The Heritage Trail has been designed to pick out places of historic interest and paint a broad picture of Havant over the centuries. By using the map, shown on this page, you will be able to follow the guide and identify the locations discussed. The text is written in sequence with the route shown on the map, however, you may wish to choose a different starting point and use the book as a reference for relevant locations.
The trail is designed to be used with the plaques which are identified on the map. The plaques will provide more information about specific locations and are highlighted when referred to in this guide.

For further information about Havant's history visit The Havant Museum.

Introduction

Havant takes its name from Haman Funta (Hama's Spring), which is very probably the spring located at Homewell. It was here that Havant began to grow. Proof has been found of Roman occupation as far back as the 2nd century AD. Havant grew up at the crossing point of two ancient roads, the Langstone Harbour to Rowlands Castle track cut across the Roman coast road from Chichester to Wickham.
A dominant feature of Havant's growth was the large number of springs west of the cross-roads. An average daily yield of 23 million gallons a day was ideal for parchment making and tanning. Sheep skins were sent to Havant from all over The Downs. Brewing and malting also flourished, mainly for the Portsmouth trade. The water also powered many watermills for grain grinding. Later industries were glove making and watercress growing.
To the East of the cross-roads residential housing was built, which has left a handsome legacy of Georgian houses in East Street and a fine scattering of Victorian development. Havant also grew as a shopping town in the Victorian days with a comprehensive range of shops in West and North Streets.

Havant North East

Fairfield Road - The name Fairfield comes from the annual fair, granted to the town by Henry VI in 1451 and held here every October until the 19th century.
On the corner of Fairfield Road and The Pallant you will find Fairfield Terrace (1).  This is a late Victorian terrace of houses dated by the medallion commemorating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee (1887) on the gable of No 1. The idiosyncratic design has been carried through with immense self confidence typical of The Victorian age.
100 yards North of Fairfield Terrace (1) is Fairfield School, which was opened in 1896.
At the back of The Pallant car park you will find Havant's Gazebo Garden (2).  The name Gazebo means 'gazing place', built normally on garden boundaries to give a view of the countryside beyond. The Havant Gazebo was built in 1779 by the then owner of the house William Lellyet. The Gazebo and its gardens were refurbished in 1989 and opened to the public.

No 4 Prince George's Street (3) was the home of the Dissenting Chapel Minister and is a lovely example of a Georgian domestic building. The Dissenters' chapel (4),  which is located to the West of The Bear Hotel's car park entrance, was built in 1718 at a time when religion and moral values were flourishing under George I.
'Dissenters' is a collective name given to the first religious groups to establish themselves independently of the Church of England.
The name The Pallant indicates that this area of land once belonged to the Bishop of Winchester. The Pallant and Prince George's Street were mainly residential areas, and Manor Close was built on the site of Havant's original Manor House. No 11 The Pallant (5), built in the early 1800's, is a fine example of a traditional South Hampshire building.

Havant North
Havant Railway Station (6) is the third Havant station and was built by the Southern Railway Company when electrifying the line in 1938. The first railway through Havant was completed in 1847. In 1858 ' The Battle of Havant' took place between two rival Railway companies. The London South Western Railway Company, bought a line from Godalming to Havant and assumed they had the right to run trains from Havant to Portsmouth on the London Brighton and South Coast line, the Brighton line disagreed. A confrontation took place on 28th December 1858 when The London South Western Railway Company tried to run a train from Godalming, through Havant, but were blocked by an engine chained to Havant crossing and the removal of the track points. Trains eventually ran to London from 1859 onwards.

Central Havant
Havant Park (7)   was created in 1888 by the local authority. The pavilion, which was paid for by the local business community, was opened in 1890. The fine horse chestnut trees on the south side were planted many years ago by pupils of Fairfield School.
The Meridian Centre (8)  is a modern addition to the town which has replaced the old shopping arcade, linking Market Parade with West Street. The Meridian Centre offers modern shopping facilities.

When the Meridian Centre is closed please walk through the bus station to West Street.





West Street
West Street was a very narrow road. The fire of Havant, which broke out in 1761, destroyed much of the central area but provided a perfect opportunity to improve access for vehicles travelling through the town. In 1762 The Cosham to Chichester Turnpike Trust was set up to try and improve the appalling state of the local road surfaces. It was not until 1786 that Havant's roads were properly surfaced. The Turnpike Trust made many improvements to the roads and Havant benefited considerably from an increase in passenger traffic through the town. The two main coaching points were The Bear in East Street and The Dolphin in West Street.
In the front wall of New Look you will see a milestone, this was erected in 1996 to replace an original which was in a similar position on the wall of the shop next door, which has since been demolished to make way for the building that is now M & Co. The Romans introduced milestones on their main roads, but most 'modern' milestones date from the general turnpike act of 1773 when it was made compulsory to add the mileage to what were previously vague directional signs. Milestones were sometimes placed in elevated positions
to assist travellers on horseback, coachmen and carters.
Plaques to see -
Davies The Chemist (9)
La Bonne Baguette (10)


The Court House (11) (formally The Black Dog), dates back to Tudor times. The building played a significant part in local life. One of the upstairs rooms was used as a Magistrates' Court until the late 1800's. It was also the meeting point for the Havant Board of Health, which was set up in 1852. The Board of Health employed the first town cleaner in Havant.

 

Industrial Growth
Throughout the centuries, Havant's two main industries were those that processed animal products and those that processed grain. There were five local mills for grinding grain and three major breweries in the town. The town mill was located near the present A27(M) and the mill pond stretched back across the area now covered by Solent Road, The Dolphin Public House and the Park Road South car park. Parchment, glove making and tanning were the other main industries of Havant.

Homewell
A recently discovered Roman well, on the corner of Homewell and West Street, dates settlement at Homewell to the 2nd century AD. It is likely that Havant was a small market town in the 3rd and 4th centuries during the Roman occupation. The springs at Homewell were the reason for early settlement in the area. In prehistoric times hunter-gatherers appear to have been summer visitors, enjoying ample fishing, plentiful food on the coastal plains and fresh water springs.



The springs also proved a valuable resource for industry in later years. Some Parchment factory buildings can be seen next to the Homewell spring, where parchment was made for many centuries. The Treaty of Versailles was Written on parchment produced in Havant.
Homewell was also the site of a large private brewery, owned by the Clarke family who lived in Homewell House. The brewery was attached to the side of the house. Plaques to see -
Homewell (14)
The Parchment Factory (15)
The Robin Hood (16) .

St Faith's Church dates from about 1150, and was much restored in the 19th Century. The style of the church is early English Gothic, the chancel, built in 1250, was the last part to be built. When restoration work was carried out in 1832 traces of Roman building were found on the site. Pieces of Roman tile have been incorporated into the walls, and are most easily seen on the south and east facing walls of the chancel. The West window is dedicated to the memory of Sir Frederick Fitzwygram, whose family were the last private owners of the Leigh Park Estate, a large part of which now forms the Staunton Country Park.




South Street
South Street was once the main road to the quay at Langstone and as such was a busy part of the town. Price's Garage was the site of a busy commercial stables; Leonard & Swain and the building next door was a coal depot; the tall building opposite the Old House at Home was a quality furniture factory and the building a few yards south was a Malthouse. The first Havant fire engine also operated from South Street.
Opposite Grove Road is Hall Place - built in 1796 on the site of a 17th century farm. Hall Place was the home of prominent local family the Longcrofts, who were solicitors and town clerks by tradition.

Plaques to see - Malthouse and John Moore's wall (17).

The Old House At Home was Probably built in the 1500's and is a typical example of a Tudor timber framed building with a jettied upper floor. The building was a lodging house in the early 1800's, and has also been a cobbler's premises and beer retailers. It is a popular local myth that the pub once housed a dancing bear, the rope marks of which can apparently still be seen on the wooden supports. Certainly bears would perform with travelling musicians who may well have stayed at the pub but whether a bear was a permanent resident in the pub is debatable.
Plaques to see - Crossroads (18).


East Street
East Street was the rich residential end of Havant during the 19th and 20th centuries and the size and grandeur of many of the houses reflects this. See the plaque at Magnolia House (21). East Street was built on higher ground than most of the town, in order to prevent flooding. Rather unusually, East Street is located down wind of most of the factories and industry.
The Bear Hotel (19) was an important staging post for travellers in the 1800's. The Hotel was a focal point for business and entertainment in the town and would have provided a nerve centre for up to date news of London and wider world issues.
The Barclays Passage (20) can be found beside the bank. The alley way is part of the original Roman road which ran through Havant to Langstone and then across the causeway to Hayling Island.
Further East you will find the Old Post Office (22). Above the Post Office you will see the Royal cypher of Edward VIII who was king of England for just eleven months in 1936, before abdicating to marry Mrs Simpson.
Old Town Hall (23) Havant Museum (24) Please take the opportunity visit the museum where you can find out more about the history of Havant and find a refreshing cup of tea. A heritage plaque is located on the front of the building.