The village of Fair Oak and Horton Heath lies some 6 miles SSE of Winchester, just due east of Eastleigh and a few miles from Southampton.

The present parish Of Fair Oak was originally part of the much larger parish of Bishopstoke until 1871, when the separate ecclesiastical  parish of Fair Oak was formed to also encompass Horton Heath, Crowd Hill, Lake and Stroud Wood.

Prior to this, in 1863, the parish church of St. Thomas was built as a "chapel of ease" or outpost of the mother church in Bishopstoke, to serve both Fair Oak and Horton Heath.
 
Burials still took place in Bishopstoke churchyard until the church of St. Mary was completely re-built in 1890. From that date some burials took place at Bishopstoke and some at the newly opened civil cemetery at Brookwood Avenue in Eastleigh.  It was not until 1942 that a new burial ground was consecrated in Fair Oak.-???
 
Horton Heath was a small hamlet of just a few houses about 2 miles due south, but with growth over the years, both settlements have expanded and joined.  Until 1983 the parish was known just as Fair Oak, then from that date it became the Parish Of Fair Oak and Horton Heath. Today the parish is a thriving dormitory village, close to Eastleigh and Southampton, with a population of about 8,000.
 
Fair Oak is reputed to be named after the annual June fair held under the large oak tree that grew in the  village square. There is an interesting legend about the June Fair. it is said that the first person to erect his stall was able to collect the Key to the Fair from the Old George Inn (built in 18th C).  The Key was returned to the innkeeper in exchange for a quantity of ale, however the amount is not known.

Sadly the fair was discontinued after the First World War, but more recently a thriving carnival has taken place in the village each June. .
 
The original oak tree, from which the village took its name, was cut down in 1842, and was replaced in 1843 by the present oak  that now stand in the centre of the village.

Wood from the original oak is reputed to have been made into a chair that is now in Winchester Cathedral.  And again the original tree is said to be commemorated in panelling above a fireplace at Fair Oak Lodge; carvings show the tree standing outside the George Inn in the centre of the village.
 
It is interesting to note that Fair Oak Lodge, in Allington Lane, was originally a 16thC Covent, that was enlarged in the 19thC.  The building is of brick and tile and is described as having an interior of interest.  

Fair Oak Lodge is just one of several building of historical note within the parish.  There are six farmhouses and a pair of cottages dating from the 17thC and three farmhouses dating from the 18thC. 

One of the 18thC buildings, The Cockpit on Knowle Lane, now a private house, was originally an inn with a cockpit in the cellar.  Nearby is a memorial stone marking the position of the original outdoor cock-fighting pit.

However, none of these buildings are mentioned in Nikolaus Pevsner's Buildings of England; Hampshire and Isle of Wight edition.  Unfairly Fair Oak is described as " a scrappy village on the outskirts of Eastleigh" 
 
The area known as Knowle Hill, on Knowle Lane, is now a designated conservation site, with many interesting plant and insect species as well as birds.
 
Early Beginnings::
The earliest evidence for human occupation in the area are Mesolithic (middle stone age) flint implements found in a sandpit at Knowle Hill.   
Early Roman occupation is marked by the discovery of a complex of ditches found during sand extraction and dated to the middle First century AD by the pottery finds.

There is documentary evidence of a settlement in 901 AD, known as Cnolgette (Roundhill/Gate House of William Cnolle)  Knowle Lodge was marked as Knowle Hill Hill Lodge on the 1868 map.
 
Other evidence of early habitation is shown by circular soil marks, now only visible from the air;  an overgrown rectangular earthwork in Stoke Park Woods, and stretches of bank and traces of ditch marking the boundary of the medieval park of Marwell Manor, The original moated manor house was built  by Henry de Blois, the Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171.
 
Of particular interest is East Horton Farm on Knowle Lane.  The existing farmhouse was built in 17thC, but records show evidence of Mesolithic, bronze age and Roman occupation, which means almost continuous .occupation of the site to the present day.
(sources: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England - various projects)
 
The Square:
 
As well as the oak tree, the centre of the village is also marked by a War Memorial erected in 1919.   Built of unpolished granite, it now commemorates those who served in both World Wars.

The Old George

St.Thomas's Church:
Designed by the architect Colson, the church was built in 1863 in the early English style of flint and stone with lancet windows and apse.  There is a turret housing just one bell. The church contains war memorials to the dead of both World Wars.
Parish register records for baptism date from 1871 - 1974, marriages from 1863 - 2003, and burials from 1871 - 1976.  Complete parish records are held by the Hampshire County Record Office in Winchester.
 
 
Worship in Fair Oak and Horton Heath was reasonably well catered for from 1863 with the church of St. Thomas built on what is now Mortimer Road.
The Horton Heath Baptist chapel was built about the same time on Burnetts Lane and the Crowdhill Methodist Chapel was built on Winchester Road in 1867. Roman Catholic worshippers had to travel to Eastleigh for services until the church of St. Swithun Wells was built in Allington Lane in 1978.

The Cricketers Arms public house

Schools:
Children from both communities were once educated in the small school close to the church, but, with a growing population, that soon became too small.  So  two new schools of Fair Oak Infant and Fair Oak Junior were opened and from 1965 secondary education has been provided by  Wyvern College of Technology on Botley Road.
 
Today Fair Oak and Horton Heath is a thriving community with a good selection of local shops and wide variety of organisations catering for all age groups.
There are clubs and facilities for senior citizens, youth clubs, Cubs, Beavers, Brownies, Girl Guide and Scouts as well as football and cricket clubs catering for both junior and senior teams. 
There are excellent facilities for football, cricket and tennis at the Lapstone Farm playing fields.  The recently opened pavilion there is home to local football clubs
and to the Fair Oak Cricket Club.  Founded as a village side in 1947, the cricket club now runs four senior and six junior teams.
 

The Church of St Thomas

 "It is believed that in 1782 Maria Fitzherbert gave the priest's house and chapel at Highbridge to the community and Mass began to be celebrated there. Highbridge was used until 1884 when Fr. Gunning from Winchester began to celebrate Mass at St. Mary's Home, Market St., Eastleigh. In 1888 Eastleigh became a parish in itself and had a priest for itself alone. From 1890 to !902 Mass was celebrated in what was known as a Tin Church and Holy Cross Church was consecrated in 1902.
 
First Mass at Fair Oak was celebrated at Fair oak Acorn Club on 1st January 1961. Mass was then celebrated at the Village Hall from August 1966 until St. Swithun Wells Church was opened in July 1978.
 
As for burials there is a Catholic section in Brookwood Cemetery in Eastleigh.