Holybourne takes its name from the Old English Haligburna,
meaning 'sacred stream'. The stream rises by the church creating a
delightful pond, from which it flows as a tributary to the River
Wey.
It is perhaps surprising to find another church of Norman
foundation so near to the ancient church of St Lawrence at Alton,
less than two miles distant. The reason could be the proximity of
Neatham, which was administered by the monks from Waverley Abbey,
Holybourne church being one of many in Hampshire and Surrey
established by the Cistercian monks of Waverley.
The present church stands a little off the ancient route from
Winchester to Farnham. Its foundations date to the 12th century,
and the west end, the lower part of the present tower, and the nave
seem to have constituted the original church. The north aisle was
rebuilt in 1879, at one time being joined to the nave by a lean-to
roof.
The north aisle replaces a medieval one, whose two-bay fifteenth
century arcade survives. The chancel, which is Early English
(1190-1300) was added later and is the same width as the nave, an
architectural oddity being created by the church's extension
eastwards.
This work was completed in the 13th century, but by two
centuries later it was found necessary to raise the floor of the
whole building, presumably due to problems arising from the nearby
springs. By 1870, it became necessary to restore the nave,
retaining the 15th century roof framework.
The church is entered at the west end through a Norman arch
under the tower. There is a fine Perpendicular three-light window
in the east wall, and another can be seen in the north wall.
Now to the cache - the co-ordinates take you to the nearby pond
where you need to find
How long has Bunter been married = AB years
From when did Jack and Beatrice farm at Manor Farm = CDEF
The cache can be found at:
N 51 CB.(A-E-E)BF W000 5(A+C).FCD
If any body would like to expand to this series please do, I
would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he
can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid
duplication