| Medstead |
Medstead is four miles to the west of Alton and about 700 feet above sea level. The church has a wooden bell turret on top of a shingle roof. Inside there are two original Norman arches and a window that shows St Joan of Arc before she was canonised. the chancel has a marble memorial to John Downes a native of Carmarthen who was curate of this parish and who died as a young man in 1770 The village itself is located between the valleys of the Itchen and the Meon Valleys, and is one of the highest villages in the county, There are some lovely views from the village which is now a mainly and arable farming community some smallholdings have now disappeared though due to the ever changing economy. The Manor of Medstead was recently bought by an American Roman Catholic Order and the Convent of St Lucy has been established there,
It is not unusual to see horses being ridden through as there are three riding establishments and about 50-60 private yards and it is thought that there are around 200 horses kept in the parish. The centre of the village is around the High Street w ith the church and the old school, now the church hall at one end along with the Castle of Comfrot pub, the post office and a couple of shops. The Convent of St Lucy mentioned above with the village hall and green are at the other end. The villages is almost touching the boundary with Four Marks as Four Marks station on the Watercress Line is here.
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