Monk Sherborne: Village History and St James’ Way

Monk Sherborne combines a distinct historic village character with a section of the St James’ Way pilgrimage route. Those planning a trip combining architectural heritage, countryside and walking will find various points of interest here: from the preserved village scene and a Norman church door to a signposted long-distance trail and a circular walk. When looking for a holiday cottage, you can therefore consider whether to focus on culture, the pilgrimage experience or routes through the countryside.

Historic Village Character and Countryside

The Monk Sherborne Conservation Area was designated in 1992 by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council because of the village’s special architectural and historic interest. The area is predominantly linear in character and largely follows Ramsdell Road. This creates a village scene whose structure is closely linked to the course of the road.

Between the buildings and through gaps in the hedges, the surrounding countryside occasionally comes into view from the Conservation Area. Monk Sherborne Wood can also be seen through such gaps in the hedges from Salters Heath Road and Ramsdell Road. Preserved vernacular building traditions include traditional construction using thatch and cob. For families who enjoy looking more closely during a visit, these details offer an accessible way into the village’s history without every outing having to focus on a single destination.

Church, Priory and Historical Traces

All Saints’ Church in Monk Sherborne dates from the late 11th century and still has a Norman north doorway with chevron decoration. All Saints’ Church stands on the St James’ Way pilgrimage route. George Austen was buried without a headstone in the churchyard of Monk Sherborne parish church.

Pamber Priory is also located on the St James’ Way. Pamber Priory was founded by Henry de Port during the reign of Henry I as a daughter house of St Vigor Carasy in Normandy. The surviving part of the priory church includes an Early English chancel and a Norman tower. There are also medieval grave slabs and a wooden effigy of a cross-legged knight from the 13th century. Another historical trace leads to the excavation at Manor Farm, where the ground plan of a Roman house with a winged corridor was uncovered; one room had been converted for the duct system of a hypocaust.

St James’ Way and The Mole

The St James’ Way pilgrimage route reaches Monk Sherborne via Kiln Lane. Overall, it is approximately 68.5 miles or 110 kilometres long, runs from Reading Abbey to Southampton and can be walked in stages. Dark blue signposts, yellow arrows and a scallop shell serve as markers. This makes it possible to plan the journey around a longer route or individual stages.

For a shorter walking idea, there is the circular walk The Mole. It follows a bridleway to a wood and then crosses a footbridge over a stream into the wood. In wet weather, the bridleway can be very muddy. Take this feature into account when planning your day and choose your accommodation to suit the pace of outings you want for your trip.

Choose a Holiday Cottage to Suit Your Travel Plans

When choosing a holiday cottage, you should take your trip’s daily rhythm and the amount of space you want for your own discoveries into account. Consider how much time you would like to allow for planned routes and spontaneous discoveries so that your accommodation choice fits your personal travel schedule.

Further destinations for planning your trip: Bordon, Romsey, Titchfield, Brockenhurst, Abbotts Ann, Breamore, Overton and Emsworth.

For the higher-level travel overview: Hampshire.