By 1086, Havant was already a small village with a population of around 100 people. The town had two mills, which ground grain to flour to make bread for the villagers.
Archeological digs in the 19th and 20th Centuries also uncovered evidence of Roman buildings.
St Faith’s Church dates from the 12th Century, although it was largely rebuilt in the 19th Century.
In 1200, Havant was given a charter and the monks of Winchester Cathedral were granted the right to hold a weekly market. In 1451 the town also started holding annual fairs.
In 1761 several buildings were destroyed by a fire, with only a few buildings surviving. Havant also suffered minor earthquakes in October 1784 and November 1811.
Havant has been home to various industries, the majority of which have been closely linked to the water and port. Some of the larger industries included, a wool industry in the late Middle Ages and the 16th Century, tanning leather industry from the 16th Century until the 18th Century, the manufacture of parchment and a malting industry.
The town started the 19th Century with a population of around 1,700 and grew steadily throughout the century. Havant was connected to the railway line to Portsmouth and Brighton, via Chichester, in 1847. This was followed by the Portsmouth Direct Line to London in 1859. A branch line to Hayling Island also ran from 1867 until the mid-1960s.
In 1894, Havant became an urban district council. In 1906 a station was built in Bedhampton, followed by a station being built in Warblington station the following year.
After World War II, Havant’s commercial, retired and commuter population grew rapidly. Today Havant is a Borough with a population of around 120,000, comprising the town and several suburbs including the resort of Hayling Island, the smaller town of Waterlooville and Langstone Harbour.
Hall Place
The current building at Hall Place was rebuilt in 1796 by John Butler, replacing an earlier 17th Century property. The mansion, which is in a conservation area and is Grade II listed, is built in a Georgian style and has several 6 over 6 timber sash windows.
Hall Place was sold to John Cressweller in 1803 and was passed down to the Longcroft family in the 1820s. The mansion remained in the family until the middle of the 20th Century, when it was purchased by Roy Roberts of the Owen Group to serve as the new group head office.
The building was in disrepair and underwent an 18 month restoration project to restore Hall Place to it’s original glory.
More recently Hall Place has been put up on the market again with planning permission to change the use from offices to two dwellings.
The Old House at Home
The cottages known collectively as ‘The Old House at Home’ are some of the few buildings that survived the fire in the 1700s. Today the 16th Century cottages are used as a pub.
It is a timber framed Tudor building with a jettied first floor and casement windows.
Two of the oak beams are believed to be from the Spanish Armada and the bear post is believed to have been tethered to the last dancing bear in England.
Timber Windows in Havant (PO9)
Across Havant Borough Council there are 14 conservation areas and 241 listed buildings, helping to retain the heritage of the area. Some of the conservation areas include Brockhampton, Langstone, Emsworth and Warblington. There are also around 80 buildings that have been identified as of local interest.
Although there are several properties where timber windows have been replaced with plastic, timber sash windows and casement windows can still be found on properties across the Borough.
At The Sash Window Workshop we have extensive experience manufacturing, installing and repairing timber windows and doors in period properties and, where necessary, can comply to conservation area and listed building requirements. To obtain a free, no obligation quotation, contact us today on: 01344 868 668.
