West Worldham - History

History

Archeological findings in the fields between West and East Worldham reveal that the area has been visited and inhabited since at least the Palaeolithic era. An Iron Age hillfort, dated to around 100 BC, lay on the summit of King John‘s Hill, to the east of East Worldham. The Romans built a road from Chichester to Silchester that passed below the hill over what is now Green Street and Pookles Lane.

The village is believed to have been part of "Werildeham", mentioned in the Domesday Book. At this time, Worldham manor was held by Marshal Geoffrey de Venuz. However, the first mention of West Worldham as a village is in a document dated October 1277. In the late 12th century, Richard de Annecy granted the newly built church of St Nicholas of Worldeham to Hamble Priory.

During its history, Worldham has been spelled in many different ways, including Verilham, Worldham and Werldham in the 14th century and Wardelham in the 16th century. An early occupant was Thomas Paynil, who "died possessed of West Worlddham lands and tenements". During the reign of Edward II, "John Paynel was seized in his demesne as of fee of certain tenements and lands afterwards called the manor of West Worldham and Matilda". Godwin held Worldham during this period, and the land was assessed at 1 hide and 1 yardland. In 1428, the village had "not ten domicilia tenantes". During the medieval period, the area was a noted hunting ground, and the descendents of Geoffrey de Venuz established a private deer park and hunting lodge near here.

The naturalist and ornithologist Gilbert White immortalized the localities of the region, including West Worldham, in his The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789). In 1846, Henry Moody, curator of the Winchester Museum wrote about West Worldham, "a perpetual curacy in the gift of Winchester College, worth according to the Parliamentary returns £38; but has since received two additional endowments of £200 from Queen Anne's Bounty, and £200 from the warden and fellows of Winchester College, who are the appropriators of the tythes, and patrons of the living." In the next decade, John Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne was lord of the manor and his son, James Dutton, 3rd Baron Sherborne was noted to be its owner in the 1870s. In the late 1800s, William Wickham, MP, was the Guardian of West Worldham. By the early 20th century, the parish of Worldham remained under ownership of Winchester College and the Dutton Estate.

In May 1944, a Junkers Ju 188 was shot down by a Mosquito nearby and its debris was scattered across the village, including the church wall. Later, the inhabitants had to be evacuated when a bomb fell into the field opposite Manor Farm, and had to be defused and removed by the Royal Engineers. In 1962, the Dutton Estate holdings were sold to seven tenant farmers who retained the land they farmed but sold the remaining woodlands and properties.