Romsey is by no means the biggest town in England or even in the county of Hampshire. Its sparse population of fifteen thousand or so means that it won't ever be a major player in British politics. Statements like this can be deceiving, though; Romsey does have a meager fifteen thousand citizens but these residents are quite tightly knit. The entire town of Romsey spans only a few miles and this means that the population density of the town is not unlike major cities like Birmingham. One thing that Romsey lacks, though, is the clutter and chaos of these major cities. Romsey, then, seems to have transcended all logic and is a beautiful yet bustling little burg that offers some of the most visceral pleasure in the entire United Kingdom.
Small villages and fishing often go hand in hand and Romsey is no exception. The town lies along the gorgeous River Test and anybody who has had the pleasure of seeing this river knows that it is a veritable fly fishing paradise. The most noble niche in fishing blends nicely with one of the best fishing rivers in the area and a day spent whipping flies atop the streams of Romsey is an experience that has to be felt to be believed. To be sure, fishing has been a big part of Romsey ever since the town's inception and, though you may not know it, Romsey has been around for a long time.
The best evidence of Romsey's age is the enormous and phenomenal Norman abbey that stands proudly in the middle of the town. Like most English cities in and around Hampshire, the Normans and Saxons built up many of Romsey's oldest buildings and homes and most of these structures are far more intact that one would assume. This is due to the superior craftsmanship of the respective peoples. Romsey of course became a fully English city during King Henry's reign and even back then the River Test supplied the city with its livelihood. During Henry's day one of the biggest industries was wool. Towns that formerly were nothing more than mere tribal villages soon found themselves immersed in the most lucrative craft in the land and Romsey was among the most important wool towns at the time. Unfortunately, something far more insidious than insects would come and ruin Romsey's fortunes. By the 1300s the Black Plague was in full effect and it hit Romsey particularly hard. Over half the population died in agony as families were rent asunder by the terrible disease. Romsey was very close to the verge of extinction and it took decades for the town to finally gain a foothold on the threshold of demise. Eventually Romsey would recapture the wool trade and ride it out until the Industrial Revolution, when factories and smokestacks began to fill the Romsey sky. The city as we know it now is filled to the brim with history and it is a rich and vibrant one. Though Romsey is not the powerhouse it once was we can rest assured that the city remains as beautiful and vital as it was in the days of King Henry.
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