Hauntings and History of Havant Market Town – England

The history of Havant Market Town is entwined with19th century another industry in Havant was brewing.
the history of Portsmouth which extends almost twoAs Havant grew in the 19th century its amenities
thousand years. Havant was famous for it'simproved. Hayling Bridge was first built in 1824. In
Parchment and Glove making during the last 5001847 Havant was connected to both Portsmouth and
years. The ghost of Havant  concerns a guy calledChichester by railway. From 1867 a railway ran from
Charlie who died whilst drinking gin on horseback - heHavant to Hayling Island. From 1859 Havant was
hit an overhanging branch while his mare gallopedconnected to London by railway. Railway stations
along a darkened path, crushing his windpipe and killingwere built at Bedhampton (1906) and Warblington
him almost instantly. Those wounds are immediately(1907), to serve those two rapidly growing areas.
apparent on this phantom.From 1855 Havant had a supply of gas (for lighting).
Havant was once Hama's funta. Funta meant spring.Havant gained its first police station in 1858. From
A man named Hama once owned this area of1870 Havant had a piped water supply. Also in 1870
Hampshire. Denvilles derives its name from the SaxonHavant Town Hall was built.
word Denn which meant woodland pasture for pigs.In 1871 a fire brigade made up of volunteers was
(The 'villes' was added much later). The Saxon wordformed in Havant. However in 1871 the 2 annual fairs
'tun' meant farm or estate. Brockhampton was brookwere abolished. Havant Park opened in 1889. In 1894
home farm. Lang is the Saxon word for long soHavant became an urban district council.
Langstone was probably once a village by a longConditions in Havant continued to improve during the
stone.20th century. A cinema opened in Havant in 1913. In
At the time of Domesday Book (1086) Havant was a1970 the building became Havant library. (The library
village with a population of about 100. It would seemmoved to the Meridian Centre in the 1990s).
tiny to us but towns and villages were very small inBy 1949 the population of Havant was about 8,000.
those days. Havant had 2 mills, which ground grain toIn 1926 remains of a Roman villa were found south
flour to make bread for the villagers. One mill wasof Havant.
Southwest of the town. The other was probably inThe War Memorial Hospital opened in 1929. Havant
Langstone.railway station was rebuilt in 1938. Park Road was
St Faith's Church in Havant dates from the 12thalso built in 1938.
century although it was largely rebuilt in the 19thHavant watermill, which stood for centuries just
century.outside the town, closed in 1934. It was demolished
In the Middle Ages Havant grew from a large villagein 1958.
into a small market town. In 1200 Havant was givenHavant Churches
a charter (a document granting the townspeopleFrom 1951 Roman Catholic mass was celebrated in a
certain rights). Among was the right to have aNissen hut.
weekly market. From 1451 Havant also had an annualA Catholic chapel was built in Dunsbury Way in 1955.
fairs. (In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets butA Methodist church was built in Botley Drive in 1956.
they were held only once a year and would attractThe first Baptist Church in Leigh Park opened in 1957.
buyers and sellers from a wide area). Later (theSt Francis Church was built in 1963.
exact date is unknown Havant had a second annualSt Albans in Westleigh was built in 1966.
fair). However to us Havant would seem tiny. ItBuilding Projects
probably only had a population of several hundred.Market Parade shopping centre was built in 1961-62.
In the late Middle Ages and 16th century there was aIn 1963 the railway to Hayling Island closed.
wool industry in Havant but it declined in the 17thHavant Police Station was built in 1964.
century. However there was an important industryHavant By-pass was built in 1965.
tanning leather in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.A swimming pool was built in Havant in 1974 and
Havant had fellmongers (people who dealt in animalHavant Arts Centre opened in 1978.
skins). Havant was also know for its glove makingMeanwhile in 1974 Havant changed from being an
industry.Urban District Council to a Borough and gained a
The little town of Havant was also known formayor. A Civic Centre opened in 1977.
parchment making. Parchment was made from theHavant Museum opened in 1979.
skins of sheep, goats or calves. It was used as aFurthermore a hypermarket opened in Havant in
writing material instead of paper. Water was used to1980.
make parchment (the skins were soaked in it). TheThen in 1982 a leisure centre opened in Havant.
spring in Havant gave pure water, which made brightPart of West Street was pedestrianised in 1983 and
white parchment. So the parchment made in Havanta private hospital was built in 1984.
was of a high quality.The first shops moved into the Meridian Centre in
For centuries Langstone was a small port. Even in the1991.
19th century there was a coastal trade there. (In theParchment making in Havant ended in 1936. Glove
past goods were often taken by ship along themaking ended in 1960. However after 1945 new
coast from one part of the country to anotherindustries such as light engineering and plastics came
instead of being transported overland). Langstoneto Havant. In the 1950s land in Brockhampton was
watermill was built in the 18th century to grind grainset aside for industry. In the late 1950s an industrial
to flour.estate was built at Westleigh. Kingscroft Industrial
Meanwhile Warblington Castle was built around 1525.Centre opened in 1984.
However in 1643 during the civil war parliamentaryHauntings in Havant
soldiers destroyed most of it.Gypsies' Clump (part of Havant Forest), is haunted
Then in 1761 Havant was severely damaged by a fireby a hard-drinking poacher called Charlie Pearce who
but it was soon rebuilt. In 1762 the road fromlived at Rowlands Castle.
Portsmouth to Chichester was turnpiked. (A turnpikeOne night he was freely drinking from the kettle of
road was privately owned and maintained and yougin he carried with him when he was swept from his
had to pay to use it.) Stagecoaches travellinghorse by an overhanging bough and ruptured his
between the two towns stopped at Havant.windpipe.
Nevertheless in 1801 Havant was a very small marketHis ghost can be identified by the weals seen on his
town. It only had a population of 1,670. In 1801throat.
Havant was smaller than Petersfield.Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @
Havant grew steadily during the 19th century but inMy other website is called Directory of British Icons:
1901 it still had a population of less than 4,000.The Chinese call Britain 'The Island of Hero's' which I
Meanwhile in the 19th century the industry ofthink sums up what we British are all about. We
parchment making continued to prosper in Havant. InBritish are inquisitive and competitive and are always
1919 the Treaty of Versailles was written onlooking over the horizon to the next adventure and
parchment made in Havant. However the parchmentdiscovery.
making industry in Havant ended in the 1930s. In theCopyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.