The village was originally in the southwest corner of the parish but moved inland in the early 19th century.

The parish church was built in 1827, replacing an earlier chapel near Lower Exbury Farm.

[6] The original village and its chapel at Lower Exbury to the south-west were removed,[7] and a site was designated for a new church, which was built in 1827.

[8] When he died in 1942, the house was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and used for the planning and operation of the Dieppe raids and D-Day landings.

[9] Exbury estate was used for experimental firing, and barracks housing up to 300 men were constructed within the grounds.

[9] Lionel's son Edmund Leopold de Rothschild took on the responsibility for the estate after the war, restoring the house and gardens.

When Edmund died in 2009, his brother Leopold David de Rothschild took over, creating a Charitable Trust to secure the financial future of the gardens and railway which opened in 2001.

This chapel was served by the Cistercians from Beaulieu Abbey, the tradition being that the monks used to cross the river from Saint Leonard's on stepping-stones.