St John the Evangelist Church Founded

c. 1150

St John the Evangelist Church was founded in the twelfth century to serve the scattered farming community in the area. The church, built in stone, incorporated elements of Norman architecture that survive within the later structure. It was the first permanent public building in what would become Hedge End and has served as a place of worship continuously since its construction. The church was originally a chapel of ease for the wider parish of Botley, providing a local place of worship for families who lived too far from the main parish church. The churchyard, with its ancient yew trees and weathered memorials, provides the most tangible link to Hedge End's medieval past.