Jump to content

Bentworth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jaguar (talk | contribs) at 18:47, 11 October 2010 (→‎Middle ages: Added refs). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bentworth
File:Bentworth Hall Place Pond portrait.jpg
1942 watercolour portrait of Bentworth Hall Place by A.C. Bown
Population550 (2010)
OS grid referenceSU664401
Civil parish
  • Bentworth
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAlton
Postcode districtGU34
Dialling code01420
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
Websitehttp://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 (6 km) west of Alton just off the A339. It has an acreage of 3,763 acres (1522 hectares), of which about 280 acres (1.1 km2) are woodland.[1]

The parish covers an area of approximately 5.5 square miles (14.2 square kilometres). It has two pubs, the Star Inn[2] and the Sun Inn[3] (although it did have a third pub called the Moon Inn, but this was burned down in a fire in 1951), 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,[4] 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. The manor of Bentworth was not mentioned in the Domesday Survey,[5] but was included in the Odiham Hundred. It was, however, recognized as a notable manor whilst in the reign of Henry I, when it was given by the king to King Geoffrey, between 1111 and 1116.[6]

George Wither, a famous English poet and satirist was born in Bentworth in 1588.[7]

At over 700 feet (210 m) above sea level, Bentworth is counted as the highest village in Hampshire.[8]

History

Prehistory

Bentworth has a known history going back 3000 years. The name has been spelt in many different ways including: Bentewurda or Bintewurda (as it was known in c.1100) and Bynteworth (as it was known around c.1400).[9] There are competing theories for the origin of the name on which one suggests that the original meaning of the name Bent- worth must have been a place of cultivated land, or a way through other known land.[10]

Prehistoric archaeological sites and remains have been found in the Bentworth parish over the years. Such as a Stone Age implement Mesolithic Thames was picked up near a field by Childer Hill[11] in 1942. It is now in Newbury Museum. Also a Bronze Age cremation was found north of Nancole Copse[12] in 1955. The Tripartite cinerary urn contained a cremation of an adult. The urn is now exhibited in Alton Museum.

Belgic pottery and animal bones found in face of Quarry[13] in Holt End, 1954 and Roman coins found near Tinkers Lane.[14] The bronze coin of Valentinian I was found in a garden. It is now stored in Alton Museum. Also fine pottery, bone objects, spindle-whorls and fragments of Roman roofing tiles was found in Wivelrod.[15]

Saxon times

King John of England had the possession of Bentworth in the eleventh century.

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 10th 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.[16][17]

Middle ages

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,[18] and it served as the only way to Basing and Vindomis - a lost Roman settlement which has grown into Alton today.[19][20]

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 respectively.

John de Melton inherited the manor on the death of his father Sir William Melton, Archbishop of York in 1399, and he was returned as owner of Bentworth in 1431;[21] he died in 1455, and was succeeded by his son, who died in 1474 seised of the manor, his heir being his grandson John Melton.[22]

1939-1945

The villages of Bentworth and Lasham both played roles in both World Wars. Lasham had its airfield, which played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain,[23] serving as a launch station for numerous squadrons such as the No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAF, which took off 30th October 1944 for its bombing run on D-Day.

The airfield at Lasham was so successful that the Luftwaffe tried to bomb the airfield and Bentworth village itself. In June 1942, a bomb was dropped dangerously close to Bentworth St. Mary Church, landing approximately 23 mertes away from the church.[24] The large dip still can be found today next to the church, at Swains Farm.

In late 1940, a childrens home was built in Bentworth for those who had evacuated London during the London Blitz. The home was known to be located on Drury Lane, but it was either demolished or burned down in a fire along with the Moon Inn in 1951.

With an outbreak of World War II the village was in desperate need for houses. Thus the council estates of Glebe Fields and Glebe Close were built in early 1946. The small estate sits in the corner of the large field that is owned by the church, giving the name 'Glebe Fields'. The houses were built to house the families who evacuated from London during the war.

Recent history

The village of Bentworth has grown in size in recent years, and is known as the highest village in Hampshire.[8] Bentworth Hall and all of its manors still remain today,[25] being privately 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. Today, Bentworth has a Primary School[26] (known as St. Mary's Bentworth School, which can be found next to the church) and two pubs.

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.

Parish Decline

An old map showing the parish of Bentworth in 1811.

In the mid 1880s, Bentworth had a total parish of over 4,600 acres (19 km2). Nearby places like Bradley, Moundsmere, Medstead and Lower Wield were all under the parish of Bentworth. At one point, villages as far as five miles (8 km) away came under their address of Bentworth.

Holt End had extended as far as half of the land in Medstead. The hamlet of Burkam owned land in Bradley and Moundsmere, Wivelrod extended as far as Alton Abbey and some parts in Beech (although much of Medstead and Beech did not exist in the 18th century). In 1920, the Bentworth-Lasham railway station opened, in which the parishes of Bentworth and Lasham had shared.[27]

But in 1940, Bentworth had lost nearly 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) as Medstead, Beech and Bradley were annexed to gain each an independent parish and Lower Wield was merged into the parish of Wield. Bentworth had lost its own address code, and came under Alton.

St. Mary's Church

St. Mary's Church, Bentworth.

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 feet (8.2 m). by 17 feet 4 inches (5.28 m), with a small north vestry; nave, 48 feet 7 inches (14.81 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m). The nave arcades date from the last quarter of the 12th century, and the chancel arch is of the same period.[28] 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 19th century. Externally, the extension building is Victorian, with plain roofs, flint walls with stone dressings; stepped buttresses, plinth, and in the nave coubled traceried lights. The bold west tower (1891) has diagonal buttresses with an elaborate arrangement of steps (some with gabled ornamentation), and at the top is a timber turret, surmounted by a broach spire.[29]

Parish

Within the Bentworth parish contains several scattered hamlets, the largest being Burkham, Wivelrod, Holt End and Ashley. Gaston Grange and Thedden Grange are manors and do not count as hamlets.

Burkham

Main article: Burkham
Tinker's Lane in Bentworth has the remains of The Battle of Alton nearby, connecting with Wivelrod hill - one of the highest points in Hampshire.

Burkham (Brocham, known in the 14th century; Barkham, 16th century; Berkham, Burcum, 18th century.) is the largest hamlet in the parish of Bentworth. It was first 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.[30]

In the return of the feudal aids in 1316, a certain landowner named 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 House 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.[31]

Wivelrod

Wivelrod,[32] also a hamlet, in the south-east, is mentioned as early as 1259 and is one of the oldest parts of Bentworth. 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.[33]

Wivelrod hill is the highest point in the Bentworth parish. Today, the hamlet stands near Alton Abbey.

Holt End (New Copse)

Holt End[34] 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. The whole area between Holt End and Medstead Grange lies disputed with Medstead, although Holt End is historically part of Bentworth. The original meaning for the name 'Holt End' must have been an end of a road or a dead end. This name theory lies provable because even today Jennie Green Lane has a dead end to it, and was once one of the crossing points between Bentworth and Ropley.[35]

Ashley

Ashley[36] 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).[37] The hamlet is the main crossing point between the village of Bentworth and the neighbouring village of Upper Wield. The borders between the parish lie disputed between the parishes of Bentworth and Wield, although the post code of Ashley Farm comes under Bentworth.[38]

Thedden

Main article: Thedden
Thedden Grange.

Thedden[39] is a hamlet which is not in Bentworth itself but its address comes under the parish.[40] 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.[41]

Gaston Grange

Gaston Grange[42] is one of the manors of Bentworth Hall, with a large wood attached to the grange, it also belongs to the Bentworth Hall estate, and is on the south-eastern boundary of the parish, next to Wield. There are several farms close by in the village, on the northern side of which is the church, with the rectory close by standing in its own grounds. Gaston Grange is now privately owned.

In 1914, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Gordon lived in Gaston Grange, in which he was a leading Colonel in the First World War and a politician of Northern Ireland.[43]

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.[44] 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

File:Bentworth & Lasham Station.jpg
Bentworth and Lasham railway station in 1928
Main article: 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.[4] The railway station was designed by John Wallis Titt.[45] The station was the first stopping point to Alton and the last from Basingstoke.[46] The Bentworth and Lasham railway station is also well known for making an appearance in the 1929 film The Wrecker[47] and the 1937 film Oh, Mr Porter!.[48] Remarkably, the old shelter used in the station survived until its full demolition in 2003.

The station was first opened in 1 June 1901, then it was closed in 30 December 1916. It was reopened again on 18 August 1924, lasting eight years until its final closure in 1932. The station was however used for another six years for goods traffic until its demolition on 1 June 1936.[49]

Manors and houses of Bentworth

Hall Place Farm and the manors of Bentworth and Bentworth Hall were bought by Mr. Fisher for £6,000; the building is said to have been constructed by John of 'Bynteworth' and was used as a manor court.[50] 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.[51][52] 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.

Ivalls Cottage (formerly the headquarters of Bentworth Parish Council)[53] is a large house which sits at the corner of Bentworth Hall. With late 18th century and early 19th century extensions which includes brick and flint walls, with a tile (some slate) roof.[54] Beside the cottage also includes Ivalls Farm House, one of the older buildings in the area, is a timber framed and cruck built farmhouse of which there are very few in Hampshire. It was built around 1500 with and 20th century additions.[55]

Village wall

A map showing the old wall of Bentworth. Lines underlined in black are parts of the wall which still remain today. Lines underlined in red are parts that are either badly damaged or decayed.

A notable manor in the village is Mulberry House, whcih was formely the Rectory.[56] The house itself has large grounds which surrounds the church and its graveyard. A footpath leading to the church follows the grounds of Mulberry House. The grounds of Mulberry House has a wall to mark its boundaries.

Around the centre of the village is a large wall which once divided the village in two. The wall was known to be built around the 13th century, which today is slowly decaying. The wall retains its original character, although the upper half has almost disapeared in recent years due to the decaying.[57] The wall itself is made up of stone and rough limescale which has been damaged in recent years due to vandalism.[58] Other than that, the wall remains in its original position from its last extension in 1942.

There is a double-chamfered lancet window in the east wall of what was originally the chapel, now used as a dairy, and a blocked doorway with a segmental arch. In a passage there is a shield of fifteen quarterings.

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.[59][60]
  • 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.[61]
  • 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.[62][63]
  • Peter des Roches (?-1238), Bishop of Winchester who was granted temporary possession of Bentworth Hall after having it being passed on by King Geoffrey.[64]

The Hundred of Odiham

The Hundred of Odiham Index Map as known in the mid 1800s. The Odiham Hundred is highlighted in white.
Main article: The Hundred of Odiham

From the 18th 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 royal Hundred of Odiham was a large plan containing the parishes of; Bentworth, Dogmersfield, Elvetham, Greywell, Hartley Wintney, Lasham, Liss, Odiham, Rotherwick, Shalden, Sherfield-on-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,[65] and the latter included Odiham, Winchfield, Elvetham, Dogmersfield, and a 'past' parish named Berchelei.[66][67] 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.[68]

Population figures

Below are tables showing the population of the whole Bentworth parish with each table showing the total inhabitants of every hamlet in the parish. In 1789 the population of Bentworth was 425.[69] By 1861 the population had grew to 470.[70] Today the parish consists of a total of 550 inhabitants.[71]

Distribution of Residences

Geography

Bentworth and surrounding villages

Bentworth Parish

References

  1. ^ Statistics from Bd. of Agric. (1905)
  2. ^ Star Inn, Bentworth
  3. ^ Wendy Miller Hampshire Pub Guide: The Sun Inn, Bentworth Telegraph 20 October 2007
  4. ^ a b [1] Alton Light Railway closure
  5. ^ [2] The Hundred of Odiham Domesday Survey
  6. ^ A History of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Volume 2. Herbert Arthur Doubleday. p. 194.
  7. ^ [3] Goerge Wither early life
  8. ^ a b Hampshire Chalk Downs/Highest points in Hampshire
  9. ^ Older Bentworth names
  10. ^ [4] Bentworth Name Origin
  11. ^ 680 399|SU 680 399 Mesolithic Thames found in Bentworth
  12. ^ 663 421|SU 663 421 Bronze Age cremation found by the A339, Bentworth
  13. ^ 658 391|SU 658 391 Belgic pottery and animal bones found in a rubbish pit in Bentworth
  14. ^ 664 399|SU 664 399 Roman coin found in a garden in Bentworth
  15. ^ 675 383|SU 675 383 Roman pottery found in Wivelrod House
  16. ^ [5] River Wey Source
  17. ^ [6] Source of the River Wey
  18. ^ [7] The A339 Road around Bentworth
  19. ^ Vindomis - a lost Roman town
  20. ^ Vindomis location at Neatham
  21. ^ Feud. Aids, ii,. 1856. p. 314.
  22. ^ The Archbishops of York, the Yorkshire journal Volume 9. Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Association. p. 420.
  23. ^ Lasham Airfield in WWII
  24. ^ [SU 66553 40358 OS Grid reference]
  25. ^ [8] Map of Bentworth Hall
  26. ^ Bentworth Primary School
  27. ^ [9] Bentworth and Lasham Railway Station info and location - Wikimapia
  28. ^ St. Mary's Church Detailed Record
  29. ^ [10] St. Mary's Church
  30. ^ [11] Map of Burkham
  31. ^ Feud. Aids, ii,. 1856. p. 314.
  32. ^ [City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf Map of Wivelrod
  33. ^ Book of reference to the plan of the parish of ... Ordnance Survey. 1879. p. 26.
  34. ^ [Town]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf Map of Holt End
  35. ^ [12] Previous A31 road found through Bentworth history
  36. ^ [Farm]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf Map of Ashley
  37. ^ [13] Ashley Farm parish. Bentworth or Wield?
  38. ^ [14] Ashley Farm postcode
  39. ^ [15] Map of Thedden Grange
  40. ^ [16] Thedden Grange Address
  41. ^ "Press Release March 2004". Surrey Border Film & Video Makers. 2004. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  42. ^ [17] Map of Gaston Grange
  43. ^ Papers by command, Volume 83. House of Commons. 1947. p. 24.
  44. ^ Home Farm, Bentworth
  45. ^ Griffith, Edward (1982). The Basingstoke & Alton Light Railway 1901 - 1936. Newbury: Kingfisher Railway Publications. pp. p16. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  46. ^ [18] Old Hampshire Gazetteer - Basingstoke Light Railway
  47. ^ [19]The Wrecker appearance in Bentworth and Lasham
  48. ^ [20]Oh, Mr Porter! appearance in Bentworth and Lasham
  49. ^ Basingstoke's Railway History Bentworth Goods Traffic
  50. ^ Bentworth Hall Place
  51. ^ Local information kindly supplied by the Rev. W. G. Cazalet, rector of Bentworth
  52. ^ [21] Hall Place Farm
  53. ^ Ivalls Bentworth CP
  54. ^ Ivalls Cottage
  55. ^ Ivalls Farmhouse
  56. ^ Mulberry House
  57. ^ Bentworth Wall decay and vandalism
  58. ^ Churchyard wall information
  59. ^ [22] George Wither in Bentworth
  60. ^ A History Of The Wither Family. Reginald Fitz Hugh Bigg-Wither. 1907. p. 154.
  61. ^ David Charles Douglas (1940). William the Conqueror: the Norman impact upon England. p. 2.
  62. ^ William the Conqueror: the Norman impact upon England. 1940. p. 71.
  63. ^ Cal. Pat. 1216–25. David Charles Douglas. p. 329.
  64. ^ The Haskins Society journal: studies in medieval history. Robert Patterson. 1911. p. 156.
  65. ^ De Banco R. Thomas Frederick Kirby. 1823. p. 148.
  66. ^ 'Berchelei' has not been identified, but it is suggested that it may have been at Bartley Heath in Odiham.
  67. ^ V.C.H. Hants. Eila M. J. Campbell. pp. 291, 450, 472, 502, 504.
  68. ^ Cal. Close. Edward Kennard Rand. pp. 353–354.
  69. ^ A topographical dictionary of the united kingdom. Benjamin Pitts Capper. 1789. p. 42.
  70. ^ A new and comprehensive gazetteer of England and Wales, illustr. by a series ... Unknown. 1861. p. 188.
  71. ^ [23] Office of National Statistics Census 2001
Local and national government
History
Church and village community
Miscellaneous
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bentworth&oldid=390113182"