South Hampshire is filled to the brim with interesting and fun towns like Southampton and Portsmouth. One could reasonably argue that the county of Hampshire is home to the most eclectic blend of beautiful landscapes and important cities and towns. Though there are countless cities in Hampshire that can claim historical significance as well as current appeal, Fareham may be in the running for the perfect example of what this area of England is capable of when smart city planning works in conjunction with natural beauty and historical importance.
Fareham has been inhabited in some manner or another ever since the days when the Roman Empire ruled the land. Unfortunately, there is nearly no evidence left of the days when Caesar dictated the daily actions of the town. The closest architecture still standing in the town dates to the Saxon days which is usually agreed to have lasted from around the 600s to the 900s. Fareham is a bit unique among its neighbors, though, in the fact that it became a Norman town and stayed that way for quite awhile before it became officially English. Both before those days and after, though, the city maintained a large chunk of its identity and around that time the main moneymaking operation in Fareham was clay soil. The town prospered for several hundred years thanks to the superior clay that grew in the area and people from all around knew well the quality of the tiles, chimneys, and bricks made from Fareham clay. Many locations in Fareham still hearken back to these formative years and a visitor can see streets like Kiln Road all around the town.
The clay in Fareham was red as could be and it was sought after from locations all around the continent. Royal Albert Hall, one of the most prestigious locations in all of London, was built exclusively from the red Fareham clay and even to this day passersby gawk at the gorgeous edifice. Unfortunately, no natural resource lasts forever and Fareham saw its fortunes decline rather quickly as the middle ages progressed. These days there is little to no clay left in Fareham and whatever remains is not worth leaching from the Earth. As such, Fareham depends on the service industry for its main income and nearly a fifth of the population works in some form of retail. There is evidence that Fareham is growing in prosperity yet again, though, and a large amount of businesses are moving their headquarters to the town every year. The business district of Fareham is growing steadily and this fits right in with the history of the town; though there have been some bumpy roads throughout the years Fareham has always fared well and it seems that nothing can run this town into the ground. As Fareham readies itself for yet another long period of prosperity it helps to keep in mind the old adage: You can't keep a good dog down. Though Fareham lacks a bit in tourist entertainment it is still a city worth visiting if only for advice on how to run a city properly.
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