FROXFIELD
Froxafeld (x cent.).
Froxfield is a parish of irregular shape containing
several small groups of houses, the principal settlement
being at Froxfield Green, where the old church
formerly stood. Petersfield station on the London
and South-Western Railway is about four miles from
the Green, and reached from it by the road (fn. 1) which
winds up the steep wooded slopes of Stoner Hill,
reaching a height of over 750 ft. above sea level at
the eastern boundary of the parish. This road runs
north-west through the north of the parish, its highest
point being 807 ft., and from it and the branch road
leading to the Green fine views can be obtained over
the valleys in which Petersfield, East Meon, West
Meon, and the other villages lie. Beyond rise Teglease Down, Chidden Down, Wether Down, Oxenbourn Down, Butser Hill, and Ramsdean Down, and
on a clear day the sea is distinctly visible. An earthwork or vallum which runs through the parish from
south-east to north-west is supposed to have formed
part of the boundary of the kingdoms of Wessex and
Sussex, and a Roman encampment in the south of the
parish in which several interesting remains have been
discovered proves that there were settlers here at an
early date. Froxfield Green, which is in the south
of the parish at the junction of roads from High
Cross, Stoner Hill, and Bordean, consists of a small
triangular green round which are clustered several
cottages and farms, a smithy, some old-fashioned
houses of the better sort, one of them being the
schoolhouse endowed by Mr. Robert Love in 1733,
a post office and general shop, a reading-room, and
the little church of St. Peter-on-the-Green. This
was built in 1887 on the site of the chancel of the
old church, which was pulled down, the expense being
borne by Mr. William Nicholson, D.L., J.P., of Basing
Park. At High Cross, about a mile north-east of the
Green, stands the church of St. Peter-at-High-Cross,
erected in 1862, Mr. John Silvester of The Slade
presenting the site. Opposite to it are the schools
which were built in 1876 and the vicarage, while a
little to the east, on the north of the road leading to
Week Green, is The Slade, the residence of Mr. John
Silvester. The Trooper Inn, the police-station, and
a general shop lie near each other in the east of the
parish a little to the north of Week Green Farm, along
the main road from Petersfield to Ropley. To the
east, at the corner of Honeycritch Lane and Old
Litten Lane, is a small Wesleyan chapel which was
opened in September, 1851. A mission chapel with
a reading-room attached has recently been erected by
Mr. William Nicholson at Warren Corner in the
north of the parish.
Basing Park, the seat of Mr. William Nicholson,
lies in the north-western extremity of the parish,
and extends into the neighbouring parishes of Colemore and Privett. The park is very richly wooded,
and covers an area of 450 acres. The house, which
is modern, is approached from the main road by an
avenue of pines. Broadhanger, formerly the property
of the Greenwood family and at present the residence
of Mr. Reginald Montgomerie Caulfield, is on high
ground between Stoner and Bordean Hills, and looks
down upon the hanging woods of oak, ash, and chestnut which sweep down into the vale of Langrish.
Oakshott, in the extreme north-east of the parish, was
formerly a tithing of East Meon, as also was Week
Green near Stoner Hill.
The area of the parish is 4,909 acres, including
2,847½ acres of arable land, 1,240¼ acres of permanent
grass, and 471¾ acres of woods and plantations. (fn. 2) In
1680 there were the following common-lands in the
parish of Froxfield—The Barnett, Ring's Green,
Wheatham Hill, Staples Down, Old Litten, Stoner
Hill, and Broadway—altogether covering an area of
723 acres 2 roods 6 poles. (fn. 3) Barnett Common was
inclosed in 1805. (fn. 4) The principal landowners are
Mr. William Nicholson and Mr. John Silvester, but
much of the land is freehold. The soil varies from a
stiff clay to a light vegetable loam, and the subsoil is
chalk; the chief crops being wheat, barley, and oats.
Among place-names occurring in a survey of the parish
made in the seventeenth century are Pikes, Holehouse
and Rutters in Froxfield tithing, Ruddlecombe,
Hewet's Garden, Great and Little Hatchersnap and
Hatchersnap Wood, Chesscombes and Old Lytten (fn. 5) in
Oakshott tithing, Treddles, Mary Crosse and Burie
Wood in Week tithing, and Basinges (fn. 6) in Longhurst
tithing.
MANORS
The first mention of FROXFIELD is
in the tenth century, when the alderman
Ælfeah left land at Froxfield to Ælfwine
his sister's son. (fn. 7) It is not mentioned in Domesday
Book by name, and it is probably included in the
entry under 'Menes,' (fn. 8) as in after times most certainly it formed part of the great episcopal manor of
East Meon. (fn. 9)
BASING PARK.
In a rent-roll of the manor of
East Meon for the year 1567 John Love is mentioned
as holding a messuage and lands called 'Basings' in
the tithing of Longhurst by the yearly rent of 17s. 10d.,
two churchetts and two harvest-days. (fn. 10) This seems
to be one of the earliest mentions of the estate, which
in later times came to be called Basing Park. It was
held by the Loves of Froxfield for over two centuries, (fn. 11) and there are frequent mentions of them in
connexion with their property in the court rolls of
East Meon. For instance, in a court roll of 1675
occurs the entry that Richard Love came to the court
and surrendered into the hands of his lord Basing
Woods in the tithing of Longhurst. (fn. 12) On Richard's
death in 1690 Basing passed to his son Robert, who
by will left £1,000 for the founding of the free
school which still stands by Froxfield Green with the
inscription 'The gift of Robert Love 1733.' Robert
was succeeded by his nephew Richard, whose daughter
and sole heiress Susannah married Francis Beckford. (fn. 13)
From the latter's son and heir Francis Love-Beckford
Basing Park passed by sale to Joseph Martineau, on
whose death in 1863 it was sold to Mr. William
Nicholson, the present owner.
CHURCHES
The church of ST. PETER-ATHIGH-CROSS dates from 1862,
three bays of the nave arcade of the
old church which was at Froxfield Green being
re-used in it. It has a chancel of two bays with
an organ chamber on the north, a nave with north
aisle and south-west tower, the ground story of
which serves as an entrance porch. Three pillars
in the north arcade are of late twelfth-century date,
with round shafts and scalloped capitals, but their
bases and all the rest of the arcade are modern.
In the vestry at the west end of the north aisle is an
eighteenth-century altar table, but no other fittings
from the old church have been preserved.
In the tower are six bells, the treble and tenor of
1880, the others of 1890, by Mears & Stainbank.
The little church of St. Peter on the Green, which
stands on the site of the old church, was built in
1887, and contains no old work.
The plate consists of a silver communion cup and
cover paten, a paten given by Robert Love of Basing,
1712, a cup and flagon given by Josephine Martineau
in 1862, and a paten given by A. Z. Hosegood, 1893.
There are also two pewter almsdishes and one of brass.
The registers begin in 1545, the first book ending
in 1676, while the second contains baptisms 1693–
1716, marriages 1677–1707, and burials 1677–1716.
The third has baptisms 1717–87, marriages 1718–54,
and burials 1694–1787. The fourth is the marriage
register, 1754–93, the fifth has baptisms and burials
1788–1812, and the sixth marriages 1793–1812.
ADVOWSON
The living of Froxfield was a
vicarage annexed to the vicarage of
East Meon (fn. 14) until 11 March, 1881,
in which year by an Order in Council the patronage
was transferred to Mr. William Nicholson, of Basing
Park, (fn. 15) with whom it still remains.