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{{Short description|Village and parish in Hampshire, England}}
{{about|the village in England|the village in Canada|Medstead, Saskatchewan|the rural municipality that surrounds said village|Rural Municipality of Medstead No. 497}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country =                 England
|static_image =            Medstead Hardware Store - geograph.org.uk - 98827.jpg
|static_image_caption=     Medstead village centre
|coordinates = {{coord|51.12948|-1.06548|display=inline,title}}
|official_name=            Medstead
|population=               2036
|population_ref=           (2011 Census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=Medstead&d=16&e=62&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1482950725863&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=28 December 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229043315/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=Medstead&d=16&e=62&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1482950725863&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|civil_parish=             Medstead
|shire_district=           [[East Hampshire]]
| shire_county =           [[Hampshire]]
|region=                   South East England
|constituency_westminster= [[East Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Hampshire]]
|post_town=                ALTON
|postcode_district=        GU34
|postcode_area=            GU
|dial_code=                01420
|os_grid_reference=        SU654371 
}}

'''Medstead''' is a village and [[civil parish]] in the [[East Hampshire]] district of [[Hampshire]], England. Its nearest town is [[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]], which lies {{convert|4.3|mi}} northeast of the village. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 2,036 people. The parish covers an area of {{convert|1536|acres}} and has an average elevation of approximately {{convert|600|feet}} above sea level. One of the county's high points at {{convert|716|ft}}, [[King's Hill, Hampshire|King's Hill]], runs through Medstead and [[Bentworth]].

The village church was first mentioned as a chapel in the [[Domesday Survey]] of 1086 and was soon replaced by a Norman church. The village has six [[Grade II]] listed buildings, including the 12th century St Andrew's Church and its war memorial, a farmhouse and a Victorian [[watermill|wheelhouse]] with a working donkey wheel. Medstead was one of the first villages in the United Kingdom to receive [[broadband]].

The parish contains three individual hamlets; [[South Town, Hampshire|South Town]], [[Soldridge]] and [[Hattingley]]. Medstead also has its own restored [[Medstead and Four Marks railway station|railway station]] on the [[Watercress Line]], services from which connect with the nearest national rail station {{convert|4.6|mi}} at [[Alton railway station]].

==Etymology==
Medstead is first recorded indirectly in the [[Domesday Survey]] of 1086 in the entry for the Manor of [[Old Alresford | Alresford]] where 3 Churches are mentioned situated in the manor.<ref name=t1/><ref name="tim">{{cite web|title=Medstead Historical Timeline|url=http://www.medstead.org/timeline.htm|work=medstead.org|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref>

It is first explicitly mentioned in 1202 as ''Medested''.<ref>Coates, R. The Place-Names of Hampshire (London 1989) p. 115</ref> Its name derives from the [[Old English]] words ''mǽd''<ref>https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/m%C3%A6d#Old_English {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> and ''stede''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stede#Old_English | title=Stede | date=16 June 2024 }}</ref> and means the '''Farmstead on (or by) the meadow'''.

A common misconception of the meaning of the village's name is that it referred to its situation ''mid''-way between the settlements of [[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]] and [[Old Alresford | Alresford]].<ref name="his1"/> In reality this theorised etymology is totally false as names referencing their location in terms of distance to other places are very rare.

==History==
===Prehistory to the Roman Occupation===
The earliest evidence of human activity in Medstead consists of a number of [[Mesolithic]] [[Stone tool|flint implements]] found in the north of the village. 

Flint tools from the [[Neolithic]] have also been collected all around the village. During a pre-construction archaeological excavation in the Southwest of the village a small pit was uncovered which contained a flint arrowhead in addition to a potsherd which dated to the Middle Neolithic.<ref>https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-480-1/dissemination/pdf/archaeol6-224658_1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> This suggests nearby settlement during the Neolithic.

Two [[Tumuli]] burial grounds dating to the [[Bronze Age]] in addition to individual finds of [[Palstave|bronze axe heads]] suggest significant settlement in this time. A ring-shaped earthwork which lies near to the Castle of Comfort pub just North of the village may be one of the only [[Iron Age]] [[ringfort]]s in East Hampshire however little to no research has been undertaken on the site so its date can not be confirmed and may be [[Middle Ages| medieval]] in date.<ref>https://maps.hants.gov.uk/historicenvironment/herResults.aspx?monuid=19125 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>https://maps.hants.gov.uk/historicenvironment/herResults.aspx?monuid=33553 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>

Finds of Roman pottery and coins are numerous in and around Medstead and suggest settlement. Supposedly, according to local hear-say a [[Roman mosaic|mosaic]] was uncovered near to the Castle of Comfort pub, however this is unproven and not further evidenced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hampshire Treasures – Volume 6 |url=http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol06/page225.html |publisher=Hampshire County Council |access-date=6 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225010702/http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol06/page225.html |archive-date=25 December 2014 |page=225 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===The Middle Ages to the 18th century===
Following the baptism of [[Cynegils of Wessex]] in 635, an area of land was granted to the church at Winchester. The area became known as the "Liberty of Alresford" and contained parts of present-day [[Old Alresford]], [[New Alresford]] and Medstead.<ref name="his1"/>In 1160, St Andrew's Church was built on the existing site of the chapel and some parts of the original chapel were enlarged.<ref name="t1"/><ref name="tim"/>
[[File:Medstead map 1881.png|thumb|right|250px|A map showing the extent of Medstead's parish in 1881.]]
Medstead Manor can be traced from the 14th century. In 1316, the [[Bishop of Winchester]] held the manor of Medstead and all adjacent land until 1346 when ownership was transferred. Seven years later, Martin de Hertham and his wife, Isabel, passed control of lands, rents and taxes in Medstead to William de Overton.<ref name="BH">{{cite web|last1=Page|first1=William|title=History of Medstead|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol3/pp327-329|publisher=British History Online|access-date=1 October 2016|pages=327–329}}</ref> He was followed by his son, also named William, who held lands in Medstead as well as a settlement called "Tadelyng" in 1428.<ref name="BH"/>

By the 18th century, Edward Rookes held Medstead Manor, although it is uncertain if he purchased or inherited it. In 1749, Rookes sold the manor to Sir William Jolliffe for £1400 ({{inflation|UK|1400|1749|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}), after which the manor of Medstead disappeared from records.<ref name="BH"/>

In 1852, ''The British Gazetteer'' described Medstead as:

{{cquote|''Medstead, Hants, a parish in the hundred of Fawley, union of Alton, Fawley division of the county 49 miles from London (coach road 51), 4 from Alton, 6 from Alresford. South Western Rail, through Guildford to Alton, thence 4 miles: from Derby, through London, etc., 181 miles. Money orders issued at Alton: London letters delivered 8 a.m.: post closes 6 1/2 p.m. In the church there are some old Norman pillars of beautiful workmanship, and in an excellent state of preservation.The living (St. Andrew) is a rectory, annexed to that of Old Alresford, in the diocese of Winchester: present net income, £580: patron, Bishop of Winchester: present incumbent, Earl of Guildford, 1797: contains 2,530 acres: 78 houses: population in 1841, 450: ass' prop' £2,402: poor rates in 1848, £314.''<ref name="his1">{{cite web|title=History of Medstead Village|url=http://www.medstead.org/history.htm|work=medstead.org|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Clarke|first1=Benjamin|title=The British Gazetteer, Political, Commercial, Ecclesiastical and Historical|year=1852|publisher=H.G. Collins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V84HAAAAQAAJ&dq=medstead&pg=PA197|access-date=31 January 2017|language=en}}</ref> }}

===Enclosure===
Medstead suffered two private parliamentary enclosure acts: the [[Old Alresford Inclosure Act 1735]] ([[9 Geo. 2]] c. ''19'' {{small|Pr.}}) enclosing Stankham and Soldridge Commons;<ref>Private Act, 9 George II, c. 19, HL/PO/PB/1/1735/9G2n47; Hampshire Record Office, 109A05/PX/10.</ref> and the [[Medstead and Bentworth Inclosure Act 1798]] ([[38 Geo. 3]]. c. ''35'' {{small|Pr.}}), a joint bill, but separate allotment, with the adjoining village at Bentworth.<ref>HRO, Q23/2/82. Also Winchester College Archives, 3538.</ref>

The first Medstead parliamentary award was made in March, 1736, and was a rapid piece of work. The wording and arrangements showed that careful attention had been paid to its contested parent in Ropley in 1709. It was planned to cover an estimated 500 acres although the exercise eventually scooped just over 650 acres, an increase of about a third. The primary protagonists were the lord of the manor of Old Alresford, Benjamin Hoadly, also bishop of Winchester and patron of the rectory of Old Alresford, which included Medstead; and John Shackleforth, lord of its subsidiary or 'inferior' manor of Medstead. This pair were closely supported by the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College, the President and Fellows of Magdalen College in Oxford and Joseph Soley, Rector of Old Alresford. Of course, the wardenship and the rectory were both in the gift of the bishop.<ref>The story of this enclosure is given in Heal, Ropley's Legacy, Chapter 6, with full transcripts of the act and the award in two appendices.</ref>

The second Medstead award of just over 231 acres was made in 1799. There is a sense of unfinished business from the first inclosure act, the Old Alresford Inclosure Act 1735. The aftermath of this second foray gutted Medstead of its commercial life and blighted the village. The charge was led by the gentleman trustees of a deceased Henry Drummond, esquire and lord of the manor, his nephew Charles Drummond and George Wheatley.<ref>The National Archives, PROB 11/1263/76, will of Henry Drummond, proved 7/1775.</ref> This was the first local enclosure without a prominent part for a bishop of Winchester, now Brownlow North, but his son stood in his place: Francis, the rector of Old Alresford, worth £560 a year, whose remit included the chapelries of New Alresford, £250, and Medstead, £600.<ref>The story of this enclosure is given in Heal, Ropley's Legacy, Chapter 9, with full transcripts of the act and the award in two appendices.</ref>

===Victorian to present day===
Medstead's railway station was first opened in August 1868.<ref name=station_history>{{cite web|title=Old Hampshire Gazetter: Medstead and Four Marks Station, Medstead|url=http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/hantsgaz/hantsgaz/s0004371.htm|publisher=Hampshire Gazetteer|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref> The [[1881 United Kingdom census|1881 census]] for the Alton Union [[Workhouse]] included three [[pauper]]s born in Medstead (then named 'Medsted'), including an 86 year old widow labourer, a 63 year old 'disability lunatic' who served as a domestic servant and a 26 year old 'disability idiot'.<ref name=his1/> Medstead's parish boundary was altered in 1973 after the ecclesiastical parish of [[Four Marks]] was created.<ref name=his1/> An underground bunker for the [[Royal Observer Corps]] was built in the village in 1963{{CN|date=December 2020}} and was continuously used until its closure in 1968.<ref name=his1/><ref>{{cite web|title=Mark Reed's Royal Observer Crops Bunker Visits |url=http://pages.zoom.co.uk/markreed/roc_med.htm |publisher=Mark Reed |access-date=31 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050422024632/http://pages.zoom.co.uk/markreed/roc_med.htm |archive-date=22 April 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Medstead received [[broadband]] internet in 2003, becoming one of the first villages in the United Kingdom to be connected. In 2018, Medstead's upgrade to Superfast broadband was completed as part of a county-wide initiative.<ref name=tim/><ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Village introduction|url=http://www.medstead.org/|work=medstead.org|access-date=1 February 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Medstead Station looking east (6865401480).jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Medstead and Four Marks railway station]] from the east.]]
{{further|Medstead and Four Marks railway station}}
Medstead's railway station was first opened in August 1868 and was renamed to [[Medstead and Four Marks railway station]] on 1 October 1937.<ref name=station_history/> Having closed in 1973, the station was restored and re-opened in May 1983, following the reopening of the associated [[Watercress Line]] from New Alresford to [[Ropley]] having re-opened six years earlier in 1977; the decision was taken by [[Mid Hants Railway]] to restore the entire railway so that it could run its course to the town of Alton. Around {{convert|1.5|miles}} of second hand track panels were purchased from [[Eastleigh]] for the Medstead and Four Marks section. The surviving buildings at the railway station were dilapidated, with one writer from a magazine suggesting they be demolished and replaced by a bus shelter. As the track was relaid at the station, a replacement wooden [[signal box]] was obtained from [[Wilton, Wiltshire|Wilton]] and placed into position near the track.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ropley to Medstead & Four Marks: 30 years on... « Mid Hants Railway Ltd 'Watercress Line'|url=http://www.watercressline.co.uk/article.php/224/ropley-to-medstead-four-marks-30-years-on|publisher=Watercress Line|access-date=6 October 2016|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009122805/http://www.watercressline.co.uk/article.php/224/ropley-to-medstead-four-marks-30-years-on|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
Medstead is located in the eastern central part of [[Hampshire]] in [[South East England]], {{convert|4.3|miles}} southwest of [[Alton, Hampshire|Alton]], its nearest town.<ref name="OM"/> The parish covers an area of {{convert|1536|acres}} and has an average elevation of approximately {{convert|600|feet}} above sea level.<ref name="t1">{{cite web|title=Hampshire Treasures: Volume 6 ( East Hampshire), Page 223 |url=http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol06/page223.html |publisher=Hampshire County Council |access-date=1 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225010700/http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol06/page223.html |archive-date=25 December 2014 |date=25 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Before parts of the parish were ceded to Four Marks in 1973,<ref name=his1/> Medstead's parish contained {{convert|2484|acres}} and its highest point was {{convert|697|ft}}.<ref name=BH/> The landscape is dominated by farms and woodland such as Medstead Grange, Imber Farm and Bushy Leaze Wood.<ref name="OM">{{cite map|title=Map of Medstead and the surrounding area|publisher=OpenStreetMap|url=http://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Medstead#map=14/51.1255/-1.0662|access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> The parish contains three individual hamlets: [[South Town, Hampshire|South Town]], [[Soldridge]] and [[Hattingley]]. One of the Hampshire's high points at 716 feet (218&nbsp;m), [[King's Hill, Hampshire|King's Hill]], runs through Medstead and Bentworth.<ref name="OM"/>

{{Geographic Location
|title     = '''Neighbouring towns, villages, and places'''
|Northwest = [[Upper Wield]]
|North     = [[Bentworth]]
|Northeast = [[Beech, Hampshire|Beech]]
|West      = [[Bighton]]
|Centre    = Medstead
|East      = [[Chawton]]
|Southwest = [[Ropley]]
|South     = [[Four Marks]]
|Southeast = Four Marks
}}

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

{{Weather box|location = Odiham weather station (nearest to Medstead), [[Odiham]], elevation: {{convert|9|m|abbr=off}} (1981–2010)
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan record high C = 14.8
|Feb record high C = 16.4
|Mar record high C = 20.8
|Apr record high C = 27.1
|May record high C = 28.2
|Jun record high C = 33.5
|Jul record high C = 35.6
|Aug record high C = 36.1
|Sep record high C = 29.6
|Oct record high C = 24.2
|Nov record high C = 17.7
|Dec record high C = 14.4
|year record high C =
|Jan avg record high C = 12.3
|Feb avg record high C = 12.8
|Mar avg record high C = 15.4
|Apr avg record high C = 20.7
|May avg record high C = 23.5
|Jun avg record high C = 27.8
|Jul avg record high C = 29.2
|Aug avg record high C = 28.5
|Sep avg record high C = 25.0
|Oct avg record high C = 18.3
|Nov avg record high C = 14.2
|Dec avg record high C = 12.5
|year avg record high C = 31.1
|Jan high C = 7.2
|Feb high C = 7.4	
|Mar high C = 10.3
|Apr high C = 14.5
|May high C = 18.6
|Jun high C = 21.5
|Jul high C = 24.2
|Aug high C = 23.6
|Sep high C = 20.5
|Oct high C = 13.9
|Nov high C = 10.3
|Dec high C = 7.4
|year high C = 	
|Jan low C = 1.6	
|Feb low C = 1.3
|Mar low C = 2.0	
|Apr low C = 6.4	
|May low C = 9.7
|Jun low C = 10.4	
|Jul low C = 12.7	
|Aug low C = 12.2	
|Sep low C = 9.9
|Oct low C = 5.1
|Nov low C = 4.2
|Dec low C = 1.8
|year low C = 
|Jan avg record low C = -6.2
|Feb avg record low C = -5.4
|Mar avg record low C = -2.3
|Apr avg record low C = 0.4
|May avg record low C = 4.2
|Jun avg record low C = 6.0
|Jul avg record low C = 8.6
|Aug avg record low C = 6.7
|Sep avg record low C = 2.5
|Oct avg record low C = -0.4
|Nov avg record low C = -1.4
|Dec avg record low C = -5.7
|year avg record low C = -8.1
|Jan record low C = -15.2
|Feb record low C = -15.9
|Mar record low C = -11.2
|Apr record low C = -5.6
|May record low C = -2.3
|Jun record low C =  1.3
|Jul record low C =  5.3
|Aug record low C =  2.4
|Sep record low C = -1.3
|Oct record low C = -5.3
|Nov record low C = -7.2
|Dec record low C = -13.4
|year record low C =
|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<ref name=weather>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcp6srghm
  |title=Medstead 1981–2010 averages
  |publisher=Met Office
  |work = Station, District and regional averages 1981–2010
  |access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref>
|date=January 2017}}

==Demographics==
According to the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]], the parish of Medstead had a population of 2,036 people, of which 36.10% were in full-time employment and 13.30% in part-time employment, both slightly below the national average. There are 859 dwellings in the parish<ref>{{cite web|title=Dwelling Census of Medstead|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=549398&c=Medstead&d=14&e=7&g=449890&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1485889299349&enc=1|website=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=31 January 2017|date=14 April 2008|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202163851/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=549398&c=Medstead&d=14&e=7&g=449890&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1485889299349&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> with an average size of 2.52 people.<ref name=pop>{{cite web|title=Population of Medstead|url=http://profiles.hampshirehub.net/profiles/E04004515|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820163143/http://profiles.hampshirehub.net/profiles/E04004515|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2016|publisher=Hampshire Hub|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref>

{{Historical populations
|title=<small>[[Population growth]] in the parish of Medstead since 1801</small>
|shading=off
|pop_name=Population
|align=center
|cols=4
|1801|393
|1811|350
|1821|394
|1831|418
|1841|450
|1851|482
|1881|503
|1891|451
|1901|488
|1911|655
|1921|776
|1931|1088
|1951|1318
|1961|1383
|2001|1881
|2011|2036
|source=[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10050534/cube/TOT_POP A Vision of Britain through Time], [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=medstead&d=16&e=15&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1486151884524&enc=1 statistics.gov.uk (2001)], and [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=medstead&d=16&e=62&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1486151709821&enc=1 statistics.gov.uk (2011)]
}}

The 2011 census reported an almost equal number of males (1016, 49.9%) as females (1020, 50.1%), of which the majority (1988, 97.6%) were white ethnicity, broadly similar to the ethnical diversity of the wider Hampshire region, where 111,635 (96.56%) are registered on the 2011 census as being white ethnicity.<ref name="medstead_ethnicity">{{citation |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=medstead&d=16&e=62&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1486153816024&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2477 |title=Medstead Ethnic Group, 2011 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |year=2011 |access-date=3 January 2017 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204094225/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11126444&c=medstead&d=16&e=62&g=6428998&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1486153816024&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2477 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Education and activities==
Medstead Church of England Primary School lies immediately south of the village near the cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|title=Contact Details – Medstead CofE (Controlled) Primary School|url=http://www.medstead.hants.sch.uk/contact-details/|website=Medstead C of E Primary School|publisher=Hampshire County Council|access-date=28 January 2017|language=en}}</ref> Under the [[Education Act 1944]], the previous site of Medstead's school was declared inadequate as it did not have enough space to accommodate a playing field and assembly hall. The school was consequently relocated to a larger site south of the village, where it is today.<ref name=OM/><ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead, The School c.1955|url=http://www.francisfrith.com/us/medstead/medstead-the-school-c1955_m324013|publisher=Francis Frirth|access-date=28 January 2017}}</ref> A pre-school has been in operation since September 1989, located in the grounds of the primary school after a successful petition ensured its relocation from the village hall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Preschool – About Us|url=http://www.medsteadpreschool.org/medstead_welcome.html|publisher=Medstead Pre-school & Nursery|access-date=30 January 2017|language=en-gb}}</ref>

The village hall is used for various activities, including hosting the village's gardening{{cn|date=June 2020}} and [[lawn tennis]] clubs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Lawn Tennis Club homepage|url=http://www.medsteadtennisclub.org.uk/|publisher=Medstead Lawn Tennis Club|access-date=31 January 2017}}</ref> In addition, Medstead has its own cricket club which has been in operation for over 150 years<ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Cricket Club|url=http://medstead.play-cricket.com/|publisher=Medstead CC|access-date=31 January 2017|language=en}}</ref> and a Bowls Club occupying a {{convert|40|m2|sqft}} playing field which houses eight rinks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Bowls Club|url=http://bentworthparishcouncil.org/the-villager/medstead-bowls-club-2/|publisher=Bentworth Parish Council|access-date=30 January 2017}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The main village hall was first built in the 1970s and has a capacity of 200 people; 150 people can be accommodated seated around tables or 120 for formal occasions. A separate small hall can accommodate 50 people with en suite kitchen and a separate bar area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medstead Village Hall (East Hampshire)|url=http://www.medsteadvillagehall.co.uk/|publisher=Medstead Village Hall|access-date=31 January 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==Governance==
The village falls under the [[East Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Hampshire]] parliament [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|constituency]], represented in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] by [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Damian Hinds]] since 2010.<ref name=electoralcalculus2015>{{cite web|title=Election Data 2015|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|publisher=[[Electoral Calculus]]|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|archive-date=17 October 2015}}</ref> In [[County Council]] elections, Hampshire is divided into 75 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral division]]s that return a total of 78 councillors;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hants.gov.uk/aboutthecouncil/electionsandvoting |title=Elections |publisher=Hampshire County Council |work=hants.gov.uk |access-date=10 September 2015}}</ref> Medstead, along with Bentworth, is in Alton Rural Electoral Division.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/5188 |title=Have your say on new county division boundaries for Hampshire |publisher=The Local Government Boundary Commission for England |access-date=30 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202062833/https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/5188 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In district council elections, East Hampshire is divided into 38 electoral wards that return a total of 44 councillors; Medstead is in Downland Electoral Ward, together with Four Marks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://easthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |title=Your Councillors by Ward |publisher=East Hampshire District Council |work=easthants.moderngov.co.uk |access-date=30 January 2017}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
[[File:St Andrew's Church, Medstead - geograph.org.uk - 210641.jpg|thumb|right|250px|St Andrew's Church from the south side.]]
A chapel in the village was first mentioned in the [[Domesday Survey]] in 1086. The Norman church of St Andrew was first constructed in 1160 after the previous chapel was demolished.<ref name="and">{{cite web|title=Church of St Andrew – Medstead|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142015-church-of-st-andrew-medstead-hampshire#.V_A_ySgrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref> The church has flint walls whereas its [[chancel]] has cemented walls, along with windows dating from the 14th century. The church was restored in the 19th century, along with a nave extension and the addition of a new chancel arch.<ref name="and"/> The churchyard has a [[Grade II]] listed war memorial which is dedicated to fallen soldiers of the [[First World War]]. The memorial is made out of Cornish granite and features a Celtic cross with a crusader's sword sculpted in its centre; it was unveiled on 17 October 1920 by Admiral Jervoise and dedicated by the rector of St Andrew's Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=War Memorial South East of the Church of St Andrew – Medstead|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-494650-war-memorial-south-east-of-the-church-of#.V_BB0igrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref>

Medstead contains a total of six [[Grade II]] listed buildings.<ref name="list">{{cite web|title=Listed Buildings in Medstead|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/hampshire/medstead#.V_A_pygrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref> Southdown Old Farmhouse is a small manor which dates from the 18th century and has undergone 20th century restorations and extensions; the manor was designated as a listed building on 31 May 1985.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southdown Old Farmhouse – Medstead|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-142016-southdown-old-farmhouse-medstead-hampshi#.V_BCiygrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref> Another Grade II listed building is a Victorian [[watermill|wheelhouse]] with a donkey wheel which lies immediately southwest of Southdown Old Farmhouse. The wheelhouse was built in the early 19th century and consists of weatherboarded timber frames on brick plinths. The donkey wheel is in working order and is made of a large timber axle with a rope hanging over a well.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wheel House and Donkey Wheel Immediately South West of Southdown Old Farmhouse – Medstead|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-490187-wheel-house-and-donkey-wheel-immediately#.V_BDXCgrKUk|publisher=British Listed Buildings|access-date=1 October 2016}}</ref>

==Notable people==

The musician and composer [[Laura Jurd]] grew up in Medstead.<ref>{{cite news| last=Fordham | first=John | title=Jazz trumpeter Laura Jurd: 'I just like making things up' | work=The Guardian | date=12 September 2013 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/12/jazz-trumpeter-laura-jurd-improvising | access-date=23 June 2025}}</ref>

==Further reading==
Heal, Chris, Ropley's Legacy, The ridge enclosures, 1709 to 1850: Chawton, Farringdon, Medstead, Newton Valence and Ropley and the birth of Four Marks, {{ISBN|978-1-9161944-3-4}} (Chattaway and Spottiswood, 2021)[7]

Heal, Chris, The Four Marks Murders, {{ISBN|978-1-9161944-2-7}} (Chattaway and Spottiswood, 2020, 2nd edition 2021).

Moody, Nellie, A Short History of Medstead (The Women's Institute, Medstead 1932)

Montgomery, Roy, The village of Medstead and parish of St Andrew (Hampshire Genealogical Society, No 01)

Munby, Julian, edited, Domesday Book, 4, Hampshire (1086; Phillimore, Chichester 1982)

Rathbone, Lorents, A Chronicle of Medstead (1966)<ref>Hampshire Record Office, 32M 94/1/71</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Medstead, Hampshire|Medstead}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190707150800/http://www.medsteadpc.org/community/medstead-parish-council-12575/home Medstead Parish Council website]
* [http://www.medstead.org Medstead Village website – medstead.org]
* [http://www.stainedglassrecords.org/Ch.asp?ChId=2541 Stained Glass Windows at St. Andrew, Medstead, Hampshire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924105634/http://www.stainedglassrecords.org/Ch.asp?ChId=2541 |date=24 September 2015 }}

{{Bentworth Parish}}
{{EastHampshire}}
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[[Category:Villages in Hampshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Hampshire]]
[[Category:East Hampshire District]]