There was an important beacon site here at Beacon Hill, receiving and sending messages to both ends of the Isle of Wight. Marchwood became a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1843, and a civil parish in 1894. The church was built and endowed by Horatio Francis Kingsford Holloway in 1843. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were Government gunpowder magazines and a Metropolitan Police barracks in Marchwood. Marchwood Military Port was built here during World War II, which played a vital role in the Normandy landings. The Royal Navy Ordnance Depot was where the famous Mulberry harbours were made. The port continues to service Britain's overseas military interests. Demographics Industry Despite being a village, Marchwood is the home of a refuse incinerator known as Marchwood Incinerator (the remains of a previous incinerator, closed in the 1990s were finally pulled down in 2012), a sewage works, a large military port and a natural gas fuelled combined cycle power station known as Marchwood Power Station. replacing an older station which was dismantled during the 1980s. The 842 megawatt facility is one of the most efficient generators of electricity in the UK at 58% fuel efficiency. Until privatisation, Marchwood was home to one of the three principal research facilities of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), concentrating on heavy plant – the other facilities were at Leatherhead and at Berkeley. Education Marchwood has two schools, an infant school situated in Twiggs Lane and a junior school in the village centre. The nearest secondary schools are Applemore College in Dibden Purlieu and Hounsdown School in Totton. The village does not have a public library. Nearby libraries are in Totton and Hythe. Transport Road Marchwood is most easily accessed by road via the A326 road (Marchwood Bypass) which runs from the M27 motorway, past Totton, Marchwood and Hythe, as far as the village of Holbury. This then lets down the Access roads of Jacobs Gutter Lane, Staplewood Drive and Twiggs Lane. The main point of access from the south (towards Hythe) is Hythe Road. Bluestar operates one daytime bus route through Marchwood every hour Monday to Saturday. The 8 service goes to Southampton via Totton in one direction and to Hythe and Calshot in the other. There is limited public transport from the village in the evenings. Rail Marchwood railway station opened on the Fawley Branch Line beside Main Road on 20 July 1925.