England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Freefolk St Nicholas

The Parish

The tiny parish of Freefolk (a chapelry of Whitchurch parish for most of its history) is located in Northern Hampshire. The hamlet is about 10 miles west of the town of Basingstoke in the valley of the River Test. Freefolk is sited on the south bank of the Test down a tiny narrow lane off the B3400 which connects Whitchurch with Basingstoke. This is a really tiny place with just a few cottages and more a historical oddity than a booming settlement. Freefolk is sited on the river meadows of the Test with well-wooded pastures dominating the landscape. The hamlet is sited at about 80 metres above sea level but land rises to both north and south to well over 120 metres. Freefolk was created from the larger downland parish of Whitchurch but never really took off as a settlement, despite its size of about 1,600 acres it only supported 70 parishioners. Oddly in Domesday Book Freefolk was rather impressive supporting an incredible 47 ploughs and 2 mills, the land being held by the Bishops of Winchester.

The Church

St Nicholas' church is something of an oddity - a church that even Pevsner was unable to adequately date. A simple oblong box containing nave and combined chancel is topped off at the western end by a charming bell turret described by Pevsner as "wee". With its whitewashed walls and bosky setting the church certainly is rather charming. The church is not really accessible except on foot as the approaching lane which crosses the Test from the B3400 is very narrow. Once on site a neatly mown graveyard with few stones is only really accessible from the south as the property is surrounded closely by trees.