Bishops Sutton - History

History

At the time of the Domesday Survey the place was recorded as Sudtone i.e. Bishop's Sutton (which included Ropley), and Bramdean). The hundred of Bishop's Sutton was known as the hundred of 'Esselei', and comprised those places as well as West Tisted. The villages is by or on (depending on which track was preferred) the Pilgrims' Way between Winchester and Canterbury, which can still be walked via the North Downs Way.

A gazetteer of 1868 links Bishops Sutton with a residence of the Bishop of Winchester, saying it is now a malthouse however one of 1872 says the Bishops had a palace here and the only suggested remains are its kennel. The 1871 population was 537 in 114 houses.

Esselei was a small hundred and in the eighteenth century, a law in England amended the hundreds which were of decreasing importance: from that date all manors within the immediate area were recorded in the Hundred of Bishops Sutton by law.

Some buildings are thatched however given its history and conservation area relatively few buildings are listed: at Grade I is the Church of St Nicholas built in the 12th century, at grade II* is Sutton Manor House and at a Grade II are Western Court Farmhouse, Old Ship Cottages, Newhouse Farmhouse, Granary 10m NW of Bassetts Farm Cottage, 2 Church Lane, Garden Wall in front of Sutton Manor House, Ship Inn, 1 Church Lane, Old Mill House, The Old Post Office, Tavy Cottage Yeoman's Cottage, Dairy Cottage, Grove Cottage and Bassett Farm Cottage, several of which entries show parts that date back to have Tudor architecture.