Two miles north of Oakhanger lies St Leonard's Church, Hartley Mauditt, which having lost its village stands isolated beside the village pond.
This was essentially a manor church, built between 1100 and 1125 by one of William the Conqueror's knights, William de Mauditt, in a clearing in the forest.
The building is a simple nave and chancel. The porch protects a beautifully decorated Early English doorway. Inside is the 15th century font, and in the south wall is a Norman window.
After the de Mauditt's, the manor passed by various families to John of Gaunt and remained Crown property until 1603. The Stuart family bought the manor in 1614 and held it for many years. Their monuments, several with colourful heraldry, are in the chancel.
In 1798 the owner preferred to live in London, but his wife wished to remain in Hartley Mauditt, so he demolished the manor house, thus forcing her to follow him. She is buried in the churchyard, so her heart at least did in the end return. The destruction of the manor meant loss of employment, and the village was abandoned.
The church was restored in 1854 and 1904, the last when the bell turret was renewed. Today the church is well preserved and beautifully maintained.
Now for the cache.
Rev Carrie Walshaw's phone number is 01AB0 C11706
the cache can be found at
N51 07.BA(A+B) W000 56.AB(A+C)
Watch the road there is no pavement and the cars go fast
If anybody 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
To view the church micro stats page, please click here