Local History and Heritage

The area now administered by Havant Borough Council has a long and varied history - long before the Romans arrived, the area was settled and has developed as long as records have been available. The links below will help you understand some of the history of this fascinating part of England.

Some of this information is of interest due to when it was written - in itself it reveals how much the Borough has changed, and there are clues to present road names in some of the old, long-forgotten locations mentioned. The pages from the Victoria County History of Hampshire, for example, whilst full of detail, themselves date from 1908, a time when the Borough was only just starting to become developed beyond what are today the immediate town centre areas.

Virtual Borough Tour

Our virtual tour of the Borough, covering each settlement in turn, includes short histories of each area and ideas as to what to look for when visiting

Havant Parish Records

This extract from the Victoria County History of Hampshire covers Havant Parish, including the Brockhampton area

Hayling Island

This extract from the Victoria County History of Hampshire covers Hayling Island, part of the Hundred of Bosmere

Bedhampton and Waterlooville

The Manor of Bedhampton was part of the former Hundred of Portsdown and ran as far as Waterlooville. Pages from the Victoria County History of Hampshire

Warblington and Emsworth

The Parish of Warblington formerly included Emsworth as well, as parts of the Hundred of Bosmere. Pages from the Victoria County History of Hampshire

Widley

This entry from the Victoria History of Hampshire shows just how much things have changed in 100 years. Widley today is NOT the Widley it once was ....

Farlington, Stakes and Purbrook

Farlington included, in 1831, the villages of Purbrook, Portsdown, Stakes Hill or Frendstaple, and part of Waterlooville called 'Wait Lane End'. Page from the Victoria County History of Hampshire

Cowplain, Hart Plain and Wecock

This page from the Victoria History of Hampshire covers Catherington parish which included (within the borough) Cowplain, Hart Plain and Wecock

Leigh Common

This article from the Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society considers the history of Leigh Park

Leigh Park and Staunton History

This site uncovers the long history of the Staunton estate, which was purchased by Portsmouth council after World War 2 and which today is the area known as Leigh Park

Hayling's Secret Canoes

Sailors and windsurfers may now enjoy hitting the water around Hayling Island, but 70 years ago there was a more serious purpose to the activities on the water - planning for clandestine wartime missions on board specially built canoes. Article from the BBC

The London to Portsmouth Road

The London-Portsmouth road which largely follows the route of the modern-day A3 through Widley, Purbrook, Waterlooville and Cowplain is familiar to the thousands of commuters who travel along it each day. Local historian Jennifer Goldsmith has been researching the history of the road and has unearthed some of the significant events, places and people which made it so important over the years. External link to the BBC

Portsmouth Direct Railway 1859

13th April 2009 saw special events held at Havant Station to celebrate 150 years of rail travel between Portsmouth, Guildford and London. Historical rerources such as posters, leaflets and magazine articles are available here.

Local History Booklets

Local historian and Alderman, Ralph Cousins, is co-ordinating the production of a series of local history booklets covering various aspects of the fascinating local history of the Havant area

Historic Photos and Postcards

The natural beauty and features of local interest throughout the area has been recorded for many years both for its own merit and as part of the tourist industry. The following albums have been created to bring together area by area a wide range of such images.

Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX