the bay of Southampton, at the town of that name.
Southampton ... stands between the Itchen and Test
Winchester ... is seated on the Itchen, which is navigable hence to Southampton
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- river - Fawley Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Badeslade 1742
- river - Hampshire
Period - 1740s
... the Test, & Itchin, meet at Southampton ... fall into the Sea
otherwise: Alre, River
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Hampshire
East of this Town [Redbridge] there is another River that empties it self into the Southampton-Bay, which Mr. Camden will have called the Alre, for this region chiefly, because a pretty big Town, called Alresford, stands upon it; for he says it implies the Ford of Alre, but all our Maps and common Report call it Itching; and if one Town may give ground to call it Alre, how much more several Itching? For we find upon the Banks of it Itching-Stake, Ab-Itching, Itching; and if the Syllable Ford deems material, we may as well say, the Name is Twy, because there is a Town called Twyford standing upon it. This River rises at Chilton-Candover, ...
The place is described in text Cox 1738
Cox is describing the Candover Stream north from Alresford.
... This river [Itching] rises at Chilton-Candover ...
Period - 18th century, early
From hence [Bursledon] when we come opposite to Southampton, we pass another creek, being the mouth of the river Itchen which comes down from Winchester, and is both very broad and deep, and the ferry men having a very sorry boat, we found it dangerous enough passing it: ...
...
... two very fine rivers [Itchen and Test], both navigable, up some length into the country, and particularly useful for bringing down timber out of one of the best wooded counties in Britain; ...
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- river - Waltham Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Itchin R or Alre R
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- river - Hampshire
Small River called Sewers Water
- river - Hampshire
- Hamshire
Period - 1630s-40s
Shown on an old map by Drayton 1612
For, from that wondrous Pond whence she derives her head,
[A pool near unto Alresford, yielding an unusual
Abundance of water.]
...
- river - Hantshire
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
The other river that runneth forth at the East-side of Southamton, may seeme to have been called Alre: For, the mercate towne standing upon the banke thereof, not farre from ponds out of which it issueth, is called Alres-ford, that is, The ford of Alre.
Upon the West banke of this river is situate the most famous Citie of the British Belgians, called by Ptolomee and Antoninus Venta Belgarum [Winchester]
- river - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
- Southampton
WAG1GAZ
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- river - Southamtoniae
Period - 16th century
The place is described in text Leland 1535-43
Thens to Hichin Stok village a 3. miles, wher is a litle bridge for horse men and fote men.
Thens 2. miles to Eston village, wher is a wood bridge for cartes.
Thens to a village or place caullid Worthy: and here the water beginnith to breke into armes, and those again into other armelettes that resorte to Hyde, and the lower partes by est of Winchestre, serving the streates plentifully of water, the Close, S. Maries Wolvesey and the new college.
Minns says:- Until the close of the last century, an open stream ran down a portion of the High Street, and at a still later period the roadway of another street was for a considerable distance through the water, whilst in several other streets there were smaller streams.
[The] great streame of Alresford [water] cummith from Wort[hy to] the est bridg of Winc[hestre,] having 2. arches of stone.
Thens half a quarter of a mile to Sainct Elizabethes College, and ther breking into 2. armes rennith on eche side of it: and then's goith toward Sainct Crosse, leving it a quarter of a myle on the right hond.
Blake Bridge made of wod is betwixt S. Elizabeth and Est Bridge.
And after goith to Twyford a myle dim. lower, wherabout al the water gatherith into one botom, and thens goith a vj. myles to Wood Mylle, and ther enterith into a salt creke.
...
Ther is a wood bridge a litle above Wood Mille caullid Blak Bridge.
Oterburne village a 3. miles strait south out of Winchester Here cummith a broke downe caullid Oter from west, and rennith by est into Alresford water.
...
About a 2. miles upward brekith in a great creeke out of the mayne haven [Southampton haven] and goith into the land by northe.
[St. Mary Abbay] a litle by est withyn [the west gate], welle waterid with an arme of Alsford Ryver that rennith thorough it, and after to Wolvesey the bisshop's palace.
...
The water that cummith from Wolvesey and the Close goith hard by the este side of the college, and so toward Saynct Crosse. [Winchester]
... The mayne arme and streame of Alsford water devidid a litle above the college into 2. armes rennith on each side of the college. [St Elizabeth's College, Winchester]
Period - 14th century (about 1360)
Identified from Winchester.
Period - 14th century (about 1380-99)
Identified from Winchester; the river is labelled 'fl [ ]' but we have been unable to read the name.
otherwise: Icene, river; Hichene, river; Ichen, river; Ychene, river; Icchyn, river
rises near Hinton Ampner, flows 25m to Southampton Water; note places Itchen Stoke, Itchen Abbas, Itchen Town
