WOODMANCOTT
Wodemancote (x cent.); Udemancote (xi cent.);
Wbodmancote (xiii cent.); Wodmancote, Wudemancote (xiv cent.).
The parish of Woodmancott consists of 1,404 acres
of down and country, which rises here to considerable
heights—in one spot near Popham Down Copse in
the north 580 ft. above the ordnance datum being
recorded.
The village is grouped round St. James's Church
and the Manor Farm in the extreme west of the
parish. A short distance to the north is College
Wood, in which Roman remains have been
found. (fn. 1)
The soil is clay, loam and chalk with a subsoil of
chalk, and the Agricultural Returns for Hampshire
(1905) reckon the arable land at 990 acres, permanent grass at 230 acres, and woods and plantations
at 295 acres. The chief crops are wheat, oats and
turnips. Copses called Westhurst, Esthurst, Downe,
Highwood, Walters, Well, Thornbury and Bramleys
are mentioned on a 16th-century Patent Roll. (fn. 2)
Manor
Ten hides at WOODMANCOTT were
named in the almost certainly spurious
charter of Edward the Elder to the New
Minster. (fn. 3) In 1086 Woodmancott was assessed at 6
hides and 2½ virgates, and was
then held of the abbey by Alsi
the son of Brixi. (fn. 4) Its value,
which was then £7, had risen
to £7 16s. 1½d. in 1291. (fn. 5)
The manor continued in possession of the abbey (fn. 6) till the
Dissolution, when it became
Crown property. (fn. 7) Henry
VIII in 1544 granted it with
its appurtenances to the warden and scholars of St. Mary's
College, Winchester, in part
exchange for the manor of
Harmondsworth (co. Midd.)
and other property. (fn. 8) Under this grant the warden
and fellows of Winchester College still hold the
lordship of the manor and are the chief landowners
in the parish.
Winchester College. Argent two cheverons sable between three roses gules.
Church
The church of ST. JAMES was burnt
down on Easter Day, 1854, and the
present building dates from the next
year, and contains nothing of interest.
The plate consists of a plated chalice and paten
and a very early pewter chalice, probably Jacobean,
two pewter cups and four plates.
Advowson
Woodmancott was a chapelry dependent on Brown Candover until
1838, when it was separated and
constituted a separate benefice. (fn. 9) In 1854 Popham,
which had hitherto been a chapelry of Micheldever,
was annexed to it, (fn. 10) and the living is at the present
day a vicarage of the net yearly value of £129, with
13 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Lord
Ashburton.