The town of Havant is fully immersed in the present day world of Great Britain. From this bustling burg one can easily hop on a railway and connect to London or Brighton in the blink of an eye. The Havant Railway is indeed one of the most dependable and efficient railways in the country and it is not in the least surprising that this has caused many commuters to larger cities to settle down and call this place home. The A27 road is also easy to reach in Havant and from there it is a hop, skip, and a jump to places like Langstone and Hayling Island. By all accounts Havant is a town with its finger on the pulse of modern Britain and so it may surprise you to know that Havant in fact has a rich and lush history that dates back much further than railways and highways.
Recent evidence unearthed in the ground of Havant shows that the area was a town even in Roman times. Many Roman buildings were uncovered but even more stunning evidence of Neolithic and Mesolithic inhabitants were also found. Naturally, Havant was a wholly different place in those days and one would be remiss to call it a city in the strictest sense of the word. At any rate, Havant finally became a community as it were around the tenth century. In those days it was known as "Hamafunta" but it quickly grew into a full-fledged village and earned mention in the Domesday Book in 1086. In those days the Domesday Book was a vital piece of literature that was a collection of all of the towns and villages that comprised England. The purpose of the book was to keep a tally on how many taxes were owed to the King but this bit of bureaucracy did unwittingly help people in the history learn much about both the geography and the culture of England nearly a thousand years ago.
Sadly, many of the fascinating and no doubt gorgeous buildings that populated Havant in the Middle Ages are no longer with us. It is surmised that old water mills, brewing factories, and all manner of medieval industry would have been around and possibly still standing but a tragic fire wiped out nearly the entire town in the late 1700s. Thus, most of the oldest architecture dates back to around the Georgian Era. All the same, the old Church still stands and this is a very popular destination for tourists to the town because of its sheer beauty and advanced age. Some cottages from the 1500s and 1600s also remained after the blaze was finally put out and these too are quite popular for vacationers to marvel at. What is truly stunning, though, is that Havant has managed to be so integral and beloved for so many years, even when terrible things like fires have ravaged the town at certain times. Here's hoping that other towns can take a cue from Havant and maybe, someday, everybody will take pride in their city no matter where they come from.
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