Test Valley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Borough of Test Valley
Shown within Hampshire
Geography
Status:	Borough
Region:	South East England
Admin. County:	Hampshire
Area: - Total	Ranked 71st 627.58 km²
Admin. HQ:	Andover
ONS code:	24UN
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density	Ranked 185th 113,600 181 / km²
Ethnicity:	97.9% White
Politics
Test Valley Borough Council http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MPs:	Sandra Gidley, George Young

Test Valley is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. Its council is based in Andover.

The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by a merger of the boroughs of Andover and Romsey, along with Andover Rural District and Romsey and Stockbridge Rural District.

Test Valley covers some 250 square miles (650 km²) of western Hampshire, stretching from boundaries with Southampton in the south to Newbury in the north. Test Valley is a predominantly rural area. It encompasses the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The River Test is the centrepiece of the Test Valley; the river is a world renowned chalk stream of particular beauty and famous for its fishing, salmon and trout, which Lord Crickhowell (onetime chairman of the National Rivers Authority) said 'should be treated as a great work of art or music'. Home of the Houghton Fishing Club, an exclusive fishing club founded in 1822, which meets in the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge.

In December 2006, Sport England published a survey which revealed that residents of Test Valley were the 8th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 26.9% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.[1]