Brief History

The name Sherfield on Loddon originates from the old English ‘Scira feld’, meaning the ‘bright open land’ on the banks of the River Loddon.

The Manor of Sherfield on Loddon is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey because, at that time, it formed part of the Manor of Odiham. The settlement was first recorded in the 12th century, when the manor was granted by Henry II to his Marshall, William Fitz Aldelin. This second Lord of the Manor is reputed to have built the original Manor House. This was located within the existing moat at Sherfield Court, one of the finest such sites in Hampshire. Fitz Aldelin also laid out a deer park, which covered 40 acres by 1274. In Victorian times it was known as Buckfield Park. The property subsequently passed to the Warvertons or Warblingtons and then to John de Wintershill in 1274. The Warblingtons again held the manor in 1281, and it then passed by marriage to the Puttenhams. In 1572 the manor was divided and sold in two lots, both of which changed hands frequently after this date. In 1838, the Duke of Wellington purchased the estate.

Bullsdown Camp was the site of an Iron Age fort. It is  heavily wooded and 
Is a very large multilavatte fort with 3 banks and ditch's. Although eroded heavily the earthworks are still impressive. A valley/plateau fort as it is on rising ground on Bulls down where it gets its name from.

 The church and adjacent manor lie approximately one mile to the south of the larger present day settlement of Sherfield village. The moat of the original manor lies close to the north of the church, and the present day court sits outside this moat. There is no direct evidence of an original village settlement next to the church. As the area is characterised by dispersed settlement, it is possible that the church and moat stood alone. It is thought that the present village developed to the north in the 14th century.

The main part of the settlement of Sherfield village lies around a large area of informal open space called Sherfield Green. This divides the older settlement along Reading Road from the later development of the village to the north and west. The ‘new’ village was close to the bridging of the River Loddon, which was subsequently harnessed to provide power for local mills. The first mention of a water mill is in 1316. Two water mills were recorded in 1332 and four in 1601. In the early 20th century, Longbridge Mill had one of the largest water wheels in Hampshire, with a potential capacity of 100hp to work four pairs of stones.

Until Victorian times, Sherfield on Loddon was well endowed with common grazing land. Hodgemoor, Little Wild Moor, The Whitmarsh, Boar Meadow and The Green totalled 114 acres of rights to pasture and hay. Today, only The Green remains as open land and is a distinctive feature of the village. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were only about 40 homes encircling The Green. Others were scattered around the farms, the manor and Sherfield Court to the south.

 The avenue of Horse Chestnut trees along the Bramley Road replaced the Lime trees which were damaged soon after they were planted to commemorate Edward VII's Coronation in 1901.

The Village Hall was originally six cottages, which were donated to the parish by Revd A G Barker for the good of the people of Sherfield-on-Loddon. The middle four were changed into the Hall in 1909 by his wife and sons in his memory, and a plaque and portraits of the benefactors may be seen inside the building.   

From 1917 onwards, the development of the Ministry of Defence Major Ordnance Depot enclosed land from Bramley and Sherfield Parishes. This became commonly known as Bramley Camp and created increased employment opportunities for both villages. The main road through the village was bypassed in 1974, to provide for the expansion of Basingstoke to the south and Reading to the north.

Since the early 1970s, when the village gained management rights, Sherfield Green has developed and been maintained for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

In 2004 building started on Sherfield Park, a new development of homes to the south of the Parish at Taylor's Farm. Over the following years, both the Parish Council and the Sherfield Park Community Association (SPCA) came to recognise that there were distinct differences between the communities of the old village and Sherfield Park (Taylor's Farm) in terms of the residents’ respective needs and aspirations.  Taking this into account, along with the population growth and 2014 completion date for the Sherfield Park development, both parties believed it was sensible to review the community representation arrangements and a Community Governance Review was requested from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Consequently, as of 1 April 2016, Sherfield on Loddon parish was altered by the separation of the Taylor’s Farm parish ward from that parish and the creation of a new parish and parish council for the Sherfield Park community at Taylor’s Farm. The new parish is named Sherfield Park Parish Council.

Governance Review Order