82-635: Liphook is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire , England. It is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) west of Haslemere , bypassed by the A3 road , and lies on the Hampshire/ West Sussex / Surrey borders. It is in the civil parish of Bramshott and Liphook, which includes Bramshott , Griggs Green , Conford , Passfield , Hammer Bottom (also called Hammer Vale), Ludshott Common and Waggoners Wells , and has an area of 6,540 acres (2,650 ha) and
164-569: A bonfire and fireworks. It has taken place since 1903. "Liphook in Bloom" is an annual floral competition. Champneys Forest Mere health spa is south of the village. East Hampshire East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire , England. Its council is based in the town of Petersfield , although the largest town is Alton . The district also contains the town of Bordon along with many villages and surrounding rural areas. Parts of
246-537: A coach stop on the London - Portsmouth route. In Tudor times mail was sent from London to Portsmouth via Southampton and the route through Liphook was only used in emergencies, such as the Armada of 1588. The map of 1675 by John Ogilby shows this road bypassing Bramshott and going through Lippock, however the quality of this road was very poor. Originally travellers' needs were catered for by stalls, eventually replaced by
328-520: A coalition of the Conservatives and local party the Whitehill and Bordon Community Party. The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1999 have been: Following
410-845: A distinct reluctance for facing Nelson and the Royal Navy after the French defeat at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. Napoleon's naval plan in 1805 was for the French and Spanish fleets in the Mediterranean and Cádiz to break through the blockade and join forces in the Caribbean . They would then return, assist the fleet in Brest to emerge from the blockade, and together clear the English Channel of Royal Navy ships, ensuring
492-436: A force of four squadrons, each containing both French and Spanish ships. Following their earlier vote on 8 October to stay put, some captains were reluctant to leave Cádiz, and as a result they failed to follow Villeneuve's orders closely and the fleet straggled out of the harbour in no particular formation. It took most of 20 October for Villeneuve to get his fleet organised; it eventually set sail in three columns for
574-506: A former member of the Bombay Council who built the house's Victorian extension. From 1916 to 1928 author and poet Flora Thompson lived in Liphook where her husband was postmaster. Her first work, Bog-Myrtle and Peat , was published in 1921 when she lived in Liphook. The roads 'Lark Rise' and 'Candleford Gate' are named after two of the works. During both World War I and II Liphook was
656-476: A guide, in the coach with us; but got thither with great fear of being out of our way, it being ten at night. Here good, honest people; and after supper, to bed. A coach service from London to Portsmouth started in 1688, which coincided with growth of The Royal Anchor coaching inn, and other 17th century buildings in The Square. The Royal Anchor has a fireback dated 1588 which supports the supposition that there
738-422: A mixed mêlée of chaotic one-on-one battles. One reason for the development of the line of battle formation was to facilitate control of the fleet: if all the ships were in line, signalling during battle became possible. The line also allowed either side to disengage by breaking away in formation; if the opponent chose to continue, their line would be broken as well. This often led to inconclusive battles, or allowed
820-535: A more substantial increase, since many could not afford to pay the fare for more than an occasional excursion. The Kelly's Directory of 1895 shows far more shopkeepers in Liphook than Bramshott: Liphook had become the predominant centre of the Parish of Bramshott. A few wealthy people however saw the potential of commuter travel, notably Mary Ann Robb and London solicitor William Thomas Longbourn, who bought Foley Manor in 1859. He later sold it to William Barrington Tristram,
902-967: A population of 8,491 in 2011. Liphook has a railway station , on the Portsmouth Direct line . The village grew as a coaching stop between London and Portsmouth during the 17th and 18th centuries. It served as a base during the First World War and the Second World War for Canadian troops stationed in Southern England. The first record of Liphook is in the Bramshott Manor Court Rolls to one 'Robert of Lupe' in 1281. Then follows Matilda of 'Lhupe' in 1337, William at 'Lupe' in 1365, John at 'Lepe' in 1386, and John Maunser at 'Leope' in 1423. On his death in 1428, John Maunser's tenancy at 'Lepe' between modern London Road and Headley Road
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#1732847813918984-542: A quarter to noon, he said, "Mr. Pasco , I wish to say to the fleet, 'England confides that every man will do his duty' " and he added "You must be quick, for I have one more to make which is for close action." I replied, "If your Lordship will permit me to substitute 'expects' for 'confides' the signal will soon be completed, because the word 'expects' is in the vocabulary, and 'confides' must be spelt," His Lordship replied, in haste, and with seeming satisfaction, "That will do, Pasco, make it directly." The term "England"
1066-534: A railway contractor, was granted Act of Parliament to construct a single track in 1853 (doubling was completed on 1 March 1878 ). The first train arrived in Liphook on 24 January 1859, but a dispute between the LSWR and the LBSCR meant full service was not initiated until 7 May. Railways caused the long-distance coaching trade to reduce in the village. The railway station became the hub of short-distance horse-drawn transport, with
1148-615: A safe passage for the invasion barges. Early in 1805, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson commanded the British fleet blockading the Mediterranean port of Toulon . Unlike William Cornwallis , who maintained a close blockade off Brest with the Channel Fleet , Nelson adopted a loose blockade in hope of luring the French out to battle, saying, "to be able to get at the enemy you must let them come out to you , if you cannot get at them ." However, Villeneuve's fleet successfully evaded Nelson's when
1230-587: A single line. The result was a sprawling, uneven formation. At 5:40 a.m. on 21 October, the British were about 21 miles (34 km) to the northwest of Cape Trafalgar, with the Franco-Spanish fleet between the British and the Cape. About 6 a.m., Nelson gave the order to prepare for battle. At 8 a.m., the British frigate Euryalus , which had been keeping watch on the Combined Fleet overnight, observed
1312-540: A sufficiently large number of ships of the line protecting his port of Boulogne on the English Channel. This would require Villeneuve's force of 33 ships to join Vice-Admiral Ganteaume 's force of 21 ships at Brest, along with a squadron of five ships under Captain Allemand, which would have given him a combined force of 59 ships of the line. When Villeneuve set sail from Ferrol on 10 August, he
1394-571: Is covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority . The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority. The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election , being led by
1476-483: Is the first identifiable landmark in Liphook. Sir Edmund Pakynham inherited a tenement and land in 'Lepoke' in 1527, and John Hooke bought the manor of 'Chiltle' in 'Lippuck' in 1591. John Speed 's map of 1610 shows it as Lippocke. Some people escaped from the manors of Bramshott, Chiltlee and Ludshott to Liphook, an area above the marshes around the River Wey , to evade taxes of their local Lords. Liphook grew further as
1558-497: The 2023 election , the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. The council is based at Penns Place on the eastern outskirts of Petersfield. Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 31 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. East Hampshire is entirely covered by civil parishes. The parish councils of Alton, Petersfield and Whitehill (where
1640-478: The Battle of Camperdown and Admiral Jervis at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent , both in 1797. The plan had three principal advantages: The main drawback of attacking head-on was that as the leading British ships approached, the Franco-Spanish Combined Fleet would be able to direct raking broadside fire at their bows, to which they would be unable to reply. To lessen the time the fleet
1722-424: The Battle of Trafalgar . George III and Queen Charlotte on their stay gave permission for The Blue Anchor to be renamed The Royal Anchor . In Samuel Lewis 's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England , he referred to Liphook as a hamlet in the parish of Bramshott. The London and South Western Railway came to Liphook in 1859. The Portsmouth Direct line was built after the 1840s ' Railway Mania '. Originally
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#17328478139181804-694: The British Army 's Ordnance Supply Unit in 1939. After decommissioning it was sold to Sainsbury's to form the site of their shop, the Millennium Centre and several other housing developments. The southern part was sold to Mary Anne Robb in 1869, who built the house of Chiltlee Place and the surrounding arboretum in 1880. In the 1960s the site was sold to the Berg firm of builders for construction of their housing estate. Liphook's population grew modestly, from 1,367 in 1861 to 1,614 in 1891. The railway did not cause
1886-835: The British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). As part of Napoleon 's plans to invade the United Kingdom , the French and Spanish fleets combined to take control of the English Channel and provide the Grande Armée safe passage. The allied fleet, under
1968-682: The English Channel from the Royal Navy. The main French fleets were at Brest in Brittany and at Toulon on the Mediterranean coast. Other ports on the French Atlantic coast harboured smaller squadrons . France and Spain were allied, so the Spanish fleet based in Cádiz and Ferrol was also available. The British possessed an experienced and well-trained corps of naval officers. By contrast, some of
2050-576: The Royal Engineers ' Engineer Stores Depot which, in 1948, employed 700 men. It was established in 1943, originally called Chiltlee Manor Engineer Stores Depot and in 1945 was designated 2 Engineer Stores Depot under the War Office. In 1948 the local MP (for Petersfield), General Sir George Jeffreys , asked the Secretary of State for War, Emanuel Shinwell , whether the men at Liphook were fully occupied as
2132-607: The 18th century. Highwaymen were a problem in the 18th century as notices in the Royal Anchor show. By 1784 London-Portsmouth coaches carried mail through Liphook. Turnpiking reduced the journey from London-Portsmouth from two days in the 1660s to 10 hours in 1819. Cary's New Itinerary of 1819 records seven coaches on weekdays left London for Portsmouth via Liphook and three during the night. Local tradition has it that Nelson spent his last night in England in Liphook before sailing for
2214-579: The 1930s (revived 1955) and 1969. Two companies currently (2014) exist - Liphook Amateur Productions (LAMPS) and The MAD (Methodist Amateur Dramatic) Company. Local attractions include the Hollycombe Steam Collection . On the last day of British Summer Time (usually the last Saturday in October) the village holds the Liphook Carnival with a procession of floats through the village followed by
2296-599: The Admiralty to face a court-martial for his apparent lack of aggression during the engagement off Cape Finisterre on 22 July. Meanwhile, Villeneuve's fleet in Cádiz was also suffering from a serious supply shortage that could not be easily rectified by the cash-poor French. The blockade maintained by the British fleet had made it difficult for the Franco-Spanish allies to obtain stores, and their ships were ill-equipped. Villeneuve's ships were also more than two thousand men short of
2378-521: The Atlantic and back used up vital supplies. Villeneuve's supply situation began to improve in October, but news of Nelson's arrival made Villeneuve reluctant to leave port. His captains had held a vote on the matter and decided to stay in harbour. On 16 September, Napoleon gave orders for the French and Spanish ships at Cádiz to put to sea at the first favourable opportunity, join with seven Spanish ships of
2460-494: The Atlantic to block the French from entering the Channel. Calder intercepted the French resulting in an inconclusive engagement during the Battle of Cape Finisterre in which two of the Spanish ships were captured. Villeneuve abandoned his plan and sailed back to Ferrol in northern Spain. There he received orders from Napoleon to return to Brest according to the main plan. Napoleon's invasion plans for Britain depended on having
2542-442: The British fleet still "forming the lines" in which it would attack. At 8 a.m., Villeneuve ordered the fleet to wear together (turn about) and return to Cádiz. This reversed the order of the allied line, placing the rear division under Rear-Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley in the vanguard. The wind became contrary at this point, often shifting direction. The very light wind rendered manoeuvring virtually impossible for all but
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2624-531: The British were blown off station by storms. Nelson commenced a search of the Mediterranean, supposing that the French intended to make for Egypt , but Villeneuve instead took his fleet through the Strait of Gibraltar , rendezvoused with the Spanish fleet in Cádiz, and sailed as planned for the Caribbean. Once Nelson realised that the French were crossing the Atlantic, he set off in pursuit. He missed them by just days in
2706-471: The Combined Fleet from Cádiz to Naples. At first, Villeneuve was optimistic about returning to the Mediterranean, but soon had second thoughts. A war council was held aboard his flagship, Bucentaure , on 8 October. While some of the French captains wished to obey Napoleon's orders, the Spanish captains and other French officers, including Villeneuve, thought it best to remain in Cádiz. Villeneuve changed his mind yet again on 18 October 1805, ordering
2788-484: The Combined Fleet to sail immediately even though there were only very light winds. The sudden change was prompted by a letter Villeneuve had received on 18 October, informing him that Vice-Admiral François Rosily had arrived in Madrid with orders to take command of the Combined Fleet. Stung by the prospect of being disgraced before the fleet, Villeneuve resolved to go to sea before his successor could reach Cádiz. At
2870-549: The French from fully mobilising their naval resources. Despite several successful evasions of the blockade by the French navy, it failed to inflict a major defeat upon the British, who were able to attack French interests at home and abroad with relative ease. When the Third Coalition declared war on France, after the short-lived Peace of Amiens , Napoleon renewed his determination to invade Britain. To allow his invasion flotilla to reach England, he needed to wrest control of
2952-443: The LSWR route from London to Portsmouth was via a branch from Southampton to Gosport, where passengers then went on the chain ferry across Portsmouth harbour. This lasted until the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway extended their London-Brighton line to Portchester . Initially the LSWR constructed a branch from Woking to Guildford in 1845 then Godalming in 1849, but were reluctant to extend it to Havant . Thomas Brassey,
3034-501: The Spanish contributed 15 ships of the line and the French ;18 along with some 30 000 men and marines manning 2 632 cannons. The fleet also included five 40-gun frigates and two 18-gun brigs , all French. The prevailing tactical orthodoxy at the time involved manoeuvring to approach the enemy fleet in a single line of battle and then engaging broadside in parallel lines. In previous times, fleets had usually engaged in
3116-523: The Straits of Gibraltar to the southeast. That same evening, Achille spotted a force of 18 British ships of the line in pursuit. The fleet began to prepare for battle and during the night, they were ordered into a single line. The following day, Nelson's fleet of 27 ships of the line and four frigates was spotted in pursuit from the northwest with the wind behind it. Villeneuve again ordered his fleet into three columns, but soon changed his mind and restored
3198-634: The West Indies as a result of false information. Having lured the British to the West Indies, Villeneuve returned from the Caribbean to Europe , intending to break the blockade at Brest. Nelson, still in fear for Egypt, made to return to the Mediterranean. The fast sailing corvette taking word of his plans back to the admiralty spotted the French heading further north. On receiving this intelligence Lord Barham immediately ordered Admiral Cornwallis to combine his squadron with that of Vice Admiral Calder off Ferrol and to stretch out thirty to forty leagues into
3280-408: The actual point of attack. Collingwood altered the course of his column slightly so that the two lines converged at this line of attack. Just before his column engaged the allied forces, Collingwood said to his officers, "Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter." Because the winds were very light during the battle, all the ships were moving extremely slowly, and
3362-417: The approach thus: During this momentous preparation, the human mind had ample time for meditation, for it was evident that the fate of England rested on this battle. The battle progressed largely according to Nelson's plan. At 11:45, Nelson sent the flag signal, " England expects that every man will do his duty " . His Lordship came to me on the poop , and after ordering certain signals to be made, about
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3444-564: The base for Canadian troops, particularly Bramshott Camp . Recent roads in Liphook have been given Canadian place names to commemorate the armed forces of that country which trained in this area during the World Wars. The cemetery of St Mary's church in Bramshott has a section of Canadian graves, including those of both war dead and victims of the influenza outbreak of 1918. Liphook was one of three sites (with Longmoor and Bordon ) occupied by
3526-621: The battle. The victory confirmed British naval supremacy, and was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy . In 1805, the First French Empire , under Napoleon Bonaparte , was the dominant military land power on the European continent, while the British Royal Navy controlled the seas. During the course of the war, the British imposed a naval blockade on France, which affected trade and kept
3608-534: The best officers in the French navy had been executed or had left the service during the early part of the French Revolution . Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve had taken command of the French Mediterranean fleet following the death of Latouche Treville . There had been more competent officers, but they had either been employed elsewhere or had fallen from Napoleon's favour. Villeneuve had shown
3690-512: The blacksmiths shop in The Square flourishing until at least 1918. The railway was originally planned to bypass Liphook, but the Liphook Deviation amendment of the Act of Parliament altered it to its present course. In doing so it bisected the estate of Chiltlee Manor, a split that exists to this day. The northern part remained as fields and the village cricket pitch, until its requisition to become
3772-532: The combined Franco-Spanish force out from Cádiz harbor and engage it in a decisive battle, Nelson kept his main force out of sight approximately 50 miles (80 km) offshore and sent a squadron of frigates (faster, but too small for the line of battle) to keep watch on the harbour. This was led by Captain Blackwood aboard HMS Euryalus , with five frigates, a schooner , and a brig . Nelson's fleet badly needed provisioning. On 2 October, five ships of
3854-485: The command of the French admiral, Pierre-Charles Villeneuve , sailed from the port of Cádiz in the south of Spain on 18 October 1805. They encountered the British fleet under Lord Nelson , recently assembled to meet this threat, in the Atlantic Ocean along the southwest coast of Spain, off Cape Trafalgar . Nelson was outnumbered, with 27 British ships of the line to 33 Franco-Spanish ships, including
3936-587: The district lie within the South Downs National Park . The neighbouring districts are Havant , Winchester , Basingstoke and Deane , Hart , Waverley and Chichester . East Hampshire was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the area of four former districts which were all abolished at the same time: The district was originally proposed to be called Petersfield. The shadow authority elected in 1973 to oversee
4018-438: The dockyard for a re-fit after four years at sea, including the chase of Villeneuve, and was expected to return to the fleet where Keats was to be Nelson's second, but the ship was not released in time. Other British ships continued to arrive, and by 15 October the fleet was up to full strength for the battle. Nelson also lost Calder's flagship , the 98-gun Prince of Wales , which he sent home as Calder had been recalled by
4100-455: The enemy." In short, circumstances would dictate the execution, subject to the guiding rule that the Franco-Spanish fleet's rear was to be cut off and superior force concentrated on that part of the line. Admiral Villeneuve himself expressed his belief that Nelson would use some sort of unorthodox attack, presciently speculating that Nelson would drive right at his line. But his long game of cat and mouse with Nelson had worn him down, and he
4182-422: The force needed to sail. These were not the only problems faced by the Franco-Spanish fleet. The main French ships of the line had been kept in harbour for years by the British blockade with only brief sorties. The French crews included few experienced sailors, and, as most of the crew had to be taught the elements of seamanship on the few occasions when they got to sea, gunnery was neglected. The hasty voyage across
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#17328478139184264-500: The front column and was almost knocked out of action. Nelson was shot by a French musketeer during the battle, and died shortly before it ended. Villeneuve was captured along with his flagship Bucentaure . He attended Nelson's funeral while a captive on parole in Britain. The senior Spanish fleet officer, Admiral Federico Gravina , escaped with the surviving third of the Franco-Spanish fleet; he died six months later of wounds sustained during
4346-453: The garden of Merton in August ;1805. The order of sailing, in which the fleet was arranged when the opposing fleet was first sighted, was to be the order of the ensuing action so that no time would be wasted in forming two lines. The first, led by his second-in-command Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood , was to sail into the rear of the Franco-Spanish line, while the other, led by Nelson,
4428-530: The half-timbered houses that exist around The Square. Growth accelerated with wagons being replaced by coaches, and coaching in Liphook was firmly established by 1660. The roads were often unmaintained and unsigned - Samuel Pepys records three journeys by this road in May 1661, April 1662 and August 1668, on the last occasion staying in Lippock: So to coach again, and got to Lippock, late over Hindhead, having an old man,
4510-484: The immediate threat of invasion. The same month, Admiral Lord Nelson returned home to Britain after two years of duty at sea. He remained ashore for 25 days and was warmly received by his countrymen. Word reached Britain on 2 September about the combined French and Spanish fleet in Cádiz harbour. Nelson had to wait until 15 September before his ship, HMS Victory , was ready to sail. On 15 August, Cornwallis decided to detach 20 ships of
4592-483: The largest settlement is Bordon) take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. Settlements in East Hampshire include: 51°00′20″N 0°54′30″W / 51.0055°N 0.9082°W / 51.0055; -0.9082 Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between
4674-489: The largest warship in either fleet, the Spanish Santísima Trinidad . To address this imbalance, Nelson sailed his fleet directly at the allied battle line's flank, hoping to break the line into pieces. Villeneuve had worried that Nelson might attempt this tactic, but for various reasons, failed to prepare for it. The plan worked almost perfectly; Nelson's columns split the Franco-Spanish fleet in three, isolating
4756-460: The line from the fleet guarding the English Channel to sail southward to engage the French and Spanish forces in Spain, leaving the Channel with only 11 ships of the line. The detached force formed the nucleus of the British fleet at Trafalgar. This fleet, under the command of Vice-Admiral Calder, reached Cádiz on 15 September. Nelson joined the fleet on 28 September to take command. Hoping to lure
4838-420: The line then at Cartagena , go to Naples and land the soldiers they carried to reinforce his troops there, then fight decisively if they met a numerically inferior British fleet. On 21 October, Admiral Nelson had 27 ships of the line with 2 148 cannons, and a total of 17 000 crewmen and marines under his command. Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory , captained by Thomas Masterman Hardy ,
4920-470: The line, HMS Queen , Canopus , Spencer , Zealous , Tigre , and the frigate HMS Endymion were dispatched to Gibraltar under Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis for supplies. These ships were later diverted for convoy duty in the Mediterranean , although Nelson had expected them to return. Similarly, HMS Superb under Captain Richard Goodwin Keats had been sent to
5002-569: The line, including some of the largest in the world at the time. The Spanish contributed four first-rates to the fleet – three of these ships, one at 130 guns ( Santísima Trinidad ) and two at 112 guns ( Príncipe de Asturias , Santa Ana ), were much larger than anything under Nelson's command. The fourth first-rate carried 100 guns. The fleet had six 80-gun third-rates (four French and two Spanish), and one Spanish 64-gun third-rate. The remaining 22 third-rates were 74-gun vessels, of which 14 were French and eight Spanish. In total,
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#17328478139185084-420: The losing side to minimise its losses. Facing a numerically superior Franco-Spanish line, Nelson wanted to break it into a chaotic mêlée which would force his opponents to fight his well-trained crews ship to ship. Nelson's solution was to cut the opposing line in three. Approaching in two columns sailing perpendicular to the Franco-Spanish fleet's line, one towards the centre of the opposing line and one towards
5166-526: The men themselves stated that they were not. Mr Shinwell promised an investigation. The depot continued its military function until it was closed in 1968. During the hot summer of 1983, Liphook made the news as the hottest spot (33.7C) in the United Kingdom on three days in July. Liphook is in the parliamentary constituency of Farnham and Bordon , and included in the civil parish of Bramshott and Liphook together with several other settlements nearby. Liphook
5248-486: The most expert seamen. The inexperienced crews had difficulty with the changing conditions, and it took nearly an hour and a half for Villeneuve's order to be completed. The French and Spanish fleet now formed an uneven, angular crescent, with the slower ships generally to leeward and closer to the shore. By 11 a.m., Nelson's entire fleet was visible to Villeneuve, drawn up in two parallel columns. The two fleets would be within range of each other within an hour. Villeneuve
5330-440: The rear half from Villeneuve's flag aboard Bucentaure . The allied vanguard sailed off while it attempted to turn around, giving the British temporary superiority over the remainder of their fleet. In the ensuing fierce battle 20 allied ships were lost, while the British lost none. The offensive exposed the leading British ships to intense crossfire as they approached the Franco-Spanish lines. Nelson's own HMS Victory led
5412-419: The same time, he received intelligence that a detachment of six British ships (Admiral Louis' squadron), had docked at Gibraltar, thus weakening the British fleet. This was used as the pretext for sudden change. The weather, however, suddenly turned calm following a week of gales. This slowed the progress of the fleet leaving the harbour, giving the British plenty of warning. Villeneuve had drawn up plans to form
5494-402: The trailing end, his ships would surround the middle third, and force them to fight to the end. Nelson hoped specifically to cut the line just in front of the French flagship, Bucentaure ; the isolated ships in front of the break would not be able to see the flagship's signals, which he hoped would take them out of combat while they re-formed. This echoed the tactics used by Admiral Duncan at
5576-450: The transition to the new system requested a change of name to East Hampshire, which was confirmed by the government on 8 October 1973, before the new district formally came into being. Between 2009 and 2022 the council shared a chief executive with neighbouring Havant Borough Council . East Hampshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Hampshire County Council . The whole district
5658-520: The village: Old Thorns , designed by Peter Alliss , is to the west of the village and Liphook Golf Club is to the south, straddling the Portsmouth Road that was formerly the A3. Liphook Millennium Centre contains a cinema and facilities for community events and occasions. Amateur drama has been a feature of village life since before World War 2. Liphook Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) existed at least between
5740-457: Was a carefully calculated gamble. During the blockade off the coast of Spain in October, Nelson instructed his captains, over two dinners aboard Victory , on his plan for the approaching battle. In an animated conversation with his favourite captain, Richard Goodwin Keats, who was expected to be his second in the forthcoming battle, Nelson explained a refined battle plan whilst the two were walking in
5822-449: Was an earlier building on the site. In the 17th century the Royal Navy considered the road from Petersfield to Portsmouth impassable for heavy goods in winter. Improvements were made in the 18th century to roads and coaches along with the coming of the turnpike . Turnpiking between Petersfield and Portsmouth began in 1710 and between Kingston and Petersfield via Liphook in 1749. The Old Toll House by Radford Bridge in Liphook dates from
5904-458: Was approaching the Franco-Spanish line in two columns. Leading the northern, windward column in Victory was Nelson, while Collingwood in the 100-gun Royal Sovereign led the second, leeward, column. The two British columns approached from the west at nearly a right angle to the allied line. Nelson led his column into a feint toward the van of the Franco-Spanish fleet and then abruptly turned toward
5986-515: Was bought by Churcher's and converted. Liphook is also the home of Bohunt School , a top fifty secondary state school. Liphook and Ripsley Cricket Club play on a ground to the southwest of the village just over the border in West Sussex. The club reached the National Village Cup final in 2018, but were beaten at Lord's by Folkton and Flixton by 72 runs. There are two golf courses near
6068-463: Was concerned at this point about forming up a line, as his ships were unevenly spaced in an irregular formation drawn out nearly 5 miles (8 km) long as Nelson's fleet approached. As the British drew closer, they could see that the combined French and Spanish fleet was not sailing in a tight order, but in irregular groups. Nelson could not immediately make out the French flagship as the French and Spanish were not flying command pennants. Nelson
6150-410: Was exposed to this danger, Nelson had his ships make all available sail (including stunsails ), yet another departure from the norm. He was also well aware that French and Spanish gunners were ill-trained and would have difficulty firing accurately from a moving gun platform. The Combined Fleet was sailing across a heavy swell , causing the ships to roll heavily and exacerbate the problem. Nelson's plan
6232-479: Was located on both the main road ( A3 ) and rail ( Portsmouth Direct line ) links between London and Portsmouth, but is now bypassed by the A3. It is served by Liphook railway station . Liphook is the location of the public school Churcher's College Junior school, (the Senior school being located in nearby Petersfield ) and Highfield Brookham preparatory school. The site previously housed Littlefield school, which
6314-500: Was one of three 100-gun first-rates in his fleet. He also had four 98-gun second-rates and 20 third-rates . One of the third-rates was an 80-gun vessel, and 16 were 74-gun vessels. The remaining three were 64-gun ships, which were being phased out of the Royal Navy at the time of the battle. Nelson also had four frigates of 38 or 36 guns, a 12-gun schooner and a 10-gun cutter . Against Nelson, Vice-Admiral Villeneuve, sailing on his flagship Bucentaure , fielded 33 ships of
6396-467: Was outnumbered and outgunned, with the opposing fleet totalling nearly 30 000 men and 2 568 guns to Nelson's 17 000 men and 2 148 guns. The Franco-Spanish fleet also had six more ships of the line, and so could more readily combine their fire. There was no way for some of Nelson's ships to avoid being "doubled on" or even "trebled on". As the two fleets drew closer, anxiety began to build among officers and sailors; one British sailor described
6478-400: Was suffering from a loss of nerve. Fearing that his inexperienced officers would be unable to maintain formation in more than one group, he chose to keep the single line that became Nelson's target. The Combined Fleet of French and Spanish warships anchored in Cádiz under the leadership of Admiral Villeneuve was in disarray. On 16 September 1805 Villeneuve received orders from Napoleon to sail
6560-578: Was to sail into the centre and vanguard. In preparation for the battle, Nelson ordered the ships of his fleet to be painted in a distinctive yellow and black pattern (later known as the Nelson Chequer ) that would make them easy to distinguish from their opponents. Nelson was careful to point out that something had to be left to chance. Nothing is sure in a sea battle, so he left his captains free from all hampering rules by telling them that "No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of
6642-407: Was under orders from Napoleon to sail northward toward Brest. Instead, he worried that the British were observing his manoeuvres, so on 11 August, he sailed southward towards Cádiz on the southwestern coast of Spain. With no sign of Villeneuve's fleet, on 25 August, the three French army corps' invasion force near Boulogne broke camp and marched into Germany, where it was later engaged. This ended
6724-462: Was widely used at the time to refer to the United Kingdom; the British fleet included significant contingents from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Unlike the photographic depiction above, this signal would have been shown on the mizzen mast only and would have required 12 lifts. As the battle opened, the French and Spanish were in a ragged curved line headed north. As planned, the British fleet
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