Hartley Mauditt Walk on 1st June 2022

Luckily we had sufficient spaces in the car park behind The Selborne Arms so we weren't forced to pay in the Museum/Cafe car park. After heading for the Zig Zag path we did not take that route and fortunately turned towards Alton, walking along beneath the Selborne Hanger. We then walked along a very narrow part of Gracious Street to reach acres full of broad/field beans. The smaller 'Field' seed planted in autumn/harvested in June is for animal fodder. The larger variety 'Broad Bean' is more commonly planted in Spring, for human consumption. Both varieties are good for adding Nitrogen to the soil! This crop is replacing oil seed rape which has suffered from bad weather and flea beetle attacks in previous years. After more fields of beans and a few potatoes we reached the site of the Medieval Site of Hartley Mauditt. A settlement existed for many centuries before a church was built in the 12th century and the manor was originally granted to William de Maldoit (Mauditt) by William the Conqueror. The original manor house was situated where the wood currently grows, immediately behind the church. Many centuries passed without undue drama, until the Roundheads came from Alton in 1643 and destroyed the manor house. A few years later it was rebuilt by the Stuart family in the field to the south of the church and subsequently occupied by Lord Stowell. Lord Stowell preferred town life, his wife preferred the country, so in 1798 in a fit of pique he had the manor house demolished. The villagers eventually moved away so hardly a trace of the village remains, apart from the church, although it is thought the Roundhouse on the B3006 may have been a gatehouse. After some refreshment we headed back towards Selborne (with a few diversions caused by fallen trees and new born lambs) for an enjoyable lunch in the Selborne Arms. The walk was about 5 miles.