Because the boundary of the parish changed over the decades I thought that we should attempt to get a description of the boundaries for various periods.
I found an Ordinance Survey map dated 1799 that showed what appeared to have parish boundaries.The Ordinance Survey maps were based upon information from the tithe maps of the local parishes for descriptions of fields and landmarks.The 1799 map was the first quality map done for the area.The boundaries I traced are shown as follows:(i.e. Gary’s boundaries) Note the Map Harry Stay and I looked at was dated 1844 that was possibly a second map of the parish.
“Starting at a point on the coast about ½ mile
East South East of Barton, the line runs North North East to the Milford Road.It then jogs about 200 feet or so to Angel Road.It continues in a curve to Danes Stream just below Ashley
Clinton.
The line then follows Danes Stream in a North Westerly
route to Sway Road.Thence, East along Sway Road to
Avon Water (river) at Madend.
Thence, South Easterly along the Avon Water to about
1/10th a mile below Gordleton Mill or Silver Street (old Roman
Road).Then South Westerly jogs just to the East of
Arnewood House.It then continues South Westerly to
Stopples Lane, then South aprox. ¼ mile to a North South Road (no
name), then South again through the Blackbush Copse to a north fork of Danes
Stream.Then South to the main stream following it into
Milford to about Oak Tree street then south to the coast at Rook Cliff.
The line then follows the coast back westerly to the
starting point.”
I also contacted the present Hordle church for the current boundaries and was given the following description that is smaller than the one I found.
Current description:.
Subj:Re: Parish information
Date:1/16/2000
From:Canon M.G. Anderson@ukgateway.net
(Michael Anderson)
Dear Gary, many thanks for your email and the interest in our parish. The old records and tithe maps are all with the Hampshire County Records Office, the Castle, Winchester..
The current parish boundary would read, "Starting
... Ashley Clinton,” 1st para correct.
2nd para: "The line then follows the Dane Stream north
to the forest edge at Wootton"
"Thence in an Easterly direction along the forest
edge to Avon Water, then along the water south ... Gordleton ... east of
Arnewood House ... to meet Downton Lane at Shorefield Road.
Thence directly south to include Hordle Manor Farm and the Old Churchyard, through the western entrance of Hordle House School and thence to the coast".
The outline of the current parish is therefore "egg-timer" in shape, with about a mile of coastline in the south, bounded by the Dane stream to the west and Avon water to the east, with a mile of forest edge to the north.
Michael.
It should be noted that the Hurst Castle was included in the Parish of Hordle in the early maps. This is strange in that Milford and the Milford Parish is directly north on one side of Danes Stream that is the parish boundary with the Hordle parish extending in a narrow band between Danes Stream and the Sea.This connection may well revert back to the ownership of estates at Keyhaven and Hordle by the Carye family as noted above.
A number of early descriptions of Hordle indicate that Salt Pans were located there.The 1867 map shows the fields in great detail and those along the coastline.The map shows only portions of fields which if the field hedges were extended to their original shape, they would give an idea of the amount of erosion along the coast from the early tithe map field outlines.One other source indicates that the salt pans of Hordle may have been along the coast at the village of Hordle where the sea has eroded the coast line.When one visits the area around the Old Parish Church at Hordle, the Hordle Cliff is some 20 to 30 feet in height; the area must have sloped to the sea and had some flats in order for the salt pans to function.
On my recent trip to England, Harry Stay and I went to the Hampshire Record Office and looked at the very large tithing map of the parish dated 1844,It has much detail and showed many cottages and out buildings that no longer exist.In particular, a cluster of small “squatter like cottages” were shown around the Old Hordle Church.When we walked the area, they are all gone with only the large manor farm still in place.
