The Conservation Area

St Mary Bourne was recorded as a village settlement in the Domesday Survey and early traces of human occupation range from Palaeolithic times onwards, such as Bronze Age barrows and ring ditch sites, an Iron Age camp, numerous Roman remains, and a Saxon burial ground discovered in Derry Down Copse.

The Village of St Mary Bourne gets its name from the Bourne rivulet which flows from its source north of Ibthorpe to join the River Test some 2 miles further south. The Bourne is known as a "ephemeral stream" which only flows during early spring and summer, ceases in the autumn and is dry through the winter. However, there is a spring in the field opposite the War Memorial and downstream from this point the Bourne flows throughout the year. There are a number of small bridges crossing the rivulet along its length which add to the charm of the area.

Bourne Rivulet

Traditionally, development of the village has followed the B3048 which winds its way along the bottom of the picturesque Bourne Rivulet Valley. The rural character and charm of the valley and the visual quality of the buildings justified the designation of a Conservation Area in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The special character of St Mary Bourne is created by the relatively unspoilt nature of the main street, the gentle curves of which result in a series of changing street views. The area of open space to the north of the War Memorial bisects the village, separating the older central groups of buildings around the church and the bridge from the later more spaced buildings that form Swampton and Stoke further up the valley.

There are 71 buildings listed as being of Special Architectural or Historic Interest within the Conservation Area. Forty of these are thatched and comprise the largest concentration of thatched buildings in the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane. One of the most interesting buildings is the Church of St Peter , dating back to 1157 and situated close to the point at which the Roman Road called the Portway crossed the Bourne Rivulet. Amongst many interesting features in and around St Peter's Church is a black marble font at least 800 years old, brought from Tournai in Belgium at the time when St Peter was built. This font is one of the rarest ecclesiastical treasures in Hampshire and is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in the country. The wall and gate-piers and nine table tombs in the churchyard are Listed in their own right, so too is the Diamond Jubilee lamp situated in The Square.

Apart from the buildings included on the Statutory List there are a number of additional properties which because of their harmonious scale and appearance contribute to the pleasant appearance of the village. The building materials are mostly traditional with an interesting variety of thatch, clay tiles or slate for roofs and with brick, flint, timber framing and chalk/cob walling.

Summerhaugh Cottage

SUMMERHAUGH COTTAGE
One of the buildings forming a prominent group around the old village square, along with the George Inn and Fourways. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon haga, a hedge, whence hagha or haghaw is the local name for the berry of the hawthorn.

The local Planning Authority feels that the character and appearance of the village should be preserved and enhanced, which is why the area has been designated as a Conservation Area.

Conservation Area Document

Conservation Area Document
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This page was last edited on 5 Jan 2007

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