Bentworth

Bentworth
Bentworth
Population	550 (2010)
OS grid reference	SU664401
Civil parish	Bentworth;
District	East Hampshire;
Shire county	Hampshire;
Region	South East;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Alton
Postcode district	GU34
Dialling code	01420
Police	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance	South Central
Website	http://www.bentworth.info
	List of places UK England Hampshire

Bentworth is a historic village and a large civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies about four miles west of Alton just off the A339. It has an acreage of 3,763 acres (1522 hectares), of which about 280 acres are woodland.

The parish covers an area of approximately 5.5 square miles (14.2 square kilometres). It has two pubs, the Star Inn^[1] and the Sun Inn^[2] (although it did have a third pub called the Moon Inn, but this was burned down in a fire in 1921), a church and a primary school. It was formerly served by the Bentworth and Lasham railway station on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway, until its closure in 1932. But due to the closure of the Bentworth and Lasham railway station, the nearest railway station is now 3.6 miles (5.8 km) east of the village, at Alton.

The large estate of Bentworth Hall is located in the south-east of the village, next to Gaston Grange wood. The manor of Bentworth is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and it was included in the Odiham Hundred. It was, however, recognized as a manor in the reign of Henry I, when it was given by the king to King Geoffrey, between 1111 and 1116.

George Wither, a famous English poet and satirist was born in Bentworth in 1588.

At over 700 feet above sea level, Bentworth is counted as the highest village in Hampshire.

History

Saxon times

Bentewurda or Bintewurda (as it was known in c.1100).

The known Saxon History of Bentewurda came from the Domesday Survey, as King Egbert's son, Ethelwulf of Wessex had been given the land of Bentworth Hall to own after King Egbert had deceased. Later King Ethwulf sold Bentworth Hall to the Archbishop of Canturbury, Ethelnoth whom he passed it on to King John.

Bentworth Hall itself can date back to the late tenth century and its manors and houses has been passed on countless times. One time Bentworth Hall was in the reign of King John, January 1207–8, Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, was granted temporary possession of the manor of Bentworth. Bentworth Hall was opened in the late 12th century, by King John. It was then later obtained by the Bishop of Winchester 200 years later.

In the 11th century, Bentworth was a main crossing point to Basing to Winchester. Bentworth is located on the hill which is the source of the River Wey which is in Alton. Some people believe that Bentworth (or Shalden) is on top of the source of the river. This theory is yet unknown, but the source is actually in Alton.

Middle ages

Bynteworth (as it was known around c.1400).

The main passing point from Basing to Winchester was ceased as a new road was built around the valley of the villages Bentworth and Lasham. The road today is known as the A339, and it served as the only way to Basing and Vindomis - a lost Roman settlement which has grown into Alton today.

When King Geoffrey had died, he left the possession of Bentworth Hall to the Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches. Bentworth Hall had served as a 'hiding place' for the Kings of Wessex for centuries but yet as the House of Wessex dissolved, Bentworth Hall was later given to King John, who kept it and passed it on to his heirs.

Recent History

The village of Bentworth has grown in size in recent years, and is known as the highest village in Hampshire. Bentworth Hall and all of its manors still remain today, being privatly owned. In 2006, Bentworth Hall was searched and had found many hidden, but inexpensive medieval remains that had once been in the belongings to King Geoffrey (who had lived in Bentworth Hall in the mid 11th century).

The old Railway Station that sits beside the A339 has been demolished since the 1930s. The Bentworth and Lasham railway station had served in the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway since it was declined in the 1940s. The site still remains today.

The village has been considered to bear the marks of its own history, as a secret smugglers' tunnel had been found at the bottom of a well in the 1980s. The tunnel does not lead anywhere but it was estimated that it crossed Bentworth Hall to Wivelrod Manor.

Manors and houses of Bentworth

File:DSCF8139.JPG=600.jpg

A picture of Bentworth Hall (East Wing) around the early 1910's (exact date unknown).

Hall Place Farm and the manors of Bentworth and Bentworth Hall were bought by Mr. Fisher for £6,000; sundry enclosures of Useful and Eligible Land situate at Wivelrod, but not including the farm, were sold for £900. Hall Place, now called Manor Farm, in the village of Bentworth, represents the old manor-house of Bentworth Hall, which in the 18th century was called 'Bentworth Hall Place' the present hall having been built in the middle of the last century. The old house dates probably from the 14th century, but retains little of its original character; the outer and inner doorways at the entrance have two-centred arches of two splayed orders, and in the lobby there is a trefoiled light.

St. Mary's Church

The church of St. Mary, situated at the north-east of the village, stands in the centre of a churchyard which is enclosed by a wood paling and surrounded by tall trees. It consists of chancel 27 ft. by 17 ft. 4 in, with a small north vestry; nave, 48 ft. 7 in. by 17 ft. The nave arcades date from the last quarter of the 12th century, and the chancel arch is of the same period. The chancel was built round an older chancel about 1260, and the lower part of the tower is of the same date or a little earlier. The aisles of the nave seem to have been rebuilt in the 14th century, and in modern times the fabric has been thoroughly repaired. The church itself used to be larger than it is today, but a quarter was destroyed by a fire in the late 1800's.

Parish

Within the Bentworth boundary are four hamlets, Burkham, Wivelrod, Holt End and Ashley. Each settled by descendants of the royal Tudor family. Many of King Henry VII's long descendants had been involved on owning Bentworth's manors and land.

Burkham

Burkham (Brocham, known in the 14th century; Barkham, 16th century; Berkham, Burcum, 18th century.) is mentioned in the gift of Bentworth to the Archbishop of Rouen c. 1111–16, where it is described as a 'berewite' or outlying farm. The hamlet of Burkham is in the extreme north-west corner of the parish.

In the return of the feudal aids in 1316, a certain landowner John Daleron held 'Brocham,' which was probably Burkham. In the 16th century it followed the descent of Bentworth Hall, Robert Hunt acquiring the manor of Burkham along with the village of Bentworth itself by fine from Henry Lord Windsor in 1590. This was in the same year Robert Magewick purchased it all for £160.

Wivelrod

Wivelrod, also a hamlet, in the south-east, is mentioned as early as 1259. In the 18th century Wivelrod was called a manor, and belonged to the owner of Bentworth Hall; a part of this property was sold with Bentworth in 1832.

Wivelrod hill is the highest point in Hampshire.

Holt End (New Copse)

Holt End is a hamlet at the edge of Bentworth's boundary. It is close to Medstead and Medstead Grange, (which is in the Bentworth parish boundary) and has Jennie Green Lane running through the hamlet. Holt End is also known as 'New Copse', a heath-looking dusty track which connects with Jennie Green Lane and Gaston Grange wood.

Ashley

Ashley is a small hamlet farm at the edge of Ashley Road. The hamlet of Ashley is close to Wield and is often mistaken by the East Hampshire District Council for being in the wrong parish, thus making Ashley Farm in a different district council (Winchester City Council).

Thedden

Thedden is a hamlet which is not in Bentworth itself but its address comes under the parish. Thedden Grange is a country house and an estate which used to belong to one of the manors of Bentworth Hall. The house itself used to be a prisoner of war camp in World War II and the grounds of Thedden Grange were filmed in a few television series.

Gaston Grange

Gaston Grange is one of the manors of Bentworth Hall, with a wood attached to the grange, it also belongs to the Bentworth Hall estate, and is on the south-eastern boundary of the parish. There are several farms in the village, on the northern side of which is the church, with the rectory close by standing in its own grounds

Home Farm (Woodland Trust)

Home Farm, near Burkham is a Woodland Trust area which consists 339 acres (137 hectares) of farmland, wooden copses and wide moors. Home Farm was brought by Woodland Trust and opened in 1991. Home Farm has new plantations of trees which connects from the oak woodland of Preston Oak Hills and Herriard Common.

Bentworth and Lasham railway station

A railway station (part of the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway) used to run through the villages of Bentworth and Lasham until its closure in 1932. The station was the first stopping point to Alton and the last from Basingstoke. The Bentworth and Lasham railway station is also well known for making an appearance in the 1929 film The Wrecker and the 1937 film Oh, Mr Porter!.

Notable People

George Wither (1588-1667), famous English poet and satirist, born in Bentworth in 1588 and was baptised in the church of St. Mary, who he later (being a firm believer in Oliver Cromwell's cause) sold all his land in the parish in order to raise a troop of horses for him.
King Egbert (769-839) , king of Wessex who lived in Bentworth for a few years and owned Bentworth Hall, who he passed onto his heirs, respectively.
King Henry I (1068-1135), owned Bentworth Hall and lived there for a few years.
King Geoffrey (1113-1151), owned Bentworth hall after the death of King Henry I and lived there until passing it on to the Bishop of Winchester.
Peter des Roches (?-1238), Bishop of Winchester who was granted temporary possession of Bentworth Hall after having it being passed on by King Geoffrey.

The Hundred of Odiham

From the eighteenth century, a law in England required that all manors of villages and parishes had to be merged with a 'Hundred' to form it. The nearest Hundred to Bentworth was Odiham at the date, and thus all manors within the area were recorded in the Hundred of Odiham by law.

The Hundred of Odiham was a large plan containing the parishes of; Bentworth, Dogmersfield, Elvetham, Greywell, Hartley Wintney, Lasham, Liss, Odiham, Rotherwick, Shalden, Sherfield-Upon-Loddon, Weston Patrick, and Winchfield.

At the time of the Domesday Survey the parishes contained in the Hundred of Odiham were included in the two hundreds of Odiham and the parish of Hefedele (also known as Edefele and Efedele). The former comprised Lasham and Shalden and half a hide which had been taken from the nearby village Preston Candover, and the latter included Odiham, Winchfield, Elvetham, Dogmersfield, and a 'past' parish named Berchelei. For the manors of Bentworth, Greywell, Hartley Wintney, Liss, Sherfield-upon-Loddon, and Weston Patrick, there are no entries in the Survey, but they were all probably included in the large manor of Odiham. The manor of Liss Abbas was and remained until 1831 in Meonstoke Hundred, which neighboured the Odiham Hundred.