| Froxfield | ||
High up in the hills, and beneath Stoner Hill,
which is 758 feet high, lies Froxfield and its varied history that shows
two earthworks that go way back to prehistoric times and where not only
flint tools have been found but also sea urchins which goes to show that
the sea covered the area. The Romans also came here and they left behind
the remains of a villa that is complete with a bath. Pieces of earthwork
have also been found running across the Parish and are said to have
formed part of the border between the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and
Sussex.
In 1932 the civil Parish of Froxfield had the Parish of Privett added to it , but it was first recorded in a grant of land of the 10th century but there is no reference to it in the Domesday Survey as then it was included in the Episcopal manor of East Meon. The Basing Park estate was held by the Love family for more than 200 years from 1567 and Robert Love left £1,000 to build a free school here in 1733. The Silvesters were another long established family. There two new churches, St Peter's, High Gross which has three Norman arches in the arcade that have capitals adorned with scallops, and St Peter's-on-the-Green and here is the resting place of Richard Love and his wife Barbara. St Peter's High Gross has a memorial tablet in honour of John Sylvester the last of the family that lived here in the village for 350 years until 1928 Mistress Honor Neale was the daughter of
Sir William Uvedale of Wickham and it was his ancestors that helped
William of Wykham when he was just a lad.
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