Woodmancott

Traces of early civilization at Woodmancott include a Neolithic flint arrowhead and two Bronze Age barrows. The site of a Roman building has been identified on the north side of College Wood, with finds such as tiles, pottery and wall-plaster.

At the Domesday Survey in 1086 the manor of Woodmancott in Mainsborough Hundred was held by the New Minster at Winchester; it continued in the possession of Hyde Abbey until the Dissolution, when it became crown property. In 1544 Henry VIII granted the manor to the warden and scholars of St. Mary's College, Winchester. Under this grant the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College held the lordship of the manor until 1974, and since that date there has been much speculation as to the future of the village.

The mediaeval Church of St. James was burnt down on Easter Day 1854, and the present church on the same site dates entirely from 1855. It is built of flint with stone dressings in the Norman style and has a small stone belfry containing a single bell. The church was restored in 1897 at a cost of £160; the parish registers date from 1762, although earlier entries can be found in the registers of Chilton Candover parish.

Further information on attractions to discover in the area and other interesting villages to visit is available.  For information on public services for Woodmancott please take a look at the Winchester local pages.