Bedhampton:
For many people Bedhampton is just a few more houses on the way to Portsmouth, but there has been a village here for at least a thousand years.
The old village is only a few yards from a busy railway line, and the A27 trunk road, but it remains quiet and peaceful. You can stroll along a lane that hasn't changed much in two hundred years, then drive to the motorway in two minutes. Early mentions of Bedhampton are recorded in the ninth century, and the village was mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
The Village Sign:
In 2002 a new village sign was erected containing an inscription from the famous poet – John Keats – who is known to have stayed in Bedhampton in The Old Mill House near to St. Thomas’ Church. The sign has been recently refurbished, in 2017, so it can now been seen again in all of its glory.
The Cache:
On the plaque with Keats’ quote are three dates. In order they appear, label these dates ABCD - EFGH, JKLM.
The Cache can then be found at:
N50 5A.GBK
W01.0(C-M).H(E+L)C
If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do. I would ask that you let Smokeypugs know first at www.villagesignseries.co.uk so they can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.