South Warnborough

South Warnborough (grid reference SU722473) is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.

The parish rises southwards from the valley of the River Whitewater to the North Downs at over 700 feet (210 m) – the highest point in the Hart district.

The parish has a pub, The Poacher, a popular village shop and post office, Street Farm House, a beautiful Jacobean house, the 12/13th century Norman Church of St Andrew and a village playground managed by the playground committee.

A small business unit and car repair garage is located on the southern edge of the village.

It is a country for sheep, which are always good and sound...[2]St. Andrew's church dates from the early 12th century and is a Grade II* listed building.

The main doorway on the North side, with its interesting design of lozenges broken at an angle, and the West end of the nave, were built when Alan de Craon was lord of the manor.

One of the outstanding features of the church is the 15th century rood screen, a rare survival and now in its original position though there was a time when it was used under the belfry where it formed a gallery.

The top left hand is dated 1599 and shows the Whyte popinjays; the other three shields are encircled by garters and are from the first half of the 16th century; they include the quartered shield of Thomas Wriothesley, first earl of Southampton who had served with Sir Thomas Whyte on a Commission for disposing of Church plate at the Reformation; his grandson, the 3rd Earl, was the patron of the Elizabethan poets, and in particular of Shakespeare.

Hugh gave the manor and the living of St. Andrew's Church which went with it, to his daughter on her marriage to Guy de Craon.

Their son Alan, grandson Maurice and great-grandson Guy continued as lords of the manor but the living of St Andrew's, with land and woods, was granted by Alan to Freiston Priory, a sub-cell of the renowned Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire, in which county the de Craons also had lands.

The war memorial
St Andrew's church