## WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF [[History]] Early man roamed Old Winchester Hill over 7,000 years ago, his presence marked by Neolithic earthworks, Bronze Age burial mounds and the remains of an Iron Age Hill Fort. The Romans invaded in 3AD with Wickham as a key military post on the road that linked the strongholds of Winchester and Chichester. When the Romans left in the 5th Century, the Saxons arrived giving the 'Meon' Valley its name and much of its character. The 'Meonwara' tribe came from what is now Denmark and for over seven centuries they developed this area as a fertile farming valley, imprinting our language and culture as well as the layout of our villages and landscapes. A visit to Corhampton will take you After # settlem continu Listed c in Drox times ar The Mec Line ope transport agriculture 1944, at station wa leaders, И General di place to di: The railway ambitions fi route, conn with the Lon However, thi the line close to one of the best preserved Saxon churches in southern England, dating back to 1020. After the Norman invasion in 1066, settlement along the Men Valley continued to thrive and the Grade 1 Listed church of St Mary & All Saints I iron Ided in Droxford remains from Norman times and is well worth visiting. The Meon Valley Railway Line opened in 1903 initially transporting local livestock and agricultural produce. During June 1944, a train carriage at Droxford station was used by the Allied leaders, Winston Churchill and General de Gaulle as a meeting place to discuss the D-Day invasion. The railway companies had great ambitions for the line as a tourist route, connecting the South Coast with the London line at Alton. However, this was not to be and the line closed in 1955. `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Digital index]]