Victorian school ghost hunt and sleepover

 

The village dates back to the 14th Century, part of the parish and manor of West Meon in 1391, belonging to St.Swithun’s Monastery. It was later granted to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester by King Henry VIII. 

The nearby estate of Basing was owned by William Nicholson of J&W Nicholson & co gin distillery and in 1863 he brought the village and endowed it with a new church, vicarage school (which is our home for our night of ghost hunting) and several cottages for the workers, before this the village was made up medley of cottages and farms and their own small chapel dedicated to the holy trinity which over looked Meon Valley.

The medieval style church that Mr Nicholson had designed and built by Sir Arthur Blomfield in 1876-1878, has a spire which stands at 180ft is the highest in Hampshire and contains 8 bells. 

Mr Nicholson and his wife Isabella had 14 children , Three of the stained windows in the church are in memory of 3 of their sons who died.

He also had a huge love for cricket, even lending money to Marylebone cricket club, enabling them to purchase Lords Cricket ground in 1864. Out of respect it is thought the team changed their uniforms from the blue to the deep red and Yolk yellow colours of Nicholson Gin, giving their uniforms the famous nickname of bacon and eggs.

 

By the end of the 19th century the Nicholson estate covered most of Privett and neighbouring Froxfield, when he died he passed the estate over to his son William Graham Nicholson who also served as M.P. for Petersfield.