Four Marks

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Four Marks is a village in Hampshire, UK, built along the A31 road about four miles south-west of Alton, Hampshire. It was originally settled in 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 country.

The first mention of it appears in a document c1550 al-be-it 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 earliest record is for 3 - Oct - 1904^{[citation needed]}. However, it did not become a Parish until 1932 when six parishes were annexe 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.

[edit] Buildings in the Village

The village consists of a Primary School (Four Marks C.E. Primary School), a church (the Church of the Good Shepherd), a reasonably large Travelodge, an Inn called The Windmill, an Indian Restaurant (The Saffron) and several shops.

[edit] 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 also to a small brewery whose beer can be found in several pubs in the region.