Froyle


Froyle is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 3.6 miles northeast of Alton. The nearest railway station is 2 miles east of the village, at Bentley. According to the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 644 people. The village is divided into Upper Froyle, centred around the Church and Manor House, and Lower Froyle which grew up around the farms.

History

Froyle is situated on the edge of The Downs above the Pilgrims' Way that leads from Winchester to Canterbury. It is most likely that, in the winter months, the actual route taken by Pilgrims passed through the village to avoid the wet conditions in the valley of the River Wey. There was a Church at "Froli" in 1086. The entry for Froyle also states "Froyle, it was ever there...." and there are traces of habitation on the surrounding downs going back to the Iron Age.
It is also known by some who live there as the 'village of the saints' because of the 19 statues of saints in niches on the front walls of houses and other buildings in Upper Froyle. They were bought by Sir Hubert Miller in the early 20th century from Italy.

Notable people