East Meon has more hall houses surviving, at least in structure, than other Hampshire villages, proportionate to its size. It was chosen, in 1986, as 'The Domesday Village' because it retains the layout and to some extent the character of its Norman heritage. The magnificence of All Saints Church and Court Hall reflect its importance as the centre of administration of this part of Hampshire by the Bishops of Winchester.
Its dependence on agriculture meant that East Meon suffered the deprivations of the 19th century, during which many houses were sub-divided to cater for the poverty of farm workers driven off the land. It emerged into the twentieth century with a thriving community of shops and workshops, meeting all the village's needs.
