Greywell is a small village and civil parish in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, England – a past winner of the Best Kept Village in

competition and a recent winner of Best Small Village in Hampshire. It lies on the west bank of the

River Whitewater The River Whitewater rises at springs near Bidden Grange Farm between Upton Grey and Greywell in Hampshire, England. It flows northeast and is a tributary of the River Blackwater near Swallowfield. Its headwaters flow over chalk and there is li ...

, 6 miles east of

Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...

and 1.5 miles west of

Odiham Odiham () is a large historic village and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It is twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. The 2011 population was 4,406. The parish in 1851 had an area of 7,354 acres ...

. The area is popular with walkers and cyclists. Many photographers also take pictures of some of the local architecture. There are 29 Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

s or entries in the area, and 2 Grade II* listed buildings. The nearby

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Odiham Castle Odiham Castle (also known locally as King John's Castle) is a ruined castle situated near Odiham in Hampshire, United Kingdom. It is one of only three fortresses built by King John during his reign. The site was possibly chosen by King John b ...

is of historical interest. At the centre of the village is the ''Fox and Goose'' public house.

History

The village was not recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

, possibly being considered part of the manor of Odiham. Becoming a separate manor in the 13th century, it was sold to

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 176 ...

, and the first Governor General of Canada in 1786, and has stayed in that family ever since. Originally a Saxon hunting settlement, the village's economy is rooted in agriculture and more latterly timber, which flourished at the same time as the

Basingstoke Canal The Basingstoke Canal is an English canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation. From Basingstoke, the canal passes through or near Greywell, North Warnborough, Odiham, Do ...

. Built at the end of the 18th century, it runs through and under Greywell. However, the canal was never a commercial success and was soon overtaken by the advent of the railway; by the turn of the last century it had fallen into disuse. These days, agriculture remains the most important local industry, but most residents work elsewhere, commute to London or are retired.

Greywell Hill House

In the 17th century, Nateley and Greywell manors were owned by the Zouche family of Bramshill, then the Henley family. The 876 acres of Greywell Manor were bought in 1787 by

, former Governor General of Quebec. Trustees who purchased the Manor for Guy Carleton described it as "A delightful spot... charming hills much woods, good water, a small river in the bottom with good Trout... the Farm buildings in most excellent condition." There were three farms in the Manor, of which Grewell Farm was probably the least significant. An estate survey of 1788 shows the line of the tunnel for the

which crosses the north of the estate. The farm was tenanted, Guy Carleton choosing to live at Kempshott nearby and then in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. He died in 1808 and it was not until around 1824 when the farm had become a gentleman's residence that Arthur Henry Carleton, 2nd Lord Dorchester, finally moved in. The Greenwood map, 1826, indicates that a formal garden has been started and it is clear that a gentleman's residence would have had pleasure grounds as well. The Tithe map of 1842 shows a mansion, approach drive, stable block, grounds and a surrounding park. The 1st edition OS maps show a partly walled kitchen garden as well as lawns and features such as a fountain and a pond. An old chalk pit to the east of the approach drive has become The Dell. Footpaths lead through the park and there has been much planting of trees in the parkland. An article in the ''Gardeners' Chronicle'', 1907, indicates that the period 1870s – 1890s there was a great deal of planting both of plants and trees. A Dutch garden is described in what was originally the chalk pit (shown on early, old maps). The title of

Lord Dorchester Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 176 ...

became extinct in 1897, but Henrietta Anne Carleton (by then Mrs Leir-Carleton), daughter of the last Lord Dorchester, applied for reinstatement of the title, which was granted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1899. Henrietta then became the 1st Baroness Dorchester. In its turn, this title became extinct in 1963 when Henrietta's son from her first marriage to Francis Paynton Pigott, died. However, their daughter had already married

William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury Territorial Decoration, TD (18 November 1907 – 11 November 2000), styled Viscount FitzHarris until 1950, was a British peerage, British peer. The son of James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Harris w ...

. In 2000, William James Harris died and James Carleton Harris became 7th Earl of Malmesbury thus a direct heir of

. He is the current owner of Greywell Hill House.

St Mary's Church

Greywell's church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is an ancient structure of flint with stone quoins and dressings in the Norman and early English styles. It consists of a chancel, nave, porch and tower surmounted by wooden belfry containing four bells. At the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086 it is thought that the Chapel of St.Mary, beside the Whitewater, was one of the two churches within the Manor of Odiham mentioned in the survey. The church is of Norman origin and was built in the 12th century. Restored in 1870, it still boasts many old features, the most important of which is the early 16th century rood-screen, made of carved oak which before the restoration was used as a men's gallery with rood loft and circular stairs. The narrow 13th-century Early English chancel arch is also a prominent feature, while on the stonework to the left outside the church door there are visible remains of several consecration crosses dating back to the period of the Crusades. Church Cottage, beside the lych-gate on The Street, is believed to have been originally the priest's lodgings. St Mary's Church in Greywell is part of the United Parish of Newnham with Nately Scures with Mapledurwell with Up Nately with Greywell, which in turn is part of the North Hampshire Downs Benefice in the Church of England Diocese of Winchester. Greywell is within the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

United Parish, which is served by

St Swithun's, Nately Scures St Swithun's Church is the smallest ancient Church of England parish church in the English county of Hampshire. Newnham and Nately Scures are part of the Anglican United Parish which includes: Greywell, Mapledurwell and Up Nately, which in turn ...

Greywell Tunnel

The

runs beneath the village through the

Greywell Tunnel Greywell Tunnel is a disused tunnel on the Basingstoke Canal near Greywell in Hampshire, which is now a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. History Construction of the canal had been authorised by an Act of Parliament in 177 ...

, a tunnel built in the late 18th century. The last commercial passage of the tunnel was in 1914; a roof fall in 1932 led to the tunnel becoming totally blocked. The disused western portal of the tunnel is the largest winter bat roost in the UK, and is the second largest colony of

Natterer's bat Natterer's bat (''Myotis nattereri'') is a European Vespertilionidae, vespertilionid bat with pale wings. It has brown fur tending to greyish-white on its underside. It is found across most of the continent of Europe, parts of the Near East and No ...

in Europe. Along with Greywell Moors, the tunnel and its bat colony form one of two

Sites of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

in the area. A short section of the canal still in water, leading from the western tunnel portal with the original towpath, is maintained as a nature reserve.

Notable residents

By date of birth: *

(1724–1808) * Maria Fetherstonhaugh (née Carleton) (1847–1918), romantic novelist *Thomas Dawson, driver, Army Service Corps *

William Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury TD (18 November 1907 – 11 November 2000), styled Viscount FitzHarris until 1950, was a British peer. The son of James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Harris was educated at Eton and Trinity College ...

(1907–2000) *

Bill Newton Dunn William Francis Newton Dunn (born 3 October 1941) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 to 1994, 1999 to 2014 and again from 2019 until the UK's withdrawal from the EU in 2020. He resigned fro ...

(born 1941), Politician *

Tom Newton Dunn Thomas Zoltan Newton Dunn (born 16 December 1973), known as Tom Newton Dunn, is an English broadcast journalist and former newspaper journalist. He presented ''First Edition'', an evening news programme on talkTV. He was the political edit ...

(born 1973), Journalist * James Carleton Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury (born 1946) * Richard James Anthony Noble (born 1946), Entrepreneur *

Nick Jeffery Vodafone Limited, trading as Vodafone UK (stylised as vodafone), is a British telecommunications company, owned since May 2025 by VodafoneThree, a joint venture between Vodafone Group (51%) and Three owner CK Hutchison Holdings (49%). The count ...

(born 1968), Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone UK

Gallery

Image:GreywellMill(AndrewSmith)Apr2006.jpg, Greywell Mill on the upper reaches of the River Whitewater. The old waterwheel is still to be seen at the right-hand end of the building. (Photo by Andrew Smith, 2006) File:Cottages in Greywell Village - geograph.org.uk - 1209048.jpg, Cottages in Greywell

References

External links

Hampshire Treasures: Volume 3 (Hart and Rushmoor) Page 61 - Greywell
Group A - Natural Features and Group B - Archaeological Sites and Remains

Group D - Buildings, Monuments and Engineering Works

Group D - Buildings, Monuments and Engineering Works

Group D - Buildings, Monuments and Engineering Works

Group E - Street Patterns, Street Furniture and Open Spaces and Group F - Historical or Literary Associations
Stained Glass Windows at St. Mary, Greywell, HampshireGreywell Conservation Area Character Appraisal
{{authority control Villages in Hampshire