Nursling and its churches are recorded in the Domesday Book but it was not until 1856 that Rownhams was formed as an ecclesiastical parish from parts of Nursling, Romsey and North Baddesley. A united civil parish was formed in 1932 thus becoming Nursling and Rownhams.
Post war development has resulted in shops, housing estates, an industrial estate, a new village hall and new schools. In 1964 some 800 acres of the parish were annexed to Southampton and became Lordswood and Lordshill, The village was bisected in 1972 when the M27 was constructed.
Nursling is known to have had a monastery where Wynfrith, better known as St. Boniface, lived and trained before travelling widely across Europe as a missionary. He was born in Crediton, Devon, in 680 and met a brutal death when travelling abroad on 5th June 755.
St Boniface Church in Nursling is early 14th Century and St John’s in Rownhams was constructed in the 1850’s having been financed by Oliver Colt who lived in Rownhams House.
Several interesting old buildings still exist in the Village including:
- Grove Place, an Elizabethan Mansion and home to an independent School until recently,
- Nursling Mill now residential use only,
- Old Rownhams School now a local Community Centre,
- Rownhams House used as business offices, and of course
- three Public Houses, The Horns Inn, The Balmoral and the Four Horseshoes.