Martyr Worthy

{{Short description|Village and parish in Hampshire, England}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox UK place

|country = England

|static_image_name = War Memorial, Martyr Worthy - geograph.org.uk - 963825.jpg

|static_image_caption = War memorial in the village

|official_name = Martyr Worthy

|coordinates = {{coord|51.093330|-1.26548|display=inline,title}}

|population = 110

|population_ref = {{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=795215&c=SO24+9QF&d=16&e=15&g=453299&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |title=Census data|accessdate=26 June 2010|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}

|civil_parish = Itchen Valley

|shire_district = City of Winchester

|shire_county = Hampshire

|region = South East England

|constituency_westminster = Winchester

|post_town = WINCHESTER

|postcode_district = SO21

|postcode_area = SO

|dial_code = 01962

|os_grid_reference = SU5153532925

}}

Martyr Worthy is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley,{{cite map |url=http://www.hants.gov.uk/rh/row/maps/1315.pdf |publisher=Hampshire County Council |title=legal record of public rights of way in Hampshire – sheet 1315 |year=2008 |cartography=Ordnance Survey |scale=1 : 10,000 |accessdate=31 October 2010}} in the Winchester non-metropolitan district of Hampshire, England. It is part of the Worthys cluster of small villages. In 1931 the parish had a population of 350.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10050212/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Martyr Worthy AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 May 2023}} On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form Itchen Valley.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10050212|title=Relationships and changes Martyr Worthy AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 May 2023}}

Martyr Worthy is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester.

The place-name 'Martyr Worthy' is first attested in Episcopal Registers of 1243, where it appears as Wordia le Martre. 'Worthy' means 'enclosure', and Martyr Worthy is recorded as having been held by Henricus la Martre in 1201. 'Martre' may be Old French martre meaning martyr, or meaning marten and used as a nicknameEilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p.536.

The village has a Church of England parish church – St Swithun's – which is Grade II* listed.{{National Heritage List for England |num=1350471 |desc=Church of St Swithun|accessdate=7 March 2016}}