St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham

St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham
St. Nicolas Parish Church
St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham
St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham Shown within Hampshire
50°57′13″N 1°22′26″W / 50.9535°N 1.3740°W / 50.9535; -1.3740Coordinates: 50°57′13″N 1°22′26″W / 50.9535°N 1.3740°W / 50.9535; -1.3740
Location	North Stoneham, Hampshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	nsab.org.uk
History
Founded	15th century
Dedication	St Nicolas
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Listed building - Grade II*
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic survival
Specifications
Materials	Ashlar
Administration
Parish	North Stoneham and Bassett
Deanery	Southampton
Archdeaconry	Bournemouth
Diocese	Winchester
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Bishop of Southampton
Vicar(s)	Rev'd Stephen Holmes (from January 2010)
Assistant priest(s)	Rev'd Rogelio Prieto
Honorary priest(s)	Rev'd Judy Page

St. Nicolas' Church is an Anglican parish church at North Stoneham, Hampshire which originated before the 15th century and is known for its "One Hand Clock" which dates from the early 17th century, and also for various memorials to the famous.

The church is situated on Stoneham Lane, on the edge of the former Stoneham Park. Pevsner and Lloyd, in their Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, described the setting: "The church is in rural isolation on the edge of the former park, in the midst of a narrow but effective green belt between Eastleigh and Southampton".

The original parish of North Stoneham can be traced back to the early 9th century when it was known as "Stonam Abbatis" or "Abbots Stoneham" and was attached to Hyde Abbey at Winchester. At this time, the parish extended from the River Itchen in the east towards Chilworth and Bassett Green in the west with its neighbouring parish, South Stoneham, to the south and east. After the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1540s, the manor was acquired by Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. In 1599, the Wriothesley family sold the estate to Sir Thomas Fleming, whose descendants held the advowson until 1997.

There was never a village of "North Stoneham", but a few hamlets built on the estate; about half a mile north of the church was the little hamlet of Middle, consisting of a farm and a few cottages, the Cricketer's Arms Inn and the post office. In the early 20th century, the parish covered approximately 5,000 acres (20 km²; 8 sq mi) between the neighbouring towns of Southampton and Eastleigh.