Four Marks

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption= Medstead & Four Marks Station
latitude= 51.11155
longitude= -1.04434
official_name= Four Marks
population=
civil_parish= Four Marks
shire_district= East Hampshire
shire_county = Hampshire
region= South East England
constituency_westminster=
post_town=
postcode_district=
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= SU669351

Four Marks is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.4 miles (7km) southwest of Alton, on the A31 road.

The village has it's own restored railway station on the Watercress Line, services from which connect with the nearest national rail station 4.4 miles (7km) to the northeast, at Alton.

Four Marks was originally settled by veterans of the Crimean War, who were allocated plots for their smallholdings, and was the site of a telegraph. A former resident is Formula One racing driver Derek Warwick.

According to Bartholomew’s Gazetteer the village of Four Marks is the only so named place in the whole of the United Kingdom.

The first mention of it appears in a document c 1550 albeit spelt differently. The heading of the page can be translated as ‘Perambulation of the Manor of Alresford’ and consists of a description of the boundaries. The reference to Four Marks translates roughly, as “a certain vacant piece of land called Fowrem’kes near Bookmere and so called Fowrem’kes because iiii adjoining tithings abut there namely the tithings of Medsted Ropley Faryngdon & Chawton”.

The area was well known as Four Marks and even had its own post office and facility for cancelling stamps. The first mention of the post office is a record in the proof books of the General Post Office of the issue of a rubber datestamp on 25 March 1897. ["Sub Office Rubber Datestamps of England and Wales", by James A. Mackay, 1986, ISBN 0 906440 39 4.] (The post office closed in early 2007) Four Marks did not become a parish until 1932 when six parishes were annexed to create it. It included parts of the above-mentioned parishes i.e. Medstead, Ropley, Farringdon and Chawton, note changed spellings, plus East Tisted and Newton Vallence.

Local amenities

The village has a Primary School (Four Marks C.E. Primary School), several churches ( [http://www.churchofthegoodshepherd.org.uk/ the Church of the Good Shepherd] )Four Marks Gospel Hall, Jubilee Church, a Travelodge, an inn called "The Windmill", an Indian restaurant, a Chinese takeaway, several shops including a Tesco Express, Peugeot Main Dealer, Several secondhand Car showrooms, A historic railway station forming part of The Watercress Line and is most famous for its mice.

Local Interest

Steam Locomotives, restored and operated by The Watercress Line, run regular services between Alton and Alresford, stopping at Medstead and Four Marks railway station.

Four Marks is host to a small brewery whose beer can be found in several pubs in the region.

A new restaurant 'Rumours' has recently opened up just off Lymington Bottom Road near the butchers.

Planning is becoming a contentious issue due to large plots of land attracting developers and the local campaigners to keep the countryside are in a group by the name of Fight4fourmarks.

Four Marks has its own relay transmitter on 101.6FM from local radio station Delta FM based in Bordon.

Famous People

William May

External links

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Four+Marks&t=k&ll=51.105085,-1.049967&spn=0.032767,0.107803&t=k (Google Maps Aerial Photograph]

http://www.fourmarks.info (Four Marks information and pictures]

http://www.fight4fourmarks.co.uk (Local campaign group)

[http://www.fourmarksprimary.co.uk (Four Marks Primary School)

References