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Visitor Information about Waterlooville & Cowplain

Waterlooville and Cowplain

The precinct has an English and Continental style and makes Waterlooville the perfect choice for a family day out. Its proximity to Waterlooville Swimming Pool adds to the family appeal and Friday plays host to one of the largest traditional street markets in the area.

Today Waterlooville and Cowplain are residential in character, but development has taken place in such a way that there is no sense of urban congestion. The shopping centre precinct at Waterlooville is supplemented by a number of nationally known superstores and a series of 'neighbourhood' shopping centres. A well-established industrial area has been vital to the wellbeing of the area.

It is hard to believe that as recently as the early Middle Ages the closely-wooded Forest of Bere stretched from Havant almost to Hambledon and that there was no road through it. During the Middle Ages the edges of the forest were pushed back and clearings were made in it. Tracks developed through the forest, but even in the 17th century travellers had to take a guide through it.

In the 18th century a turnpike was built giving a shorter route from Portsmouth to London, and small settlements such as Cowplain, a mile north of present Waterlooville, began to spring up at the roadside. It became well used by stagecoaches and in 1815 the Waterloo Inn, the name of which referred to the battle of that year, was established in a small cluster of houses on the north side of the Hambledon road and Portsmouth to London Road crossroads. This area began to be called Waterlooville for postal purposes in the 19th century.

In 1903 a tram service was established, known as the Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway, which followed the main road into Portsmouth. From a population of about 700 in 1800, Waterlooville had quadrupled in size by 1830. By the time the tramway closed down in 1934 the Waterlooville area had established itself as a good place to live, leading to its enormous post-war development.

Purbrook

About a mile to the south of Waterlooville is Purbrook, a residential district stretching outwards on each side of the London road and ending at the top of Ports Down from which there is a magnificent view of Hayling Island, Langstone Harbour, the Solent and the Isle of Wight.
Since the 1960s, Purbrook has developed around the Stakes and Crookhorn areas with houses, shops, schools and a golf course.

Much of its history is centred around the Deverell family. In 1830 John Deverell moved to the district and, as Lord of the Manor, bought Purbrook Park lands. He built the second Purbrook Park House between 1838-1840 and two schools. Purbrook also gave its name to one of the chain of forts, known as Palmerston's Follies, which string along the top of Ports Down. Built in 1860 at a cost of £92,000, Fort Purbrook was occupied by the Army until 1925. The Navy occupied the Fort in 1947 and it became one of its secret establishments. It now serves as a Youth Activities Centre.

The Wayfarers Walk passes near-by and there are some lovely walks linking to Purbrook and Widley and the Portsdown Hill and also out towards Denmead and Hambledon.