Medstead, Hampshire
| Medstead | |
|---|---|
 Medstead village centre |
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 Medstead
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| Medstead shown within Hampshire | |
| Population | 2,036 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SU654371 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ALTON |
| Postcode district | GU34 |
| Dialling code | 01420 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Medstead is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Alton, which lies 4.3 miles (6.9 km) northeast of the village. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 2,036 people. The parish covers an area of 1,536 acres (622 ha) and has an average elevation of approximately 600 feet (180 m) above sea level. One of the county's high points at 716 feet (218 m), King's Hill, runs through Medstead and Bentworth.
The earliest evidence of settlement in the village comes from two Tumuli burial grounds which date from 1000 BC. Roman pottery and coins have also been found in the area. A chapel in the village was first mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 and was soon replaced by a Norman church. Medstead was one one of the first villages in the United Kingdom to receive broadband. The village has six Grade II listed buildings, including the 12th century St Andrew's Church and its war memorial, a farmhouse and a Victorian wheelhouse with a working donkey wheel.
The parish contains three individual hamlets; South Town, Soldridge and Hattingley. Medstead also has its own restored railway station on the Watercress Line, services from which connect with the nearest national rail station 4.6 miles (7.4 km) at Alton railway station.
Medstead has a history dating back up to 3,000 years. The earliest evidence of settlement in the area comes from two Tumuli burial grounds which are believed to date from 1000 BC, as well as a ringfort which dates from approximately 500 BC. Roman pottery and coins have also been found in the village. The name has been spelt in many different ways in the Middle Ages, including: Maedstede, Maydstede, and Midsted. A theory for the name is that "Mid-Stead" signified a "half way place", as in feudal times the village was on a road from Farnham to Winchester. Following the baptism of Cynegils of Wessex in 635, an area of land was granted to the church at Winchester. The area became known as the "Liberty of Alresford" and contained parts of present-day Old Alresford, New Alresford and Medstead. The first mention of the village itself came from the Domesday Survey of 1086, in which the survey listed a chapel. In 1160, St Andrew's Church was built on the existing site of the chapel and some parts of the original chapel were enlarged.
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