Binstead is recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book as Benestede. It became known for the quality of its limestone which led to a local quarrying industry, the result of which is still visible in the village’s landscape and place names. The nearby Quarr Abbey takes its name from ‘quarry’ and the suffix ‘pitts’ is occasionally found in house and road names. The quarries were known as pits.
The earliest recorded quarrying was by the first Norman Bishop of Winchester, Walkelin, who was granted half a hide of land by William the Conqueror. He used the stone to construct Winchester Cathedral starting in 1079. Subsequently, the stone was used in the building of Chichester Cathedral, Romsey Abbey and part of the Tower of London. The sign celebrates the quarries of Binstead.
During the Napoleonic War Daniel List, a local shipwright, successfully carried out shipbuilding at Binstead for the Royal Navy, comprising three 36-gun frigates - HMS Magicienne in 1812, and HMS Tagus and HMS Tiber in 1813.
About Village Sign Caches
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This cache belongs to the Village Sign Series, a series of caches based on ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (generally on the village green!).
The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably started in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country so we thought we would base a series on them!
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More information, bookmarks and statistics can be found at the Village Signs Website
If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do.
I would ask that you request a number for your cache first at www.villagesignseries.co.uk
so we can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.