East Meon, Hampshire

Description
Meon, East, a village and a parish in Hants. The village stands in a long valley, among chalk hills, 5 miles WSW of Petersfield station on the L. & S.W.R. It has a post and money order office under Petersfield; telegraph office, West Meon. The parish also includes the tithings of Combe, Oxen-bourne, Westbnry, and part of Bordean. Acreage, 11,377; population of civil parish, 1465; of ecclesiastical, 956. The tithings of Langrish, Eamsden, and part of Bordean have been formed into the civil parish of Langrish. The parish council, under the Local Government Act, 1894,consists of nine members. The manor was known at Domesday as Mene, belonged then to Bishop de Blois, and belongs now to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Westbury House is a chief residence. About 1277 acres are downs, and about 1350 are woodland. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Winchester; value, £100 with residence. Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church is ancient and cruciform, with a central tower and spire; is supposed to have been built by Bishop Walkelyn, the founder of the Norman portion of Winchester Cathedral; retains the Norman character, unaltered, in the doorways, the tower, and three of the windows; is Early English in the S aisle of nave and chancel; has a later spire upon the tower; and contains a modern stone pulpit, and a very curious ancient, carved, blue lias font. The Lady chapel on the S side of the chancel is Perpendicular. The building has been well preserved. There are five almshonses in the village. A very interesting old building, called the " Court House," is now used as a farmhouse, and is supposed to have belonged to King John. The large hall is much mutilated, but what is supposed to have been the original roof is nearly perfect.