Binsted

Binsted
Telegraph House, Binsted.
Binsted  Binsted shown within Hampshire
Population	1,635 (2001)
OS grid reference	SU770411
Civil parish	Binsted
District	East Hampshire
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ALTON
Postcode district	GU34 4
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
List of places UK England Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°09′51″N 0°53′55″W / 51.16405°N 0.89866°W / 51.16405; -0.89866

Binsted is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies about 4.1 miles (6.6 km) east of Alton, its nearest town. The parish covers an area of 1,206 acres (488 ha), and contains two hamlets, Wyck and Wheatley. The nearest railway station is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) northeast of the village, at Bentley. According to the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 1596 people.

The village was first mentioned at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, and later records show that quarries was dug up in the area. The history of Binsted from the 11th to 19th centuries were not documented, owing to its isolation and non-involvement in controversial activity. The parish has 58 Grade II listed buildings, and one Grade I building – the Church of the Holy Cross.

History

At the time of the Domesday Survey of 1086, the manor of Binsted was held by Tovi, the king's thegn, as a free manor. Later records showed that Binsted was passed to the crown shortly afterwards.^[1] At the time of the Domesday Survey the village name at the time was "Benested", which means "holding of the land".^[2] Over the years there have been different variations on the spelling of the name; including Bensted, Benested and Boonsted (11th century), Bensted (14th century), and Bennsted (17th century).^[1][2] Before the Norman Conquest, the village was known as "Binsted Popham" and was held by the King of Wessex.^[2] William the Conqueror granted the manor of Binsted to the Bishop of Winchester, and allowed digging for stone around the village in what later developed as quarries.^[1] Henry I fell into dispute with the then Bishop of Winchester and the monks of St Swithun's over Binsted, but he eventually allowed the monks to continue quarrying.^[1]

The history of Binsted from the 11th century to the early 19th century is not documented,^[1] with some sources maintaining that the village remained a "simple agricultural community" and was not involved in any controversial activity.^[2] Telegraph House, now a private home, was built by the Admiralty in 1825 as a semaphore relay station on the railway line linking London with Plymouth, with the intention to provide a number of key relay stations forming a line of communication between important points.^[3][4] Binsted School was built in 1875.^[2]

In 1870–72 the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales by John Marius Wilson described Binsted as:

...  a parish and a subdistrict in the district of Alton, Hants. The parish lies 2½ miles SSW of Bentley r. station, and 4 NE by E of Alton; contains the hamlets of Issington, Week, Westcote, and Wheatley; and has a post office under Alton. Acres, 6,833. Real property, £7,104. Pop., 1,195. Houses, 231. Binstead Hill is the seat of the Coulthards. The living is a vicarage, united with the vicarage of Kingsley, in the diocese of Winchester. Value, not reported.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Winchester. The church is ancient, has a low embattled tower and a spire, and contains several monuments. There is a Primitive Methodist chapel.-The subdistrict comprises eight parishes and an extra-parochial tract. Acres, 27,482. Pop., 4,806. Houses, 980.^[5]

Geography and demographics

Binsted is located in the eastern central part of Hampshire, in South East England, 4.1 miles (6.6 km) east of Alton, its nearest town.^[6] The parish covers an area of 1,206 acres (488 ha), of which 299 acres (121 ha) are of arable land, 476 acres (193 ha) of permanent grass, and 253 acres (102 ha) of woodland.^[1] The landscape is dominated by farms and woodland such as Binsted Farm, Wheatley Copse and Sparkfield Wood.^[6] A number of old quarries indicate that chalk was once worked in the parish.^[1] The parish contains two individual hamlets; Wyck and Wheatley.^[6] According to the 2011 census, the parish of Binsted had a population of 1596 people. In addition, there are 711 households in the parish with an average size of 2.56 people.^[7]

Neighbouring towns, villages, and places

	Upper Froyle	Bentley	Bucks Horn Oak
	Alton		Blacknest
		Binsted
	East Worldham	Kingsley	Bordon

Notable landmarks

Church of the Holy Cross as viewed from the east side.

The parish contains a total of 58 Grade II listed buildings,^[8] including a Grade II* listed barn,^[9] and the Church of the Holy Cross, a Grade I listed building.^[10] The church dates from the late 12th century with early 13th and 15th century additions, as well as a substantial restoration in 1863. The building itself consists of stone walls, a tiled roof, and a stone slated porch. The oldest part is the chancel, which dates from the 12th century with 15th century extensions. The north chapel was altered and extended by the action of Richard de la Bere in 1331.^[10] Other listed buildings include Barnfield House – three houses which were once separated all dating from 1550 with 20th century restorations. The house itself has a timber frame with a tiled roof, including a late medieval hall.^[11] Mill Court, another Grade II listed building, is a large dating from the early 19th century with a low pitched roof and yellow brickwork. It became a listed building on 15 August 1985.^[12]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Binsted, Hampshire.

• The History of the Church of the Holy Cross, Binsted
• Church of the Holy Cross, Binsted
• Stained Glass Windows at Holy Cross, Binsted, Hampshire

References

Towns, villages and hamlets in the East Hampshire district
Adhurst Alton Arford Ashley Barford Beech Bentley Bentworth Binsted Blackmoor Blacknest Blendworth Bordean Bordon Bradley Bramshott Bucks Horn Oak Buriton Burkham Catherington Chalton Charlwood Chawton Clanfield Cold Ash Hill Colemore Conford Deadwater Ditcham Durford Wood East Meon East Tisted East Worldham Empshott Farringdon Finchdean Flexcombe Four Marks Froxfield Froxfield Green Froyle Golden Pot Grayshott Greatham Griggs Green Hartley Mauditt Hattingley Hawkley Headley Headley Down High Cross Holt End Holybourne Hollywater Horndean Idsworth Isington Kingsley Kitwood Langrish Lasham Lindford Liphook Liss Liss Forest Longmoor Lovedean Lower Wield Medstead Monkwood Neatham New Copse Newton Valence North Street Nursted Oakhanger Oakshott Passfield Petersfield Pinewood Priors Dean Privett Ramsdean Ropley Ropley Dean Rowland's Castle Selborne Shalden Sheet Sleaford Soldridge South Hay Southrope South Town Standford Stansted Steep Steep Marsh Stroud Tickley Thedden Upper Wield West Liss West Tisted West Worldham Weston Wheatley Whitehill Wivelrod Wyck