The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath crosses the parish, passing through the churchyard of the 12th century St Mary's Church. The Georgian former rectory, Michelmersh Court, is Grade II* listed [3] and was for many years the home of Sir David and Lady Carina Frost.[4]
The parish is located to the east of the River Test on the northern edge of the Hampshire Basin, with chalk in the north.[5] To the south and east of the village this is overlain by Palaeocene sands and clays of the Lambeth Group. At the southern are younger deposits of Eocene age, sloping from a ridge of the Nursling sands into a valley of London Clay.[5] It has a brick and tile works,[6] and extensive former sand pits on Casbrook Common, now used as a landfill site.
The name Michelmersh is derived from the Old Englishmicel + mersc, meaning ' large marsh'.[7]
Civil parish
On 1 April 1932 the parish of Timsbury was merged with Michelmersh, on 19 November 2003 the merged parish was renamed "Michelmersh & Timsbury".[8] In 1931 the parish of Michelmersh (prior to the merge) had a population of 1101.[9]
Church
Parts of the church date to the 12th century with extensions added in the 13th century.[10] It was twice restored in the 19th century once 1846-7 and the second time 1888–9.[10]
The font dates from around the 14th century although it appears to have been modified at some point after 1822.[10]
^ abcO’Brien, Charles; Bailey, Bruce; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David W. (2018). The Buildings of England Hampshire: South. Yale University Press. pp. 386–387. ISBN9780300225037.
