Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

Petersfield and Sheet 24th February 2016


Thank you Peter for this walk up to Steep and back

The area of Petersfield called The Spain was originally called Le Green in the middle ages. However, in Tudor times only the wealthy home owners at the bottom of Sheep Street could probably afford roof tiles. As the old word for a house tile was spayne, it could be a corruption of that word has given the area its current name of Spain.

 

The chest tomb in the Churchyard was for Admiral Edward Hawker. Born in 1782, he started his Naval service at the age of 10, became a lieutenant at the age of 13 and commanded his own ship at the age of 21 and captured 2 French schooners that same year. He spent much of his sea life in the West Indies and the North American coast, eventually retiring when he was 48 years old. Had 2 wives and 10 children. A busy life...