Sway, Hampshire: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox UK place|

| population_ref = (2001 and 2011 Census')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do;jsessionid=ac1f930c30d592f3f49c79b64fa1b9b4aa5a4f597a47?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&containerAreaId=790410|title=2001 Census Neighbourhood Statistics – Civil Parishes in the New Forest|publisher=www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk|accessdateaccess-date=10 July 2011}}</ref>

'''Sway''' is a village and [[civil parish]] in [[Hampshire]] in the [[New Forest]] national park in England. The [[civil parish]] was formed in 1879, when lands were taken from the extensive parish of [[Boldre]]. The village has shops and pubs, and a [[Sway railway station|railway station]] on the [[South WesternWest Main Line]] from [[Weymouth railway station|Weymouth]] and [[Bournemouth railway station|Bournemouth]] to [[Southampton Central railway station|Southampton]] and [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]]. It is the site of [[Sway Tower]], a {{convert|66|m|adj=on}} concrete [[folly]] built in the 19th century. The outbuildings of the Grade II listed Forest Heath House are used as artist studios and exhibition space by the charity SPUDWorks.

Sway is on the southern edge of the woodland and heathland of the New Forest. Much of [[Frederick Marryat|Marryat]]'s novel ''[[The Children of the New Forest]]'' is set in the countryside surrounding Sway.

Sway has shops, two pubs, a church, a village hall and a number of restaurants and hotels.<ref name="swayvill">[http://www.sway-pc.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=7062 Sway Village] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324085941/http://www.sway-pc.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=7062 |date=24 March 2012 }}, Sway Parish Council, retrieved, 18 July 2011</ref> There is also a Church of England primary school.<ref name="swayvill"/> The village is home to football clubs,<ref>[http://swayfc.weebly.com/ Sway Football Club], retrieved 18 July 2011</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120327204729/http://www.swayjuniorsfc.co.uk/swayfc/index.php Sway Junior Football Club], retrieved 18 July 2011</ref> a tennis club,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swaytennis.com/|title=Sway Tennis Club - Home|website=swaytennis.com}}</ref> the mighty Sway Cricket Club,<ref>[http://www.swaycc.co.uk/ Sway Cricket Club], retrieved 25 JuneMarch 20122021</ref> a fencing club,<ref>[http://swayfencingclub.wordpress.com/ Sway Fencing Club], retrieved 18 July 2011</ref> an archery club,<ref>[http://www.sway-bowmen.org.uk/ Sway Bowmen], retrieved 18 July 2011</ref> a thriving community choir, ‘Sing'Sing Sway’Sway', and a gardening club.<ref>[http://www.swaygardeningclub.co.uk/Sway Gardening Club]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}, retrieved 18 July 2011</ref> [[Sway railway station]] is on the [[South WesternWest Main Line]] from [[Weymouth railway station|Weymouth]] and [[Bournemouth railway station|Bournemouth]] to [[Southampton Central railway station|Southampton]] and [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]] with train services operated by [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]]. From [[Brockenhurst railway station|Brockenhurst]], one can catch the [[Lymington Branch Line|"Lymington Flyer"]] services connect with the ferry to [[Yarmouth, Isle of Wight|Yarmouth]] on the [[Isle of Wight]]. Sway is twinned with the village of [[Bretteville-sur-Ay|Bretteville]], France.<ref>[http://volve.org.uk/directoryitem.aspx?index=513&item=2845&dataitem=4543 Sway – Bretteville Friendship Link] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.istoday/20120715191131/http://volve.org.uk/directoryitem.aspx?index=513&item=2845&dataitem=4543 |date=15 July 2012 }}, retrieved 10 July 2011</ref>

The northern part of the parish contains areas of woodland, heathland, acid grassland, scrub and valley bog, supporting a richness and diversity of wildlife.<ref name="hanttreas56">{{cite web|url=http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol05/page303.html|title=Hampshire Treasures, Volume 5 (New Forest), Sway, page 303|publisher=|access-date=10 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406002259/http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol05/page303.html|archive-date=6 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

St Luke's Church was built in 1839.<ref>[http://www.stlukeschurchsway.org.uk/about About St Luke's Church], retrieved 10 July 2011</ref> The [[ecclesiastical parish]] of Sway was created in 1841.<ref name="coxy">"Sway is a parish formed in 1841 out of Boldre. The church of St. Luke was built in 1839 and restored in 1870." – [[John Charles Cox]], (1904), ''Hampshire'', page 208. Methuen.</ref> The [[civil parish]] of Sway was formed in 1879, when {{convert|2200|acre|km2}} were taken from the extensive parish of [[Boldre]].<ref name="vict"/><ref>"Sway [has] been separated by Provisional Order from the parish of Boldre and added to the Lymington Union as a separate parish under the name of the parish of Sway." ''Reports from Commissioners, Inspectors, and Others''. Local Government Board. 1878–1879.</ref> The [[South WesternWest Main Line|railway]] came to Sway in 1888, when [[Sway railway station]] was built.<ref name="newforestvillages">[http://newforestvillages.4t.com/sway%20villa.htm Village of Sway], newforestvillages.4t.com, retrieved 10 July 2011</ref>

In [[World War II]], an Emergency Landing Ground for aircraft opened in August 1940, when farmland was establishedlevelled and cleared just south of the village,. andIt was used by aircraft based at [[RAF Christchurch]] for overnight stays to protect them from German attack at Christchurch. The airstrip was also intended to be a decoy airfield intended to trick the [[Luftwaffe]] into bombing it,<ref name="daveg4otunfhwa">[httphttps://wwwnfhwa.hampshireairfields.co.ukorg/airfieldssway-airfield-emergency-landing-ground/swy.html Sway Airfield], New Forest & Hampshire AirfieldsWartime Association, retrieved 228 DecemberJuly 20132022</ref> However,this the [[Luftwaffe]] bombed Swayhappened on several occasions,. andIn byOctober 1941, afterthe justsite onewas yearclosed ofand operation,returned the site wasto abandonedfarmland.<ref name="daveg4otunfhwa"/>

Sway is perhaps best known for ''Sway Tower,''. Ita is[[folly]] which stands 66 metres (200218&nbsp;ft) tall andat isthe asouthern entrance to the village. The building is [[Grade II]] listed building.since It1975 isand also known as "Peterson's Folly" and "Peterson's Tower".<ref>{{NHLE|grade=II|desc=Peterson's Tower|num= 1296880 |date=11 April 1975}}</ref>

Built by [[Andrew Thomas Turton Peterson]] on his private estate from 1879–1885, both its design (and the use of concrete) wasas a building material were influenced by the [[Folly|follies]] Peterson had seen during his time in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sway Tower, The 14-Story Folly And The World Tallest Unreinforced Concrete Structure|url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2020/08/sway-tower-14-story-folly-and-world.html|access-date=2020-08-26|website=www.amusingplanet.com|language=en}}</ref> Peterson—a proponent of [[Spiritualism (beliefs)|spiritualism]] in his later life—also claimed to be guided by the spirit of [[Christopher Wren|Sir Christopher Wren]] in the building of the tower. It is constructed entirely out of concrete made with [[Portland cement]], with only the windows having iron supports. ItAt the time, it was the first major building in Britain to be built entirely from concrete,<ref>{{Cite web|title=A look inside Sway Tower|url=https://www.hampshire-life.co.uk/homes-gardens/property-market/a-look-inside-sway-tower-1-4789490|access-date=2020-08-26|website=Hampshire|language=en}}</ref> and it remains the tallest non-reinforced concrete structure in the world.

The tower is visible from much of the New Forest, and most of the western [[Solent]]. A smaller {{convert|50|ft15|m|ft|adj=on|abbr=}} folly, built as a 'prototype', stands in a group of trees to the north of the taller tower. There are many small concrete features (mainly walls) to be found in Milford, Sway and Hordle.