Lasham
Lasham (used to be pronounced ‘Lass-ham’ but now ‘Lash-am’ has taken over) is best known for its airfield, which was built during the war. There is a road between Herriard and Lasham which was built by Italian prisoners of war. The airfield today is a well known gliding centre.
The village is around four miles north west of Alton. It was part of the Herriard Park estate for around 200 years – and the villages of Herriard and Lasham shared a vicar. Today Lasham is part of the Shalden, Bentworth and Lasham benefice. St Mary’s church in the village was built in 1866 on the site of an old Saxon church.
There is a famous story that a water dowser was brought in during World War I and was so successful in finding a water supply for the village that the Herriard and Lasham Water Company was formed as a result, providing water to several of the surrounding villages.
The village has also given its name to a Ham class minesweeper, HMS Lasham.
