Medstead
Medstead is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Alton, which lies 4.3 miles (6.9 km) northeast of the village. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 2,036 people. The parish covers an area of 1,536 acres (622 ha) and has an average elevation of approximately 600 feet (180 m) above sea level. One of the county's high points at 716 feet (218 m), King's Hill, runs through Medstead and Bentworth.
The earliest evidence of settlement in the village comes from two
The parish contains three individual hamlets; South Town, Soldridge and Hattingley. Medstead also has its own restored railway station on the Watercress Line, services from which connect with the nearest national rail station 4.6 miles (7.4 km) at Alton railway station.
History
Ancient to Roman
Medstead has a history dating back up to 3,000 years. The earliest evidence of settlement in the area comes from two
14th century to Georgian
Medstead Manor can be traced from the 14th century. In 1316, the Bishop of Winchester held the manor of Medstead and all adjacent land until 1346 when ownership was transferred. Seven years later, Martin de Hertham and his wife, Isabel, passed control of lands, rents and taxes in Medstead to William de Overton.[7] He was followed by his son, also named William, who held lands in Medstead as well as a settlement called "Tadelyng" in 1428.[7]
By the 18th century, Edward Rookes held Medstead Manor, although it is uncertain if he purchased or inherited it. In 1749, Rookes sold the manor to Sir William Jolliffe for £1400 (equivalent to £236,344 in 2021), after which the manor of Medstead disappeared from records.[7]
In 1852, The British Gazetteer described Medstead as:
Medstead, Hants, a parish in the hundred of Fawley, union of Alton, Fawley division of the county 49 miles from London (coach road 51), 4 from Alton, 6 from Alresford. South Western Rail, through Guildford to Alton, thence 4 miles: from Derby, through London, etc., 181 miles. Money orders issued at Alton: London letters delivered 8 a.m.: post closes 6 1/2 p.m. In the church there are some old Norman pillars of beautiful workmanship, and in an excellent state of preservation.The living (St. Andrew) is a rectory, annexed to that of Old Alresford, in the diocese of Winchester: present net income, £580: patron, Bishop of Winchester: present incumbent, Earl of Guildford, 1797: contains 2,530 acres: 78 houses: population in 1841, 450: ass' prop' £2,402: poor rates in 1848, £314.[5][8]
Enclosure
Medstead suffered two private parliamentary enclosure acts: 1735 titled Stankham and Soldridge Commons;[9] and 1798, a joint bill, but separate allotment, with the adjoining village at Bentworth.[10]
The first Medstead parliamentary award was made in March, 1736, and was a rapid piece of work. The wording and arrangements showed that careful attention had been paid to its contested parent in Ropley in 1709. It was planned to cover an estimated 500 acres although the exercise eventually scooped just over 650 acres, an increase of about a third. The primary protagonists were the lord of the manor of Old Alresford, Benjamin Hoadly, also bishop of Winchester and patron of the rectory of Old Alresford, which included Medstead; and John Shackleforth, lord of its subsidiary or ‘inferior’ manor of Medstead. This pair were closely supported by the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College, the President and Fellows of Magdalen College in Oxford and Joseph Soley, Rector of Old Alresford. Of course, the wardenship and the rectory were both in the gift of the bishop.[11]
The second Medstead award of just over 231 acres was made in 1799.There is a sense of unfinished business from the first Medstead, or Soldridge, act of 1735. The aftermath of this second foray gutted Medstead of its commercial life and blighted the village. The charge was led by the gentleman trustees of a deceased Henry Drummond, esquire and lord of the manor, his nephew Charles Drummond and George Wheatley.[12] This was the first local enclosure without a prominent part for a bishop of Winchester, now Brownlow North, but his son stood in his place: Francis, the rector of Old Alresford, worth £560 a year, whose remit included the chapelries of New Alresford, £250, and Medstead, £600.[13]
Victorian to present day
Medstead's railway station was first opened in August 1868.
Medstead received broadband internet in 2003, becoming one of the first villages in the United Kingdom to be connected. In 2018, Medstead's upgrade to Superfast broadband was completed as part of a county-wide initiative.[6][16]
Transport
Medstead's railway station was first opened in August 1868 and was renamed to
Geography
Medstead is located in the eastern central part of Hampshire in South East England, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) southwest of Alton, its nearest town.[18] The parish covers an area of 1,536 acres (622 ha) and has an average elevation of approximately 600 feet (180 m) above sea level.[3] Before parts of the parish were ceded to Four Marks in 1973,[5] Medstead's parish contained 2,484 acres (1,005 ha) and its highest point was 697 feet (212 m).[7] The landscape is dominated by farms and woodland such as Medstead Grange, Imber Farm and Bushy Leaze Wood.[18] The parish contains three individual hamlets: South Town, Soldridge and Hattingley. One of the Hampshire's high points at 716 feet (218 m), King's Hill, runs through Medstead and Bentworth.[18]
Climate
Due to its location in south central England and its proximity to the sea, the average maximum temperature in January is 7.2 °C (45 °F) with the average minimum being 1.6 °C (35 °F). The average maximum temperature in July is 21.9 °C (71 °F), with the average minimum being 12.5 °C (55 °F). The village gets around 755 millimetres (29.7 in) of rain a year, with a minimum of 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain reported on 103 days a year.[19]
Climate data for Odiham weather station (nearest to Medstead), Odiham, elevation: 9 metres (30 feet) (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.8 (58.6) |
16.4 (61.5) |
20.8 (69.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
28.2 (82.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
35.6 (96.1) |
36.1 (97.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
24.2 (75.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
36.1 (97.0) |
Mean maximum °C (°F) | 12.3 (54.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
25.0 (77.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
31.1 (88.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.6 (74.5) |
20.5 (68.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
15.0 (58.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
1.3 (34.3) |
2.0 (35.6) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
9.9 (49.8) |
5.1 (41.2) |
4.2 (39.6) |
1.8 (35.2) |
6.4 (43.6) |
Mean minimum °C (°F) | −6.2 (20.8) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.4 (32.7) |
4.2 (39.6) |
6.0 (42.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | −15.2 (4.6) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
1.3 (34.3) |
5.3 (41.5) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 77.8 (3.06) |
56.0 (2.20) |
54.8 (2.16) |
52.6 (2.07) |
52.2 (2.06) |
48.5 (1.91) |
50.2 (1.98) |
52.1 (2.05) |
61.8 (2.43) |
87.2 (3.43) |
83.9 (3.30) |
78.5 (3.09) |
755.5 (29.74) |
Average precipitation days | 12.2 | 9.8 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 120.9 |
Source: Met Office[19] |
Demographics
According to the
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Source: A Vision of Britain through Time, statistics.gov.uk (2001), and statistics.gov.uk (2011) |
The 2011 census reported an almost equal number of males (1016, 49.9%) as females (1020, 50.1%), of which the majority (1988, 97.6%) were white ethnicity, broadly similar to the ethnical diversity of the wider Hampshire region, where 111,635 (96.56%) are registered on the 2011 census as being white ethnicity.[22]
Education and activities
Medstead Church of England Primary School lies immediately south of the village near the cemetery.[23] Under the Education Act 1944, the previous site of Medstead's school was declared inadequate as it did not have enough space to accommodate a playing field and assembly hall. The school was consequently relocated to a larger site south of the village, where it is today.[18][24] A pre-school has been in operation since September 1989, located in the grounds of the primary school after a successful petition ensured its relocation from the village hall.[25]
The village hall is used for various activities, including hosting the village's gardening[
Governance
The village falls under the
Landmarks
A chapel in the village was first mentioned in the
Medstead contains a total of six
Further reading
Heal, Chris, Ropley's Legacy, The ridge enclosures, 1709 to 1850: Chawton, Farringdon, Medstead, Newton Valence and Ropley and the birth of Four Marks,
Heal, Chris, The Four Marks Murders,
Moody, Nellie, A Short History of Medstead (The Women's Institute, Medstead 1932)
Montgomery, Roy, The village of Medstead and parish of St Andrew (Hampshire Genealogical Society, No 01)
Munby, Julian, edited, Domesday Book, 4, Hampshire (1086; Phillimore, Chichester 1982)
Rathbone, Lorents, A Chronicle of Medstead (1966)[39]
References
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ^ "Medstead and Four Marks Neighbourhood Plan" (PDF). East Hampshire District Council. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Hampshire Treasures: Volume 6 ( East Hampshire), Page 223". Hampshire County Council. 25 December 2014. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Hampshire Treasures – Volume 6". Hampshire County Council. p. 225. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "History of Medstead Village". medstead.org. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ a b c "Medstead Historical Timeline". medstead.org. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d Page, William. "History of Medstead". British History Online. pp. 327–329. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ Clarke, Benjamin (1852). The British Gazetteer, Political, Commercial, Ecclesiastical and Historical. H.G. Collins. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ Private Act, 9 George II, c. 19, HL/PO/PB/1/1735/9G2n47; Hampshire Record Office, 109A05/PX/10.
- ^ HRO, Q23/2/82. Also Winchester College Archives, 3538.
- ^ The story of this enclosure is given in Heal, Ropley's Legacy, Chapter 6, with full transcripts of the act and the award in two appendices.
- ^ The National Archives, PROB 11/1263/76, will of Henry Drummond, proved 7/1775.
- ^ The story of this enclosure is given in Heal, Ropley's Legacy, Chapter 9, with full transcripts of the act and the award in two appendices.
- ^ a b "Old Hampshire Gazetter: Medstead and Four Marks Station, Medstead". Hampshire Gazetteer. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "Mark Reed's Royal Observer Crops Bunker Visits". Mark Reed. Archived from the original on 22 April 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Village introduction". medstead.org. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ "Ropley to Medstead & Four Marks: 30 years on... « Mid Hants Railway Ltd 'Watercress Line'". Watercress Line. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d Map of Medstead and the surrounding area (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Medstead 1981–2010 averages". Station, District and regional averages 1981–2010. Met Office. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Dwelling Census of Medstead". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Population of Medstead". Hampshire Hub. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ Medstead Ethnic Group, 2011, Office for National Statistics, 2011, retrieved 3 January 2017
- ^ "Contact Details – Medstead CofE (Controlled) Primary School". Medstead C of E Primary School. Hampshire County Council. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead, The School c.1955". Francis Frirth. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Preschool – About Us". Medstead Pre-school & Nursery. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Lawn Tennis Club homepage". Medstead Lawn Tennis Club. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Cricket Club". Medstead CC. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Bowls Club". Bentworth Parish Council. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Medstead Village Hall (East Hampshire)". Medstead Village Hall. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Elections". hants.gov.uk. Hampshire County Council. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ^ "Have your say on new county division boundaries for Hampshire". The Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Your Councillors by Ward". easthants.moderngov.co.uk. East Hampshire District Council. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Church of St Andrew – Medstead". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "War Memorial South East of the Church of St Andrew – Medstead". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Listed Buildings in Medstead". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Southdown Old Farmhouse – Medstead". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Wheel House and Donkey Wheel Immediately South West of Southdown Old Farmhouse – Medstead". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ Hampshire Record Office, 32M 94/1/71
External links
- Medstead Parish Council website
- Medstead Village website – medstead.org
- Stained Glass Windows at St. Andrew, Medstead, Hampshire