Four Marks
Encyclopedia
Four Marks is a large village and civil parish
in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) southwest of Alton
, on the A31 road
.
The village has its own restored railway station
on the Watercress Line
, services from which connect with the nearest national rail station 4.4 miles (7.1 km) to the northeast, at .
Four Marks was originally settled by veterans of the Crimean War
, who were allocated plots for their smallholding
s, and was the site of a telegraph. A former resident is Formula One
racing driver Derek Warwick
.
According to Bartholomew’s Gazetteer the village of Four Marks is the only so named place in the whole of the United Kingdom.
The first mention of it appears in a document c 1550 albeit spelt differently. The heading of the page can be translated as ‘Perambulation of the Manor of Alresford’ and consists of a description of the boundaries. The reference to Four Marks translates roughly, as “a certain vacant piece of land called Fowrem’kes near Bookmere and so called Fowrem’kes because iiii adjoining tithings abut there namely the tithings of Medsted Ropley Faryngdon & Chawton”.
The area was well known as Four Marks and even had its own post office and facility for cancelling stamps. The first mention of the post office is a record in the proof books of the General Post Office of the issue of a rubber datestamp on 25 March 1897. (The post office closed in early 2007). Four Marks did not become a parish until 1932 when seven parishes were annexed to create it. It included parts of the above-mentioned parishes i.e. Medstead
, Ropley
, Farringdon
and Chawton
, Kitwood
note changed spellings, plus East Tisted
and Newton Valence
.
In recent years, Four Marks has had problems with inappropriate housing developments, and is considered completely full by many residents.
school. The village has a historic railway station forming part of the Watercress Line
.
, run regular services between and , stopping at Medstead and Four Marks railway station
.
Four Marks is host to a small brewery whose beer can be found in several pubs in the region.
BBC South
is the local BBC service and ITV Meridian is the local ITV service. The BBC Local Radio service for the area is BBC Solent
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the East Hampshire
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
district of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) southwest of Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
, on the A31 road
A31 road
The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset.-Route of road:The road begins in the centre of Guildford, meeting the A3 road before running south west along the Hog's Back. It continues past Farnham, Alton and New Alresford before...
.
The village has its own restored railway station
Medstead and Four Marks railway station
Medstead and Four Marks railway station is a railway station in the English county of Hampshire, serving the villages of Medstead and Four Marks.-History:Opened in August 1868 as Medstead, it changed to its present name on 1 October 1937....
on the Watercress Line
Watercress Line
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
, services from which connect with the nearest national rail station 4.4 miles (7.1 km) to the northeast, at .
Four Marks was originally settled by veterans of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, who were allocated plots for their smallholding
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
s, and was the site of a telegraph. A former resident is Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing driver Derek Warwick
Derek Warwick
Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick is a British former racing driver from England. He raced for many years in Formula One, but never won a Grand Prix. During the early 1980s he was thought more likely to achieve World Championship success than his contemporary Nigel Mansell, but a series of wrong...
.
According to Bartholomew’s Gazetteer the village of Four Marks is the only so named place in the whole of the United Kingdom.
The first mention of it appears in a document c 1550 albeit spelt differently. The heading of the page can be translated as ‘Perambulation of the Manor of Alresford’ and consists of a description of the boundaries. The reference to Four Marks translates roughly, as “a certain vacant piece of land called Fowrem’kes near Bookmere and so called Fowrem’kes because iiii adjoining tithings abut there namely the tithings of Medsted Ropley Faryngdon & Chawton”.
The area was well known as Four Marks and even had its own post office and facility for cancelling stamps. The first mention of the post office is a record in the proof books of the General Post Office of the issue of a rubber datestamp on 25 March 1897. (The post office closed in early 2007). Four Marks did not become a parish until 1932 when seven parishes were annexed to create it. It included parts of the above-mentioned parishes i.e. Medstead
Medstead
Medstead is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.3 miles west-southwest of Alton. The village has a population of around 2,000 and adjoins the village of Four Marks. At over 700 feet above sea level, they are some of the highest villages in...
, Ropley
Ropley
Ropley is a village and large civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of , situated east from New Alresford, with a station 1½ miles from the village. It is southwest of Alton, just off the A31 road...
, Farringdon
Farringdon
Farringdon is a historic area of the City of London, represented today by the Wards of Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without. Farringdon is also used informally to refer to the area around Farringdon Station in the London Borough of Islington, some distance north of the historic locality.-City...
and Chawton
Chawton
Chawton is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1.6 miles southwest of Alton, just south of the A31 which runs between Farnham and Winchester. The village is famous as the home of Jane Austen for the last eight years of her life...
, Kitwood
Kitwood
Kitwood is a hamlet in Hampshire, England. The nearest town is Alton at and the nearest railway station is the Medstead and Four Marks railway station at the village of Four Marks, approximately away....
note changed spellings, plus East Tisted
East Tisted
East Tisted is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.8 miles south of Alton on the A32 road.The nearest railway station is 4.7 miles north of the village, at Alton....
and Newton Valence
Newton Valence
Newton Valence is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.4 miles south of Alton, just off the A32 road....
.
In recent years, Four Marks has had problems with inappropriate housing developments, and is considered completely full by many residents.
Local amenities
The village has a large recreation ground including soccer, cricket, tennis courts, local bowls club and BMX ramps. The village Centre has been recently refurbished, including a restful area surrounded by flowerbeds to sit, under the village clock. Local amenities with good parking. The Primary School (Four Marks Primary School), is a Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
school. The village has a historic railway station forming part of the Watercress Line
Watercress Line
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
.
Local Interest
Steam Locomotives, restored and operated by The Watercress LineWatercress Line
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
, run regular services between and , stopping at Medstead and Four Marks railway station
Medstead and Four Marks railway station
Medstead and Four Marks railway station is a railway station in the English county of Hampshire, serving the villages of Medstead and Four Marks.-History:Opened in August 1868 as Medstead, it changed to its present name on 1 October 1937....
.
Four Marks is host to a small brewery whose beer can be found in several pubs in the region.
Media
Kestrel FM local Radio on 101.6FM (Formerly Delta Radio, originally Wey Valley Radio) Kestrel FM is located in Basingstoke even though it's referred to as a local station.BBC South
BBC South
BBC South is the BBC English Region serving West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, western Berkshire, Oxfordshire, south east Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.-Television:...
is the local BBC service and ITV Meridian is the local ITV service. The BBC Local Radio service for the area is BBC Solent
External links
- http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Four+Marks&t=k&ll=51.105085,-1.049967&spn=0.032767,0.107803&t=k (Google Maps Aerial Photograph]
- http://www.fourmarks.info (Four Marks information and pictures]
- http://www.fourmarksprimary.co.uk (Four Marks Primary School)
- http://www.kestrelfm.com (Local Radio)