| Hawkley |
| Since 1932 the tiny Parish of Empshott has been
included in Hawkley Parish as it was found in a survery of 1428 that
Empshott was one of the parishes of the county where there were fewer
that ten inhabitants holding houses and in 1931 this rose to 171. Hawkeley was never entered into the Domesday survey as the manor probably formed part of Newton Valence to which Hawkley has been closely associated for hundreds of years. Land that belonged to Robert de Pont de l'Arche were passed on to William Valence in 1252 and then followed the descent of the manor for Newton Valence. And old cottage at Lower green was originally the mill house of Hawkley mill which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester and was seized by Adam Gordon but returned by Edward I in `1280. The mill was later burnt down but in 1774 it was rebuilt as and from 1882 it became a cottage, it is said that behind the house there is a stream which drove the wheel of the mill. The cottage has an inscription on the wall says "Hocheleye Mill. Ancient mill of the Bishops of Winchester taken from them by Sir Adam Gurdon given back under King Edward AD 1280. Burnt down and 1774. Became a cottage 1880. J.J.M." In 1774 Gilbert White described how a large part of "the great woody hanger at Hawkley was torn from its place and fell down, leaving a high freestone cliff naked and bare, and resembling the steep cliff of a chalk pit." This was because of a natural landslip about a mile to the east of the village. This often happens on the coastal cliffs of Hampshire, but this was possibly the only inland slip ever recorded in the county. A section of the escarpment subsided and the grown buckled and twisted thus causing fissures and the cause was the Malmstone sliding over the Gault Clay after torrential rain
Two houses were demolished due to the slip and the Hampshire Chronicle reported that 60 acres of land had collapsed and a house 'was thrown down, a cottage that stood near to Scotland Farm was engulfed by the soil and debris but was rebuilt. There are some fine views to the west from Hawkley with a skyline of hangers and extensive views north east towards the Hogs Back. Most of the species that are mentioned by Gilbert White can still to be found here among a varied of flora. Jolly Robins Pond is a curiosity as the water level never seems to vary even though the water table is 120 ft below ground, and it is possible that it is a dew pond principle that was built to water the horses when the Jolly Robins was a coaching station The parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul and stands back from the road at the western end of the village, it was completely built in 1861 and sands on the site of the old church.. MORE PHOTOS OF THE HAWKLEY AREA
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