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Twyford and Shawford

3.5m / 6km from Winchester
27m / 43km from Portsmouth

Travelling from Winchester, or from Junction 11 of the M3, along the B3335 road you will reach the village of Twyford.
Sarsen stones, which can still be found around the village, hint of a long history, with later evidence of a Roman villa and references to Twyford in successive charters and in the Domesday Book.
For such a compact village, Twyford has a surprisingly large number of important houses. The Monastery and The Manor House date back to the 1660's. The American patriot Benjamin Franklin started his autobiography while staying at Twyford House.
The conical yew in the churchyard is thought to have been planted when the church was rebuilt in 1402. In 1878 the church was again rebuilt incorporating the ancient columns of the earlier Norman building.
Today Twyford retains its village atmosphere and can offer the visitor good walks, a thriving Post Office and Stores, a restaurant, two public houses, and accommodation. Visit the village website www.twyfordpc.hants.gov.uk for more information.
Of special interest is a complex water meadow system served by the River Itchen which has recently been acquired and partially restored by the Parish Council.
Following the brown signs from the village centre brings you to Twyford Waterworks, a preserved Edwardian pumping station that is open on selected Sundays and at other times throughout the year. It is unique in having its original buildings and machinery - steam, diesel and electric pumps, a set of five lime kilns, filtration equipment and even a narrow gauge railway that took materials around the site - all being carefully restored.
Shawford sits on the other side of the river from Twyford and is probably best known today for being the spot chosen to film where Victor Meldrew - the grumpy old man from the television series One Foot in the Grave - was hit by a car and died. There are pleasant walks here along the river or up onto Shawford Down.