top of page

Around The Village

South East

Credit: Garry Allam, Bishop's Sutton Heritage; curated by Mark Allen

Holkam Bottom Field, 1839 map

Holkam Bottom. Situated along the Gallops just south of the barn, this was a narrow field in 1839 of about 8 acres in size.

The name would have probably originated from the Saxon Holcham: 'holc' meaning a hollow (which fits with the topography); 'ham' meaning a settlement - any thing from a village or estate to a homestead. There are no signs of settlement although extensive networks of ancient field systems are in the area so it is well within reason to suspect some sort of homestead might have been located there.

Long thin fields like this are often a remnant of the old field strips that made up the pre-enclosure open field system.

The Manor would have had three or four of these large open arable fields, which were usually divided into smaller areas called furlongs. Each furlong was divided by balks or grass banks, and the furlongs were likewise divided up into individual strips of between a quarter to about an acre in size called Selions or ridges. There were no fences or hedges within the open fields, only between each large field and any woods or meadows etc. The selions were distributed between the villagers of the Manor (demesne) and the church (glebe) each family of the Manor and Church would have had several strips dotted around each field to grow their crops: one holder might have 80 strips in all dotted around. The holdings were spread around to give every one a share of the good and not so good land and allowed for letting one or two of the open field’s to go fallow for rotation each year. When harvest was done the fields were opened up to grazing, as was the fallowed land; this would have been in addition to the common pastures and meadows woods and waste.

Bishop's Sutton, Holkam Bottom Field, 1839 map

old-maps.co.uk

View looking to holkam Bottom from the A31 Along the Gallops south towards Common Farm 2018

Bishop's Sutton, ​View looking to holkam Bottom



Great and Little Barton Fields, Tithe Map Bishops Sutton 1839

The name Barton is found in many places and comes from the Old English 'bere-tun'. The first element means Barley the second in this case means enclosure or settlement/farm. So, Barley farm - later Barton - often refers to the demesne farm. The demesne was the land that the lord of the Manor held for himself so one could assume from this that Manor farm in Old Park road was indeed the Manor house, possibly after the Bishop's Palace fell into disuse - it seems to be highly likely that the Palace would have been considered the Manor house as per an account from the Reign of Edward VI that states “and the mannor-howse being a verie olde howse, somtyme walled round abowte with stone, now decaied, well waterid with an olde ponde or moote adjoyning to it”

Bishop's Sutton,  Great and Little Barton Fields, Tithe Map 1839

old-maps.co.uk

Satellite image of Great & Little Barton



This shows that by at least the mid-16thcentury the palace was no longer in use. The account goes onto call what today is Bishops Sutton Manor Farm “and the ferme-howse being sett and within a stones cast of the said manner-howse, thowsing being but for a fermer” and the farm in Old Park road (Manor farm) “Sutton ferme” and not the Manor.

Bishop's Sutton,  Great and Little Barton Fields,  satellite image

Google Maps

Bronze age Bowl Barrow, Map 1975 showing the Bowl Barrow as a Tumulus

There are two or three ancient barrows dotted around the parish; this one is situated on rising ground between Old Park Road and Parkside Lane. It is only now visible as field marks which shows its ring ditch as its mound has been ploughed out.

Bishop's Sutton,   Bronze age Bowl Barrow, Map 1975

old-maps.co.uk

An idea of what the Barrow might have looked like from Parkside lane

Most of these barrows were constructed in the late bronze age 2400-1500 BC. Usually built on higher prominent ground, in this area they were made of flint and chalk. They covered singular or multiple burials, usually cremated - urns are often found along with other grave goods that indicates that those interred were probably of a higher status. When initially built they probably stood three to four metres high and twenty metres or more in diameter. There is one just inside Bighton which is over 35 metres in diameter. These white chalk mounds would have been prominent features for miles around when first erected up to 4,000 years ago.

Bishop's Sutton,  Bronze age Bowl Barrow, artists view

Google Maps

SE Brinkworth possible extent of a medieval holding (1839 Tithe map fields called Brinkworth)

Brinkworth fields Great, Little etc are situated to the east of Manor farm, Old Park Road to the boundary with Ropley and straddle across the present A31. The name seems to be very old, probably Saxon certainly in use in by the 1300’ s as Brynkworth. Brink meaning on the boundary and worth is indicative of a defined possession or estate separate from the rest of the manor. The boundary is based on field names in the 1839 tithe and gives a rough idea of any potential holding

Bishop's Sutton, Brinkworth Fields

old-maps.co.uk

Area of Brinkworth today

Bishop's Sutton, Brinkworth Fields

Google Maps

1839 Tithe Map Showing Clarendown Fields

The Hill that rises up South from Manor Farm, Old Park Road towards Old Park Wood on the way to Bramdean Common, and especially the high ground that runs to the west side of the road seems to have been known as Clarendown. The Claren element comes from the Old English, clǣfren = Growing with clover. There for it can be assumed that the original name of the hill or downland would have been Clover Hill or rather Clover Down

Bishop's Sutton, Clarendown Fields, south of the village

old-maps.co.uk

SE Old Park Cottages - 1839 Map showing the 5 dwellings

Old Park Cottages were a group of cottages that formerly stood on the North Edge of Old Park Wood, off the Cheriton Lane between Manor Farm and Common Farm. The only access seems to have been off the lane across the fields via footpaths at least 150 yards long. In 1839 in all there were 5 dwellings (including a tenement of two) and gardens. Only one of the cottages had a well which must have been shared.

Bishop's Sutton, site of Old Park Cottages

old-maps.co.uk

Position of the former Old Park Cottages

By 1873 the tenement had been demolished and by 1900 only one cottage survived, to later be pulled down. There is now no evidence of these cottages remaining.

Bishop's Sutton, site of Old Park Cottages

Google Maps

bottom of page