Oliver's Battery

Oliver's Battery, Itchen Stoke and Ovington
parish:
county:
coords:
Itchen Stoke and Ovington
Hampshire
SU5836
refce: HANTSLOC.t

old map: 25inch County Series map -- Hants XXXIV.13

Oliver's Battery

refce: Coates 1989
OLIVER'S BATTERY in Basing, Old Alresford and Winchester
All these names testify to the activities of the Parliamentary armies ultimately under Cromwell in the Civil War. They laid siege to Winchester in September and stormed Basing House in October 1645 after another lengthy siege.
The oldest relevant references known to me are 1808 'Cromwell's Battery' 1866=1869 (1908) 'Oliver Cromwell's Battery' (Winchester); 1840 'Oliver's Dell' (Basing) is not the same place as the local Oliver's Battery but commemorates the same events. The Winchester 'Battery' seems to have been the best known, and I hazard the guess that the other two duplicate this striking name. References originally involving the surname Cromwell have become less respectful as time has passed, possibly in the way that the Devil may have his teeth drawn by being called (Old) Nick.

   Old Hampshire Gazetteer - JandMN: 2001