Pub Sign Challenge - Day 5

Today's featrured establishment is the White Hart in the exquisite village of Penton Mewsey. Not much I can say about the pub, other than it is very nice, but I have dug up some interesting stuff on the village itself:

"Sites within the present parish of Penton Mewsey were first inhabited in the Bronze Age or earlier.

Two Roman farm sites are recorded and there is probably at least one more.

The present village almost certainly dates from late Saxon times during the 10th or early 11th century, when many other villages around Andover and the town itself first appeared from what had been Royal hunting forest. Domesday Book (1086) has two entries for 'Penitone' : one belonging to King Edward the Confessor and the other (now the adjacent hamlet of Penton Grafton within the present civil parish of the same name) to Matilda, his Queen. Development over the past 100 years has effectively made Mewsey and Grafton one community with a combined population (2010) of c.800.

'Penitone' probably derives its name from 'ton' a farm worth a 'penny' geld or tax. Mewsey (spelled in various ways) first occurs in 1167 when the manor (landholding) belonged to the Anglo-Norman family named Maisey. It also owned other manors in Wiltshire and a member was constable of nearby Ludgershall castle. Holy Trinity Church was built c.1365 probably by the then new Lord of the Manor, Edmund Stonor, whose family's wealth was also built on wool and whose connection (though not residence) with the village was to last for almost another 300 years.

In the middle ages Penton had many sheep and produced fleeces and wool, sold through Andover for export to the Low Countries. Arable cultivation took place in open fields divided into strips. From 16th century onwards Penton, like many communities in north west Hampshire continued to rely upon sheep and corn for income and its open fields were progressively enclosed into larger fields in single occupation. After World War II mixed farming began to disappear and the number of farms reduced. Today there is only one resident farmer and cereals the only crop, but three riding stables flourish. The great majority of today's inhabitants earn their living outside the village, with many commuting daily and some as far as London."

The village website is here. You will find links to their menus amongst other things.

No other real news today except we all slept in and woke up at a staggering 07:50 and were all a bit late for everything!!! Mrs Boyzee's last day at the Army HQ before she starts her new job at the Army Training Regiment in Winchester seemed to go well. She is all excited for tomorrow :-)

My drive down to Yeovil today was made much better by listening to the team equestrian final rounds and hearing that Team GB had won the silver. It is a shame they couldn't translate that success in the individual competition this afternoon. Better luck for our rowers tomorrow - especially to Heather Stanning - a serving Gunner officer who represents the best of what we have to offer - Good luck Heather..