Binsted

At the time of the Domesday Survey, Binsted was listed as part of the Hundred of Netham as well as the Manor of Alton Westbrook. The village was referred to as "Benested", which means "holding of land".{{cite web|title=The History of Binsted Village |url=http://www.bentleyvillage.com/binstedhistory.htm |publisher=Bentley Parish Council |access-date=4 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223851/http://www.bentleyvillage.com/binstedhistory.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} Over the years there have been different variations on the spelling of the name, including Bensted, Benested and Boonsted (11th century), Bensted (14th century), and Bennsted (17th century). The name most likely has its origin from the Saxon word "bin", meaning "heap".{{efn|The Saxon word "Heap" most likely alluded to a "mound" marking a battle.}} Before the Norman Conquest, the village was known as "Binsted Popham" and was held by Egbert of Wessex.

The history of Binsted from the 11th century to the early 19th century is not documented. A likely explanation is that the village remained a "simple agricultural community" and was not involved in any controversial activity, due to its isolation. However, the Alice Holt Forest was an important supplier of timber from the 12th and 18th centuries, and the forest was claimed to have 13,000 trees "fit for ship building" in the early 17th century.

Binsted was recorded in the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales by John Marius Wilson in 1870.{{efn|...  a parish and a subdistrict in the district of Alton, Hants. The parish lies 2½ miles SSW of Bentley r. station, and 4 NE by E of Alton; contains the hamlets of Issington, Week, Westcote, and Wheatley; and has a post office under Alton. Acres, 6,833. Real property, £7,104. Pop., 1,195. Houses, 231. Binstead Hill is the seat of the Coulthards. The living is a vicarage, united with the vicarage of Kingsley, in the diocese of Winchester. Value, not reported.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Winchester. The church is ancient, has a low embattled tower and a spire, and contains several monuments. There is a Primitive Methodist chapel.-The subdistrict comprises eight parishes and an extra-parochial tract. Acres, 27,482. Pop., 4,806. Houses, 980.{{cite web|title=History of Binsted in East Hampshire|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/2342|website=A Vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|access-date=4 October 2016}}}} Five years later a school was built on land belonging to the Wickham Estate from stones brought from a pit near Semaphore House.

Binsted is located in the eastern central part of Hampshire, South East England and is {{convert|4.1|miles}} east of Alton, its nearest town. The parish is one of the largest in North East Hampshire{{cite web|title=Binsted Parish Council homepage|url=https://binstedparishcouncil.com/|publisher=Binsted Parish Council|access-date=26 January 2017}} and covers an area of around {{convert|7000|acres}}, extending from the edge of Alton to the Surrey border in the east. It also includes the entirety of the Alice Holt Forest.{{cite web|title=Binsted Civil Parish|url=https://binstedparishcouncil.com/about-binsted-parish/|publisher=Binsted Parish Council|access-date=26 January 2017|date=17 October 2014}} The landscape is dominated by farms and woodland such as Binsted Farm, Wheatley Copse and Sparkfield Wood.{{cite map|title=Map of Binsted and surrounding area|publisher=OpenStreetMap|url=http://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Binsted#map=13/51.1663/-0.8923|access-date=26 January 2017}} The parish contains two hamlets; Wyck and Wheatley, and two villages; Bucks Horn Oak and Holt Pound. The River Wey forms the parish's northern boundary. According to the 2011 census, the parish of Binsted had a population of 1,817 people. In addition, there are 711 households in the parish with an average size of 2.56 people.{{cite web|title=Population of Binsted|url=http://profiles.hampshirehub.net/profiles/E04004493|publisher=Hampshire Hub|access-date=4 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012115404/http://profiles.hampshirehub.net/profiles/E04004493|archive-date=12 October 2016}}

File:Holy Cross Church, Church Street, Binsted (NHLE Code 1302151) (May 2021) (11).JPG

The Church of the Holy Cross is a Grade I listed building.{{cite web|title=Church of the Holy Cross - Binsted|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142116-church-of-the-holy-cross-binsted-hampshi#.V_QapigrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=4 October 2016}}

The existing parish church started construction in about 1140 AD. It has early 13th and 15th century additions, as well as a substantial restoration in 1863. The building itself consists of stone walls, a tiled roof, and a stone slated porch. The oldest part is the chancel, which dates from the 12th century with 15th century extensions. The north chapel was altered in 1331, and in its churchyard is the grave of Field Marshal The 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, the famous military commander in the Second World War,{{cite web|title=Grave Bernard Montgomery Binsted - Binsted - TracesOfWar.com|url=http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/26036/Grave-Bernard-Montgomery-Binsted.htm|publisher=Traces of War|access-date=15 March 2017|language=en}} who latterly lived in the parish at Isington Mill.[http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol06/page053.html Hampshire Treasures Volume 6 (East Hampshire) Page 53 - Binsted] The churchyard also contains the Commonwealth war graves of six British Army soldiers of World War I (all in the north west corner) and a Royal Air Force airman of World War II (in south west corner).{{cite web|title=Binsted (Holy Cross) Churchyard, with list of casualties|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2067515/BINSTED%20(HOLY%20CROSS)%20CHURCHYARD|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission|access-date=18 November 2021}} The west tower contains a ring of six bells, among the finest in Hampshire. These bells were cast at Loughborough Bell Foundry, by the world renowned firm John Taylor & Co in 1958, replacing an earlier ring of bells. The 'tenor' bell weighs 665kg (12cwt-3qr-17lbs) and is tuned to F#.

The parish contains a total of 58 Grade II listed buildings,{{cite web|title=Listed Buildings in Binsted|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/hampshire/binsted#.V_QaAigrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=4 October 2016}} including a Grade II* listed barn.{{cite web|title=Barn 30 Metres North of West Court - Binsted|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142120-barn-30-metres-north-of-west-court-binst|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=4 October 2016}} Other listed buildings include Barnfield House – three houses which were once separated all dating from 1550 with 20th century restorations. The house itself has a timber frame with a tiled roof, including a late medieval hall.{{cite web|title=Barnfield House - Binsted|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142176-barnfield-house-binsted-hampshire#.V_QcnCgrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=4 October 2016}} Mill Court, another Grade II listed building, is a large house dating from the early 19th century with a low pitched roof and yellow brickwork, and became a listed building on 15 August 1985.{{cite web|title=Mill Court - Binsted|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142133-mill-court-binsted-hampshire#.V_QdUSgrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=4 October 2016}}

File:Telegraph House, Binsted.jpg

Telegraph House was built on the hill NE of the village by the Admiralty in 1825 as a semaphore relay station close to the railway line linking London with Portsmouth, one of a number of relay stations.{{cite web|title=Telegraph House |url=http://www.bentleyvillage.com/telHouse.htm |publisher=Bentley Parish Council |access-date=4 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724081750/http://www.bentleyvillage.com/telHouse.htm |archive-date=24 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=Binsted Village as it is today |url=http://www.bentleyvillage.com/binstedpages.htm |publisher=Bentley Parish Council |access-date=4 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223759/http://www.bentleyvillage.com/binstedpages.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} It is now a private residence.

{{Geographic Location

|title = Neighbouring towns, villages, and places

|Northwest = Upper Froyle

|North = Bentley

|Northeast = Bucks Horn Oak

|West = Alton

|Centre = Binsted

|East = Blacknest

|Southwest = East Worldham

|South = Kingsley

|Southeast = Bordon

}}

Due to its location in south central England and its proximity to the sea, the average maximum temperature in January is 7.2 °C (45 °F) with the average minimum being 1.6 °C (35 °F). The average maximum temperature in July is 21.9 °C (71 °F), with the average minimum being 12.5 °C (55 °F). The hamlet gets around 755 millimetres (29.7 in) of rain a year, with a minimum of 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain reported on 103 days a year.

{{Weather box|location = Odiham weather station (nearest to Binsted), Odiham, elevation: {{convert|9|m|abbr=off}} (1981–2010)

|collapsed =

|metric first = y

|single line = y

|Jan high C = 7.2

|Feb high C = 7.4

|Mar high C = 10.3

|Apr high C = 13.0

|May high C = 16.6

|Jun high C = 19.5

|Jul high C = 21.9

|Aug high C = 21.6

|Sep high C = 18.5

|Oct high C = 14.4

|Nov high C = 10.3

|Dec high C = 7.4

|year high C = 14.1

|Jan low C = 1.6

|Feb low C = 1.3

|Mar low C = 3.0

|Apr low C = 4.4

|May low C = 7.5

|Jun low C = 10.4

|Jul low C = 12.5

|Aug low C = 12.4

|Sep low C = 10.2

|Oct low C = 7.4

|Nov low C = 4.2

|Dec low C = 1.8

|year low C = 6.4

|Jan precipitation mm = 77.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 56.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 54.8

|Apr precipitation mm = 52.6

|May precipitation mm = 52.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 48.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 50.2

|Aug precipitation mm = 52.1

|Sep precipitation mm = 61.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 87.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 83.9

|Dec precipitation mm = 78.5

|year precipitation mm = 755.5

|Jan precipitation days = 12.2

|Feb precipitation days = 9.8

|Mar precipitation days = 10.5

|Apr precipitation days = 9.5

|May precipitation days = 9.5

|Jun precipitation days = 8.6

|Jul precipitation days = 8.4

|Aug precipitation days = 8.6

|Sep precipitation days = 8.9

|Oct precipitation days = 11.7

|Nov precipitation days = 11.7

|Dec precipitation days = 11.5

|year precipitation days = 120.9

|source 1 = Met Office{{cite web

|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcp6srghm

|title=Binsted 1981–2010 averages

|publisher=Met Office

|work = Station, District and regional averages 1981–2010

|access-date=2 January 2017}}

|date=January 2017}}

Citations

{{Reflist|30em}}

Notes

{{Notes}}

{{Commons category|Binsted, Hampshire}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110302084744/http://southernlife.org.uk/binstead_church.htm The History of the Church of the Holy Cross, Binsted]
• [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142116-church-of-the-holy-cross-binsted Church of the Holy Cross, Binsted]
• [http://www.stainedglassrecords.org/Ch.asp?ChId=7454 Stained Glass Windows at Holy Cross, Binsted, Hampshire]

{{EastHampshire}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Villages in Hampshire