‘Nore’ is from an Old English word, borrowed probably straight
from Latin ‘ora’, meaning ‘bank’, but in its frequent use on the
south coast of England (Bognor, Itchenor , Copnor and Tipner) it
has a specialised meaning of ‘firm fore-shore or gravelly
landing place’. This certainly fits Nore Barn Woods with its
southern boundary of sand and shingle.
The woods are situated on what was farmland, with a long
distance footpath route running through it (now called the
Solent Way).
1290 to 1340
The church at Warblington was rebuilt as a consequence of the
rapid growth of Emsworth.
The path running from Emsworth to Warblington, now part of the
Solent Way through the woods, was colloquially known as the
Coffin Way, there being no church in Emsworth and mourners
needing to walk across the fields to Warblington for funeral
services and burials.
1924
Nore Farm was well established
by the early 20th
Century. A watercolour painting by H Glanville-Spooner shows
Nore Farm house.
1930s
Locals called the woods the
bushy fields. The bunny fields were the next field to the West.
This field has a drainage
pond which is lower than sea level. The pond had an outlet to
the sea with an iron flaptrap on the seaward side. Locals called
these flaps bunnies - hence the bunny fields.
Nore Barn
Woods at the time was an open space populated with scrub,
hawthorn, and brambles. The only trees were the oaks along the
western edge and a couple of oaks on the South shoreline, the
latter eventually lost out due to erosion of the banks with
about 4 yards of bank.
The bushy field was a favourite
spot for picnics, blackberrying and mushrooming. The hard
shingle bank south of Maisemore Gardens was a safe popular place
for kids and adults to swim, when the tide was right. It was
also popular with courting couples, who made their way there via
Love Lane which was a nickname for Warblington Road.
World War 2
The area
was farmed during the War. In the field by Conigar Point there
are some brick structures which were used by the Home Guard for
target practice.
At Conigar point during the
early war years there was an anti-aircraft gun, and a Royal
Artillery unit camped there.
The farmland around Nore Farm and the woods was
sold by Henry Burges, Lilian Burges and Lilian Ward to Noel
Norman (a surgeon).
There appears to have been 8 acres of arable and 1 acre of
pasture in 1946, but farming soon stopped.
It appears
that the trees which have grown up on the site since then were
planted by wildlife, squirrels and pigeons
1952
The farm was sold by Noel Norman to Havant and Waterloo Urban
District Council for £575.
The ‘”Nore Barn” was last shown on maps in 1954.
1962
Maisemore
Gardens estate built
1964
Chichester
Harbour (including Nore Barn Woods) was designated an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
1969
The “woods”
are first depicted on Ordnance Survey maps
1971
Chichester
Harbour Conservancy was set up by Act of Parliament to manage
the AONB.
The Friends of Nore Barn Woods were formed.
2020
Nore Barn Woods today are owned by Havant Borough Council and
managed on a day-to-day basis by the Friends.
This history was compiled from information supplied by Henry
Young of Warblington Farm and John (Jack) Llewellyn of Emsworth,
to whom we are indebted. Additional information from the
Registry Office Conveyance.