Pretty villages with fascinating histories (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Pretty villages with fascinating histories

11:13am Wednesday 4th May 2011 in Memories By Richard Garfield

TWO of north Hampshire’s prettiest villages are the subject of a new booklet written by local historian Richard Tanner.

As can be seen in Ashe & Deane, both villages have long and interesting histories.

Deane, which is six miles west of Basingstoke, is included as part of the borough’s name of Basingstoke and Deane – Basingstoke being the borough’s biggest town and Deane the smallest village.

One of Deane’s residents is the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Dame Mary Fagan, who wrote the foreword for the booklet.

Ashe is a little further west of Deane, sitting on a ridge above the source of the River Test – known worldwide for the top quality of its fly-fishing for trout.

Richard, who is chairman of North Waltham, Steventon, Ashe and Deane History Society, clearly enjoyed researching his latest publication, noting that both villages have close associations with Jane Austen.

“It’s been really fascinating and I am grateful for the kindness of the people who have helped me and for those who let me visit their homes,” said Richard, who without their help would have missed some quirky facets about the two communities.

Among these were discovering that there is a toy soldier factory in Ashe and a barn housing a collection of Bristol coaches.

Describing the village as a scattered area, with each part having something of note, Richard learned about a corrugated Mission Hall that once stood on top of a railway cutting near Litchfield Grange.

He said: “It was built on land given by the farmer in 1885, which was later bought by the railway company.

“When the company discovered this, the Mission Hall had to lease the site from the railway, until it was too expensive to repair and it closed in 1936, to be replaced by a pair of modern semis. It’s things like that which are fascinating.

“Of course, people know the area around Holy Trinity and St Andrew Church and the wonderful house which was the Lefroy Rectory,” said Richard. “Madame Lefroy was a friend and a mentor of the young Jane Austen.”

One of Deane’s gems is All Saints’ Church, complete with its battlement tower with pinnacles in Coade stone.

“It’s a very special building,” said Richard, explaining that Coade stone is a kind of artificial stone.

“I had been in the church several times, but had never really appreciated what a significant building it is.

“If I was to say that the church in North Waltham, rebuilt in 1865, cost about £1,400 and the church at Deane cost in excess of £5,000 in the 1870s, you realise that somebody invested a huge amount of money in rebuilding it.

“The ribs of the chancel shine white like they are Italian top quality marble – it really is quite a remarkable building.”

Richard was also taken with Deane House. He said: “It’s a lovely house and very interesting, especially with what I take to be its Jacobean panelling.

“There are three rooms of panelling. One is plain but the other two are enormously decorated, including a bedroom – I have never seen such decorated panelling with a fireplace in a bedroom.”

On Tuesday, June 28, Richard will be asking Ashe residents if they would like to look after a piece of village history – a fine clock – which he recently collected from Scotland.

Richard said: “It was given to Wilhemina MacKenzie, who was a school teacher at Ashe from 1897 to 1905, by the village pupils. Her great-niece has asked if I might find a good home for the clock.”

He will be making the offer at a social event called “An Evening in the Churchyard”, when Richard will lead a tour around the church and its churchyard.

For details about the tour, and to obtain a copy of the book, which costs £7.95, including p&p, call 01256 397610 or e-mail richardtannner200@btinternet.com.