Olde Bedhampton

Had to add a picture (or 2) of Olde Bedhampton.

BEDHAMPTON

Betametone (xi cent.); Bodehampton (xv cent.); Bedhampton (xvi cent.).

The parish of Bedhampton is very long and narrow, being about 1½ miles in breadth at the widest part and 6½ miles in length; its southern part extending down Langstone Harbour nearly as far as the South Hayling farm, and including the four islands, Baker's Island, Long Island, and North and South Binness. A small part of the town of Havant lies within its boundaries. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway passes through the village, which is about a mile west from Havant Station and 6 miles north-east of Portsmouth. A cluster of low houses near the church forms the older part of the village, while a group of inns, shops, and houses lying along both sides of the high road from Portsmouth to Havant, and separated from the church by a wide meadow called Bedbury Mead, marks the modern outgrowth. Here are the schools which were built in 1868, enlarged in 1873, and again in 1895, for about 180 children; and also a Primitive Methodist chapel erected in 1875. From the schools a footpath over Bedbury Mead leads south-west to Lower Bedhampton, as the part near the church is called. Opposite the church are the rectory, a large white house, and Bedbury House, which is at present unoccupied. Directly north-west of the church the manor house stands on rising ground overlooking Bedbury Mead. Other houses are The Elms, at the corner of the road to the west of the church, occupied by Mr. Lionel Fawkes, and The Towers, occupied by Miss Meiklam, on the main road from Portsmouth to Havant, west of the village.

There are numerous springs in the village, which have become quite famous for their properties; St. Chad's Well, near the manor house, being supposed to possess the most health-giving virtues. A stream rising near the post office runs parallel with the village street. The hamlet of Belmont lies on high ground north of the church, and is almost a continuation of the village.

Belmont Park, the seat of Mr. W. H. Snell, lies to the north and covers an area of some 20 acres. The north-west part of the parish of Bedhampton is thickly wooded, once forming part of the Forest of Bere, which in early times extended as far south as the range of the Portsdown Hills.

The road which leads northward from Belmont to Waterlooville goes through the heart of this beautifully wooded country, Little Parkwood, Neville's Park, and Beech Wood being the names of the largest stretches of woodland. The area of the parish is about 2,401 acres of land, and 4 acres of land covered by water; 228 acres covered by tidal water and 1,166 acres of foreshore. (fn. 1) The proportion of land in the parish is 542¾ acres of arable land, 1,125 acres of permanent grass, and 413½ acres of woodland. (fn. 2) The soil is loam; subsoil chalk; and varies in quality. The chief crops are wheat, barley, and oats.

From: 'Parishes: Bedhampton', A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (1908), pp. 142-144. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41945 Date accessed: 05 September 2009.