East Meon
Encyclopedia
East Meon is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) west of Petersfield
.
The nearest railway station is 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the village, at Petersfield
.
The village is located in the Meon Valley approximately 31 km (19.3 mi) north of Portsmouth
and 98 km (60.9 mi) southwest of London
, on the headwaters of the River Meon
. With an acreage of 11370 acres (46 km²), East Meon is geographically the largest parish in East Hampshire
. The boundaries of the present Parish
of East Meon date back to 1894.
burial barrows within the parish of East Meon which date back to around 2000 BC. There is also an iron age
fort, situated just outside the parish boundaries on Old Winchester Hill
, constructed approximately 500 years before the Romans
invaded Britain. There is also evidence of Roman occupation in and around the village. East Meon itself may have started life somewhere between 400 and 600 AD. Then it was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great. The Domesday Survey of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror; it records six mills and land for 64 ploughs.
Jessica Sims was born here and lived here from the late 80's til 2007.
The village church was built after the Norman Conquest, and dates between 1075 and 1150 where Andrew Renny Blackman was once Christened. It resembles Winchester Cathedral in style, and like the Cathedral, it contains a black marble baptismal font
created at Tournai
, in what is now Belgium
, c. 1130-40. The Tournai font is one of only four such fonts in the county of Hampshire. Inside the church there is a stone, which has the words "Amens Plenty" carved into it, which is said to sit atop the graves of four men buried in the standing position.
Opposite the church is the old Court House, with a mediaeval hall dating from the late 14th century. at this time, and for many centuries, East Meon belonged to successive Bishops of Winchester
, and the Court House was its administrative centre and home to a number of monk
s who played host to the Bishop when he visited East Meon. They also recorded all memorial imports and exports.
East Meon has played its part in the English Civil War
of the 1640s. The Parliamentarians
camped near the village before the Battle of Cheriton
in 1644, and it is said that they stole the lead lining from the font in order to make their bullets. This turned out to be the turning point in the War. During the Second World War, Hitler's
Luftwaffe
dropped 38 high explosive bombs and an estimated 3,500 incendiary bombs in the Parish; the only loss of life, however, was a pig.
In 1986, the 900th anniversary of the "Domesday Book
", East Meon was chosen as "The Domesday Village", with a model in Winchester's Great Hall depicting the village as it was then - the model can still be seen alongside the famous tapestry
at Bayeux
in Normandy
.
The Hall is available for hire for Weddings and Funerals, Dances and Discos, Theatre Groups, Conferences, Trade Associations, Sales Promotion, Meetings or Private Parties, Children's Functions (there is an outdoor play area adjacent to the Hall) Indoor Sports, Keep Fit, Yoga and many more.
A vital part of fund-raising for the Village Hall is an annual May Fair
which attracts thousands of visitors from the whole of the region and is run by volunteers drawn from every section of the Parish.
Club is a village affair, with its teams rooted firmly in East Meon. Its ground is attractively located at the South East of the village and the team is sponsored by Ye Olde George Inn, to which teams repair at the end of play for sandwiches and reminiscences of the match that has just been played.
Needle matches are those against nearby villages, particularly Steep and West Meon. More social events include the games played against the President's XI, captained by Bill Tyrwhitt Drake, the Court House XI, with George and Clare Bartlett entertaining both teams to supper at the Court House after the match, and Captain Scott’s XI, a regular visiting side whose founder, Harry Thomson, died in 2005.
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
district of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) west of Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
.
The nearest railway station is 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the village, at Petersfield
Petersfield railway station
Petersfield railway station is a railway station serving the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
.
The village is located in the Meon Valley approximately 31 km (19.3 mi) north of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and 98 km (60.9 mi) southwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on the headwaters of the River Meon
River Meon
The River Meon is a river that flows through an area of Hampshire in southern England known as the Meon Valley, it flows generally southwards from the South Downs to the Solent. For most of its route it is a chalk stream, with a length of 21 miles .The River Meon rises approximately...
. With an acreage of 11370 acres (46 km²), East Meon is geographically the largest parish in East Hampshire
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
. The boundaries of the present Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of East Meon date back to 1894.
History
There are bronze ageBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
burial barrows within the parish of East Meon which date back to around 2000 BC. There is also an iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
fort, situated just outside the parish boundaries on Old Winchester Hill
Old Winchester Hill
Old Winchester Hill is a chalk hill in Hampshire, England surmounted by an Iron Age hill fort and a Bronze Age cemetery. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve. The hill fort has never been fully excavated.-Location:...
, constructed approximately 500 years before the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
invaded Britain. There is also evidence of Roman occupation in and around the village. East Meon itself may have started life somewhere between 400 and 600 AD. Then it was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great. The Domesday Survey of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror; it records six mills and land for 64 ploughs.
Jessica Sims was born here and lived here from the late 80's til 2007.
The village church was built after the Norman Conquest, and dates between 1075 and 1150 where Andrew Renny Blackman was once Christened. It resembles Winchester Cathedral in style, and like the Cathedral, it contains a black marble baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
created at Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, in what is now Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, c. 1130-40. The Tournai font is one of only four such fonts in the county of Hampshire. Inside the church there is a stone, which has the words "Amens Plenty" carved into it, which is said to sit atop the graves of four men buried in the standing position.
Opposite the church is the old Court House, with a mediaeval hall dating from the late 14th century. at this time, and for many centuries, East Meon belonged to successive Bishops of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, and the Court House was its administrative centre and home to a number of monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s who played host to the Bishop when he visited East Meon. They also recorded all memorial imports and exports.
East Meon has played its part in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
of the 1640s. The Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
camped near the village before the Battle of Cheriton
Battle of Cheriton
The Battle of Cheriton was an important Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War. It took place on 29 March 1644 and resulted in the defeat of a Royalist army, which threw King Charles I onto the defensive for the remainder of the year.-Campaign:...
in 1644, and it is said that they stole the lead lining from the font in order to make their bullets. This turned out to be the turning point in the War. During the Second World War, Hitler's
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
dropped 38 high explosive bombs and an estimated 3,500 incendiary bombs in the Parish; the only loss of life, however, was a pig.
In 1986, the 900th anniversary of the "Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
", East Meon was chosen as "The Domesday Village", with a model in Winchester's Great Hall depicting the village as it was then - the model can still be seen alongside the famous tapestry
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry—nearly long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings...
at Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Community
There are many groups, available for a wide variety of interests within the local area, that residents can get involved in. There are also a number of charitable organisations which work in and around the village.Groups
- The East Meon Garden Club is an active society which organises two very popular East Meon Gardens Open Days, in April and June, seven evening meetings, two visits to interesting gardens and the opportunity to buy seeds and plants, fertilisers and bulbs at discounted prices. It also runs a Plant Sale and the annual Flower Show.
- The Care Group work hard arranging transportation to local surgeries and hospitals for people who are unable to get there by themselves. It runs on local volunteers who give a piece of their time to help others.
- There is a weekly lunch held in the Village Hall which is open to local residents over the age of 60. The meat is provided by a local butcher (who also donates sherry for the Christmas lunch). The vegetables are fresh and cooking is done by a team of local volunteers.
- The Golfing Society is one of the smaller organisations in the village with less than a dozen members.
Local Charity
- Forbes Almhouses are perhaps the longest-established institution in East Meon for administering help to the poor and elderly, the Forbes Almshouses are administered and funded by a Charitable Trust, whose aim is to provide basic housing for those of very limited means.
- The Sexton is an independent organisation, registered with The Charities Commission, which funds work on the more unruly sections of the graveyard of All Saints. It also has a mandate to protect natural habitats of the Church grounds. The Sexton has no direct links to the church itself.
- The Good Causes fund are responsible for considering requests for funding, and ensure that they are within the guide lines laid down by The Charities Commission. Numerous causes have benefited from the £29,000 donated since the Fund’s inception including the Village Hall, youth organisations, the Luncheon Club, East Meon School, Meon Matters, junior sports activities and the Queen’s Golden JubileeGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth IIThe Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
and MillenniumMillenniumA millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations. Thought has also been given to the village appearance with the planting of daffodils in road-side verges as well as additional trees and replacing some of the footpath stiles with ‘kissing gates’ more user-friendly to the less able.
Village Hall
The Village Hall is a modern, well-equipped venue with one large hall and a smaller room attached, together with a large kitchen, toilets and a stage. Tables, chairs, crockery and cutlery are available for hire. There is also ample car-parking space and ramps and toilets for the disabled.The Hall is available for hire for Weddings and Funerals, Dances and Discos, Theatre Groups, Conferences, Trade Associations, Sales Promotion, Meetings or Private Parties, Children's Functions (there is an outdoor play area adjacent to the Hall) Indoor Sports, Keep Fit, Yoga and many more.
A vital part of fund-raising for the Village Hall is an annual May Fair
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
which attracts thousands of visitors from the whole of the region and is run by volunteers drawn from every section of the Parish.
Cricket
The CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club is a village affair, with its teams rooted firmly in East Meon. Its ground is attractively located at the South East of the village and the team is sponsored by Ye Olde George Inn, to which teams repair at the end of play for sandwiches and reminiscences of the match that has just been played.
Needle matches are those against nearby villages, particularly Steep and West Meon. More social events include the games played against the President's XI, captained by Bill Tyrwhitt Drake, the Court House XI, with George and Clare Bartlett entertaining both teams to supper at the Court House after the match, and Captain Scott’s XI, a regular visiting side whose founder, Harry Thomson, died in 2005.