Langstoneis avillagenearHavant,Hampshirein the south east of England inPortsmouth.It has good railway connections to London,Southampton,Portsmouth andBrighton,from the nearbyHavant railway station.There are many large gated detached houses on the main road, "Langstone Road" and on the roads surrounding this. It has a sailing club, severalarchitecturallyunusual buildings, and several historically significant buildings, including a converted (water) millhouse and a converted 18th century windmill, the latter of which is a local landmark.
| Langstone | |
|---|---|
 Langstone Windmillin 1869 | |
  Langstone Location withinHampshire | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Havant |
| Postcode district | PO9 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Geography
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The village surrounds "Langstone Road" which leads toHayling Island.There is a technology park on Langstone Road and this is due to the connections of the road. It lies just off theA27that provides quick links to Portsmouth, Southampton and Brighton. TheA3(M)to London is also nearby and the distance to theM25is about 45 miles.
It is connected byLangstone Bridge,a single-carriageway road andfootbridge,to Hayling Island to the South; this road (theA3023) is the only road connection from Hayling Island to the mainland. To the west of the road bridge the remains of the former railway bridge are visible;Langstone Harbourlies to the west of the railway bridge,Chichester Harbourto the east.
The historic causeway to Hayling Island known as theWadewaystill exists, however it is now completely impassable, having been cut in two by a deep channel for the Portsmouth and Chichester Canal in the 1820s, the same company having subsequently funded the old wooden road bridge, served by a toll-house situated at the northern end. There was a weight-limit and after WW2 only single-decker buses were allowed across and if they were carrying too many passengers some had to get out and walk, regardless of the weather, to reduce axle-weight. The old wooden bridge was demolished following construction of the current (2014) concrete bridge in the late 1950s. The much earlier causeway was known as the Wade Way,[1]and was classified as a bridleway in 1988, and is shown as such on modern Ordnance Survey maps[2]in spite of its use being considered hazardous at best.[3]Excavation of this feature in 2006, constructed on a natural high point in the harbour, put its date in the Roman to mediaeval range but found no evidence to be more specific.[4]
The village High Street is designated as a Conservation Area (denoted by a blue plaque at the sea-end of the High Street), while the coastal path leading eastwards from the village is both part ofHampshireCounty Council'sSolent Wayand the same Councils'Wayfarers Walk.
Thorney IslandandPortsea Islandare also both clearly visible from the village coast.
Pubs In Langstone
editThere are two Grade IIlistedpubs in Langstone:
Architecture
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Floodingcan be a problem in the village, on occasion with water right up to the main Langstone Road, and many buildings on Langstone High Street have slots for wooden barriers on their door frames, and stack up sandbags. However flood risk to buildings is strictly limited to the older (pre-twentieth century) properties.[citation needed]
Houses in the terrace on Langstone High Street date back to the 18th century and a number are thatched. The other significant buildings, commonly featured in local postcards, is Langstone Towers, characterised by a large lightning conductor.
History
editThe village used to have rail links with Hayling Island and Havant in the form of theHayling Billyrailway, however the lines have since been torn up and the route replaced with a cycle and bridlepath. The remains of the Hayling Billy rail bridge over to Hayling Island can still be seen.
Etymology
editThe nameLangstonecomes fromLang(compare theHigh German"lang" ) meaning "Long", andStonewith the same current-day usage.
Notable people
edit- Nevil Shute Norway,engineer and novelist, lived at the old mill owned by his friend the artistFlora Twortin 1939 prior to moving on to Hayling Island.
- Flora Twortthe artist owned the old mill at Langstone.
References
edit- ^Langstone - Wadeway InvestigationArchived2013-09-28 at theWayback Machine
- ^Ordnance Survey
- ^Hampshire County Council Rights of Way Sub-Committee Minutes, 14 Jan 1988, ITEM 3(b)"Accessed 25 Nov 2009"
- ^Chichester Harbour Conservancy "Changing Landscapes" project website"Accessed 25 Nov 2009"Citing unpublished reports by Maritime Archaeology Ltd, 2005, 2006, 2007 Chichester Wadeway Investigation Phases 1, 2, 3 respectively.
- ^https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1091597?section=official-list-entry
- ^https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101303563-the-ship-inn-havant-st-faiths-ward
External links
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