An extract from the Hampshire volume (Vol. 4) of the Victoria County History of England, edited by W. Page and published in London by Constable & Co in 1908. The project was originally conceived as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but it wasn't completed until over 20 years later and that some counties were never included. ( Thanks to Colin Dyer and Carol Lawrence for supplying the scans)
December 2001 - Since the original page was posted I have received a transcription from Robert Legg which has enabled me to correct my original transcription from the scans and add the references - the following is the introduction to his transcription:-

Hampshire is fortunate in that it was the first county for which a Victoria County History was produced and remains an invaluable resource for those interested in the history of Kingsclere
Volume four, from which this extract is taken, was published in 1911, and although a good deal of new information has come to light, so far as I know there are only four points at which revision, as opposed to addition, is needed. These have been indicated in the text by notes within square brackets. None of these is of great moment, but it seemed worth while to draw attention to them. Many more printed sources are now available, and where it has been thought useful a reference to these has been added alongside the original authority. In particular it has seemed useful to add to references to the Domesday Book, paragraph numbers from the Phillimore edition edited by Julian Munby, as for instance [DB, Hants, 69,42].
Page numbers and columns in the original text have been indicated thus [256b]
It is hoped that the transcript is free from errors, but if any are noted an E-mail to, [email protected] would be appreciated.

KINGSCLERE

KINGSCLERE formed part of the ancient demesne of the Crown. King Alfred by will left it to his second daughter Ethelgiva, Abbess of Shaftesbury, and there are many other mentions of it in Saxon charters. Thus in 932 King Athelsran at a Wienagemot in Colchester granted 10 hides of land at Clere to Abbot Aelfric. Again in 943 King Edmund bestowed 15 hides of land at Clere on the religious woman Aelswith>, while sixteen years later King Edgar gave his thegn Aelfwine 10 hides of land at West Clere. At the time of the Domesday Survey, Kingsclere contributed towards the day's ferm rendered from Basingstoke and remained in the possession of the Crown until 1107, in which year Henry I granted it to the Canons of the church of St. Mary of Rouen. This grant was confirmed by Henry II between 1154 and 1158, by Richard I in 1190, and by Henry III in 1227. Henry III also in 1227 granted the wood of Wittingley quit of all forest law in free alms to the church of St. Mary, Rouen and the dean and chapter there to dispose of it at their will and confirmed the same grant in 1247. The dean and chapter remained in possession of the manor until the end of the reign of Edward II when it came into the possession of the Crown by reason of the war between England and France and was committed to the custody of Peter de Galicien in 1324. Edward III on his accession granted it during his pleasure to his clerk Robert de Wyvyll, parson of the church at Kingsclere, but before four years had elapsed the Dean and Chapter at Rouen had evidently regained possession of their manor. Thus in 1331 an inquisition was held on their complaint that the king’s foresters of Pamber had claimed as part of the royal forest 100 acres of wood and 300 acres of pasture which had always belonged to their manor of Kingsclere. At length in 1335 the connection of the dean and chapter with the parish was severed, the king in that year granting them licence to alienate the manor to William de Melton, Archbishop of York. On the death of the archbishop in 1340 Kingsclere passed to his nephew William, son of his brother Henry de Melton, in accordance with a settlement made in the same year. [page 251b] William the nephew obtained a grant of free warren in his demesne lands of Kingsclere in 1346, and was succeeded by his son, Sir William de Melton, who died seised of the manor in 1399, leaving a son and heir John aged twenty-two and more. John, who was soon afterwards knighted, granted a forty years’ lease of the manor in 1404 to William Fauconer of Kingsclere, and in 1431 was returned as holding the manor of Kingsclere for one knight’s fee. He died in 1455, leaving a son, John de Melton, who on his death nineteen years later left as his heir his grandson John, son of his son John, who succeeded to this manor only after the death of his grandmother Cecilia in 1484. In 1505 the manor was settled on him on the occasion of his marriage with his second wife Eleanor daughter of Sir John de St. John and widow of John Zouche. He died in 1510 and was succeeded by his son John whose only daughter and heir Dorothy joined with her husband, Sir George Darcy, in 1544 in selling the manor to Sir William Paulet Lord St. John. From this date the manor remained with his successors, Marquesses of Winchester and Dukes of Bolton, until the death without issue of Henry sixth Duke of Bolton in 1794. It then passed in accordance with a settlement made by Charles, the fifth Duke, to Thomas Orde, the husband of his natural daughter Jean Mary. Thomas Orde assumed by sign manual the additional surname and arms of Powlett in 1795 and was elevated to the peerage as Lord Bolton of Bolton Castle (Co Yorks) on 20 October 1797>. The present lord of the manor is his great-grandson, William Thomas Orde-Powlett Lord Bolton.
There were two mills within the manor at the time of the Domesday Survey. There is mention in the 14th century of a water mill which was farmed out for 16s 8d a year. One water mill is generally included in extents of the manor of the 14th and 15th centuries, but two water mills and one windmill are mentioned in 1544. The site of the windmill is perhaps marked by Mill Green, near the River Enborne. In 1859 there were four mills in the town. Town or Pope's Mill, Island Mill, Gailey Mill and a mill called Victoria Mill. Of these Gailey Mill probably occupied the site of Gales Mill, which was an appurtenance of the manor of Sandford. In 1875 James Bradfield of Fox Grove was the proprietor of Upper and Lower Mills, and William Prior of Victoria and Town Mills. At the present day there are three mills in Kingsclere – Upper or Gailey Mill (steam and water) Victoria and Lower Mills.
In 1218 the king ordered that the market, which had been held in Kingsclere on Sundays, should in the future be held on Saturdays. Warner, writing in the 18th Century, mentions a well-frequented market on Tuesdays, and fairs the first Tuesday in April and the first Tuesday after 10 October. In 1848 the market was still held on Tuesdays, but had fallen very much into disuse, only a few farmers meeting at the Swan Inn with samples and it probably ceased altogether about 1850. The fairs are still held on Whit Tuesday for pleasure on Ashford Hill and the Tuesday after Old Michaelmas Day for hiring servants and pleasure in the market place.
At the time of the Domesday Survey 15s a year was received from tolls at Kingsclere; 20d a year was paid to the lord of the manor from this source during the 14th century.
The Kings of England from a very early date owned a large estate in the parish called Freemantle (Freitmantel, xii cent; Frigidum Mantellum, Francmantel, xiii cent). One of Fair Rosamond’s bowers was in Freemantle Park, and there are numerous references to Freemantle in early Pipe Rolls. In 1183 the sum of 31s 2d was spent on work at the king’s houses at Freemantle, the steps and wall of the king’s [page 252b] chamber were repaired at a cost of 18s 2d in 1185, while twelve years later 10s was paid to Eljas, the engineer (Ingeniator) for repairing the king’s houses at Freemantle. King John stayed at Freemantle no fewer than thirty-seven times during his reign, probably for hunting, and there are many entries on the Close Rolls of expenses incurred in the carriage of wine to his residence there. In 1205 also John ordered the payment of 6s 8d to John son of Hugh for carrying the royal jewels from Windsor to Freemantle.
Edward I in July 1276 granted the manor of Freemantle with the royal houses, park and all appurtenances to Reginald Fitz Peter, for life, but six months later ordered him to deliver the kings houses there to Pain de Chaworth, who the same day obtained permission from the king to pull them down, and to carry away and dispose of the timber walls and other things in them. In 1280 Edward I sought to recover the estate from Reginald but failed in his attempt and Freemantle did not revert to the Crown until the death of Reginald in 1286. From this date the park remained in the possession of the Crown until the 17th century. As is shown below, the manor of Edmundsthorp Benham was theoretically held by the serjeanty of keeping the park, but in practice the parkers were appointed by the Crown. Till about 1340 the wages were fixed at 2d per day, but in 1343 Simon Bacon was appointed parker for life at the wages of 3d a day and 13s 4d yearly for a robe, and this rate of pay continued. The parker from an early date was allowed ten cartloads of hay a year for the deer in winter. In the 15th century also the custom had arisen of paying him five marks a year for supplying the deer and game with water in the summer, and from the 16th century grants it appears that the parkers when appointed had a right to all the herbage and pannage of the park, reserving, however, sufficient food for the deer. Sir William Sandys was appointed parker in 1510 and Sir Humphrey Forster of Clere Woodcott in 1541. In 1608 James I granted the reversion of the office after the death of Sir William Kingsmill to Henry Kingsmill, but in the course of the next thirty years the park had ceased to be Crown property and had passed into the possession of Francis Cottington, created Lord Cottington of Hanworth on 10 July 1631, who dealt with it by fine in 1640. During the civil wars Lord Cottington remained faithful to the royal cause and eventually went into exile with King Charles II. Freemantle Park was accordingly sequestered [page 253a] and was for some time administered by Trustees of Irish Affairs, the revenue apparently being used for public purposes in Ireland, but finally by order of 1651 the park was discharged from sequestration and delivered to President Bradshaw, to whom it had been granted by Parliament.
At the restoration Freemantle Park passed to Charles Cottington, the nephew and heir of Francis Lord Cottington, who had died at Valladolid in 1653, and for some time remained in the Cottington family, Francis Cottington dealing with it by recovery in 1739. In 1778 it was in the occupation of Henry Fitch, but shortly afterwards the mansion was taken down and the park converted into a farm. Freemantle Park Farm, the site of King John’s house, was in the possession of the yeoman family of Hyde in the middle of the 19th century. It now belongs to Mrs Currie of Minley Manor.
By an inquisition taken in the reign of Henry III it was returned that the park contained 1136 perches, and that only part of it was inclosed. The work of inclosing the park was soon afterwards completed and large sums of money were spent every year in cutting down timber and repairing the paling. Henry III, Edward I and Edward II made frequent presents of deer taken in the park and in the Close Roll of 1315 there is an interesting entry, viz. an order to the king’s yeoman John de Knokyn to take venison in the park of Freemantle, to find salt and barrels for the same, and to cause it to be sent to Carlisle and delivered to Robert de Welle, receiver of the king’s victuals. There were still deer in the park in the 17th century. By the order of the commissioners of the navy a survey was made of the timber in the park in 1650 and it was returned by the surveyors that it contained 437 trees fit for the uses of the navy. The site of the park is marked at the present time by Freemantle Park Down, King John’s Hill or Cottington Hill, Freemantle Park Farm and Park Copse, which are situated between one and two miles south of the village of Kingsclere. According to tradition King John’s house occupied a site on the southern slopes of King John’s Hill, which reaches a height of 754 feet above ordnance datum and commands a splendid view extending over six counties. A spectacula or watchtower was built on the summit by one of the Cottingtons in the 18th century, but it is now in ruins.

ECCHINSWELL

The manor of ECCHINSWELL (Eccleswelle xi cent; Echeneswell xiii cent; Itchinswell, Itchingeswell xvi cent; Itchinwen, Itchinswen xviii cent), sometimes called the manor of Nuthanger (notehangre, xiv cent) from the name of the capital messuage, formed part of the original endowment of the see of Winchester, and at the time of the Domesday Survey was assessed at 71/2 hides. The manor continued to form part of the possessions of the bishopric until 1648, when as a result of the Root and Branch Act it was sold to Nicholas Love and George Wither. In 1660, however, the manor once more came to the bishop, and continued to be held by him until as late as the middle of the 18th century.
The lordship was soon afterwards acquired by the Herbert family, Henry John George Herbert Lord Porchester, son and heir of Henry George second Earl of Carnarvon, dealing with the manor by recovery in 1821. his grandson George Edward Stanhope Molyneux, the fifth earl, is at present time lord of the manor of Ecchinswell. Of the leasehold tenants of the manor we know that in 1580 John Watson, Bishop Of Winchester leased the site of the manor for eighty years to Queen Elizabeth, who six months later made over the remainder of the lease to Sir Henry Wallop. At the sale of the bishop’s lands in 1648 the site of the manor of Ecchinswell or Nuthanger Farm was described as now or late in the possession of Robert Wallop. In 1744 the site of the manor was granted to Matthew Comb, M.D., to hold during the lives of Samuel Burroughs, Sarah Morley and Sarah Burroughs.
Two mills worth 100d. were included in the extent of the manor taken in 1086. At a court of the manor held in 1595 John Benham paid 6d. on taking up the water mill with an orchard in Ecchinswell, which had fallen into the hands of the lords on the surrender of Robert Kisby and Anne his wife. Robert Kisby's name is preserved in Kisby's Farm situated on the river a short distance east of Ecchinswell House. No mills are [page 254a] mentioned in the deed of the sale of 1648, but there is a water mill in the parish at the present day. A warren of conies called Ashley and Tidgrove near Ecchinswell, and a little house called The Lodge in the warren, which had been leased for twenty-one years by Walter Curill, Bishop of Winchester, to Nicholas Christmas in 1639, were included in the sale of Ecchinswell Manor to Nicholas Love and George Wither in 1648. The site of the warren is marked at the present time by Ashley Warren Down and Ashley Warren Farm in the south of the parish.

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SYDMONTON

The manor of SYDMONTON (Sidemanestone xi cent; Sidemontaine xvii cent;) formed part of the original endowment of the abbey of Romsey, and continued in its possession until the dissolution in 1539. In the following year Henry VIII granted it with the pasture called Donymeade and Pontesdowne in Sydmonton to John Kingsmill of Whitchurch, who died seised of it in 1556, leaving a son and heir William. He bequeathed the manor for life to his wife Constance, who remained seised of it until her death in 1580 when it passed to Sir William Kingsmill, knight. On the death of Sir William, who, dying in 1619, was succeeded by his second but first surviving son Henry. The latter died five years later, leaving a son and heir William Kingsmill, who suffered much during the civil wars. He was really on the Parliamentary side and only acted for the king under compulsion, being forced in 1642 by the king’s summons to go to Reading, where he was made sheriff an office which he took in the honest sense of serving his country for which it was first ordained. In April 1645 he petitioned the Committee for Compounding to settle him in his estate in Hampshire alleging that he had been thrice plundered by express order from the king, by whom he had been sequestered for the last twelve months, that eh had lost £400 in horses and cattle by Lord Manchester and Sir William Waller when lying at Newbury, and that owing to the position of his house between the two parties in the middle of the western road he had been obliged to entertain all comers. He was at length permitted to compound for his estate in May 1651 by payment of a fine of £750. He died in 1661, leaving a son and heir, Sir William Kingsmill, on whose death in 1698 the manor of Sydmonton passed to his eldest son William Kingsmill, who died unmarried in [page 254b] 1766. The estate then passed to his niece Elizabeth the daughter of his sister Francis Cory, who married Captain Robert Brice, afterwards Admiral of the Blue. Robert took the name of Kingsmill by Act of Parliament in 1766, was created a baronet on 24 November 1800 and died without issue in 1805. He left Sydmonton to the Rev. John Stephens, vicar of Chewton Mendip (Co. Somerset), who assumed the surname and arms of Kingsmill by royal licence in 1806. He died in 1814, leaving an eldest surviving son, William Kingsmill, who married Anne Jane daughter of William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury, and died in 1865, leaving issue William Howley Kingsmill, whose son and heir, Mr Andrew de Portal Kingsmill, is the present lord of the manor.

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FROBURY

The manor of FROBURY (Frolleberi, Frolebyr, Frollesbyr xiii cent; Frollebury xiv cent; Throlbery xv cent; Frowbery, Froylbery xvi cent) is not mentioned in the Domesday Book by name, and is probably represented by one of the estates in the hundred of Kingsclere held of the king in chief, perhaps by the 2 hides which Ravelin had been holding for twenty years or more. The history of the manor for some time is obscure, but in the middle of the 12th century it was probably held by Ranulf de Broc, usher and chief marshal of the household to Henry II its tenure being attached to the serjeanty of being usher to the king. On his death in about 1187 it was probably assigned in dower to his widow Damietta, the lady of Chetton, Eudon and Berwick (co. Salop), who held it until her death in 1204, in which year the sheriff of Hampshire was ordered to give seisin of the manor to Stephen de Turnham and Edelina his wife, the daughter and heir of Ranulf and Damiette. Stephen held the manor in the right of his wife until his death about 1214 when it passed to his widow, who as Edelina of Frobury was returned by the Testa de Nevill as holding £6 worth of land in the vill of Frobury of the king in chief by the serjeanty of guarding the king’s door. Edelina survived her husband by six years, leaving by him five daughters and co-heirs, Maud or Mabel the wife of Thomas de bavelingham, Alice the wife of Adam de Bending, Eleanor who married Roger de Leyburn, Eleanor who married Ralph Fitz Bernard and Beatrice the wife of Ralph de Fay. Frobury fell as her share to Beatrice, probably the eldest daughter, and passed from her to her daughter Philippa the wife of William de Nevill, who in the middle of the 13th century was stated to be holding half a hide in Frobury of the old enfeoffment by the sejeanty of guarding the door of the queen’s chamber. In 1249 Philippa de Nevill granted it in free marriage to William de Wintershull, who had married her daughter Beatrice, and from this date Frobury continued in the Wintershull [page 255a] family for about two centuries. William obtained licence to impark his wood of Frobury, which covered an area of 10 acres in 1269 and died seised of the manor of Frobury in 1287, leaving as his heir his son John, aged thirty-five. Beatrice, however, continued to hold the manor, and presented to the chapel of Frobury in her widowhood during the episcopacy of John of Pontoise (1282-1304). On her death it passed in accordance with her wishes to her second son Walter, who in 1310 released his interest in it to his younger brother Edmund, but it ultimately reverted to Walter or his heirs for his grandson. Thomas died seised of the messuage and half a hide of land in Frobury in 1387, leaving a son and heir Thomas. Thomas son and heir of the last named, who succeeded to the manor in 1400 died twenty years later leaving no issue, and his property was thereupon divided between his two sisters and co-heirs, Joan the widow of William Weston, and Agnes he wife of William Basset. Frobury fell to Agnes and passed from her to Thomas Basset, probably her son, Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1457. Thomas Basset the younger, probably the son and heir of the above named, dealt with the manor in conjunction with his wife Alice in 1482 and died seised ten years later leaving a son Richard Basset, who died in 1509, his heir being his son Thomas, aged twelve. The manor however continued with Juliane widow of Richard. In January 1511 she married as her second husband a certain John Wintershill, and had issue by him two daughters, Alice and Juliane. She died in Winchester in 1534 and her husband, John Wintershill, continued to hold the manor until his death in 1545, when it passed to Joan wife of William Unwin, only daughter of Juliane by her first husband, her son Thomas having apparently left no issue. The following year William and Joan sold the manor to William Paulet, Lord St. John, and from this date it has followed the same descent as the manor of Kingsclere, the present owner being Lord Bolton. The site of the manor is marked by Frobury Farm and Frobury Park Copse, which are situated about a mile northwest of the village of Kingsclere.

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CLERE later CLERE WOODCOTT

[page 255b] The manor of CLERE, afterwards known as the manor of CLERE WOODCOTT from its early holders, was held by Saulf and Godwine of the king in the reign of Edward the Confessor. William I bestowed it upon Hugh de Port, and at the time of the Domesday Survey it was held of him by Faderlin. The overlordship continued with the descendants of Hugh de Port, there being frequent mentions of Clere Woodcott in the14th century lists of knights’ fees held by the St. Johns. An undated grant by Ruald de Woodcott to the nuns of Godstow of the Bastard’s virgate in Kingsclere and of other lands in the parish held of him by Herennardus makes it probable that he was then holding the manor. Before 1166 he had been succeeded by Henry de Woodcott or Henry Fitz Rauld, probably the ancestor of the Henry de Woodcott who at the beginning of the reign of Edward I was holding two knight's fees in Clere and Woodcott of the old enfeoffment of Robert de St. John. He died leaving a widow Sanchea and an only daughter Philippa, who married Walter de Eversley, as is clear from a fine of 1286 whereby Walter and Philippa gave up holdings in West Litchfield and Hock to Sanchea and Richard de Cardevile in exchange for all the land that Sanchea held in the vill of Kingsclere in dower of the inheritance of Philippa. Gilbert Cundy, John Freemantle and Adam de la Fenne, who were probably trustees, in 1303 quitclaimed 1 messuage, 1 mill, 1 carucates of land, 10 acres of meadow, 30 acres of wood and £1 14s rent in Kingsclere to Robert de Harwedon, clerk, who settled the same a month or two later upon Walter de Eversley to hold for life for the rent of a rose. On the death of Walter the premises reverted to Robert, who in 1307 obtained licence from the king to grant 1 messuage and a carucate of land in Kingsclere to Richard de Bourne, the provost of the chapel of St. Elizabeth by Winchester, and from this date Clere Woodcott remained in the possession of the college or chapel until dissolution in 1536. In 1545 lord Wriothesley, to whom Henry VIII had granted the site of the college with all its possessions a year before, settled the manor upon his servant William Stone on his marriage with Francis Palmer, one of the daughters of john Palmer of Kentish Town. William Stone died seised of the manor in 1549. It was then held by his widow until her death twelve years alter, when it passed to her son and heir Henry, a minor, who died without issue in 1569. On his death his [page 256a] property was divided between his two sisters and co-heirs Mary and Catherine. Clere Woodcott passed as her share to Catherine the wife of Christopher Willenhall of Willenhall, near Coventry. In 1571 Christopher and Catherine sold the manor to William Forster, who made good his title to it in the following year, and died in 1574 leaving a son and heir Humphrey. The latter, who was afterwards knighted, died in 1601, when the manor passed to his son, William Forster. William, who was likewise subsequently knighted, died in 1618 and was succeeded by his son Humphrey, who was created a baronet in 1620, and the same year sold the manor to John, James and Henry Hunt of Popham. John Hunt died in 1625, and was succeeded by his son James Hunt. Another James Hunt was in possession in 1693, while in 1715 his son and heir James conveyed the manor to John Bowen in order to bar the entail. In 1739 it was apparently purchased by Matthew Bowen, from whom it descended in moieties to two co-heiresses, Anne Bowen and Louisa wife of Thomas Threlkeld. In 1757 Louisa conveyed her moiety to George Prentis and John Saxon, while eight years later Anne parted with her moiety to Richard Woodhouse and John Griffith. The history of the manor for a short time after this is uncertain, but it eventually became part of the Wolverton estate, being purchased in 1795 by Sir Charles Pole, Bart. of Wolverton Park, from John Davis, Jane Griffith widow of John Griffith, and William Cribb. The name of Clere Woodcott is no longer preserved but various farms situated north of the village which were included in the sale Harriden Farm, Coldridge’s Farm, Hall’s Farm, Wheat Hold Farm. Scarlett’s Farm, Ridding’s Farm and Thornford Farm are still in existence. There was a mill in the manor in 1086. It was in existence in 1303, but all trace of it has now disappeared.

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KNOWL & SANDFORD

[page 256a] At the time of the Domesday Survey there were two estates in KNOWL (Chenol xi cent; Cnolle xii cent), one held by Faderlin of Hugh de Port and assessed at 31/2 virgates, the other by [page 256b] Oidelard of Ralph de Mortimer and assessed at 2 hides. While the overlordship of the former estate continued with the St. Johns, the descendants of Hugh de Port, until as late as the 14th century, the actual ownership passed with the rest of Faderlin’s Hampshire property to Ruald de Woodcott and from him to his descendant Henry de Woodcott. It is probable that this holding was comprised in the messuage and the carucates of land in Kingsclere granted in 1307 to Richard de Bourne, the provost of the chapel of St. Elizabeth by Winchester, and if so it must have subsequently become merged in the manor of Clere Woodcott (q.v.). The overlordship of the latter estate continued with the Mortimers until as late as the middle of the 13th century. Oidelard, who held it of Ralph de Mortimer, was perhaps the ancestor of Richard Labaanc, who in the presence of Henry II and Queen Eleanor on the occasion of the admission of his mother Rose and his sister Cecilia as nuns to the nunnery of Godstow (co. Oxon) gave to that foundation in free alms “all his mother’s dowry, viz. Cnolle and Swanton (vide Swampton in St. Mary Bourne, Evingar Hundred) which belongs to the same, and Sandford and Hodicotte as much as my predecessors have possessed, viz 5 hides, in return for an annuity of £2. This gift was confirmed by Hugh de Mortimer, son and heir of the Domesday Ralph, but in spite of this confirmation Ralph de Mortimer, his great-grandson, at the beginning of the reign of Henry III exacted services from Amphyllis the Abbess of Godstow for the free tenement which she held of him in the parish of Kingsclere, and was obliged to renew the confirmation in 1229. Some difficulty, however, remained with regard to the tenure of the manor, for in 1257 Emma the Abbess of Godstow gave up all her right to rent from a mill in Worthy Mortimer in exchange for a charter by Ralph’s son Roger, quitclaiming all right and claim in the whole of the tenement which the abbess and church held in fee in the parish of Kingsclere. Richard Labaanc’s gift was confirmed by Richard I and his successors, and in addition Henry III showed great favour to the abbess and convent, granting to them in 1221 their reasonable estovers in their wood of Clere to repair the shingles on the roofs of their church, houses and offices of Godstow. In the course of time the name Knowl was dropped, and the estate of the nunnery became known as the manor of Sandford. The abbess and convent remained in possession until the Disolution, when the manor fell into the hands of the king. In 1540 the king granted it to John Kingsmill, and its subsequent history is identical with that of the manor of Woodcott in the hundred of Pastrow.(q.v) The site of the manor is marked by Sandford Farm and Sandford Wood, about a mile east of the village, while Knowls Farm, Great Knowl Hill and Little Knowl Hill, about three quarters of a mile northeast of the village, still preserve the Chenol of Domesday Book. The separation of Yew Tree Farm (ie the portion of Sandford on the south side of the new road) took place in 1874. The present owner of Yew Tree Farm is Mrs Humphries of Ogbourne, Wilts. In 1280 the Abbess of Godstow, described as the holder of land in ‘Sandelford de Knoll’, claimed the right to the fines of the assize of bread and ale at Kingsclere.
There were two mills in the estate in Knowl held of Ralph de Mortimer by Oidelard at the time of the Domesday Survey, and these were still in existence in the 16th Century, water-mills called Gales and Swayne’s Mill being included in the grant of the manor of Sandford to John Kingsmill in 1540. The site of the former is marked by the present Gailey Mill.

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