Havant
Encyclopedia
Havant is a town
in south east Hampshire
on the South coast of England
, between Portsmouth
and Chichester
. It gives its name to the borough
(population: 116,489) comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.
It has good railway connections to London
, Portsmouth
and Brighton
, being served by Havant railway station
. The A27 road
runs past its southern side, beyond which lies Langstone
, and then Hayling Island
. To the north is Leigh Park
, a large council estate suburb
which lies within Havant's boundaries, and beyond that Staunton Country Park
. To the east is Emsworth
, another small town, whilst to the west lies Bedhampton and Portsdown Hill
. The A3(M)
motorway passes to the west. The old centre of the town was a settlement from Roman
times and before but the town
has grown a lot since World War II
, currently forming a conurbation
with Langstone
, Bedhampton
, Leigh Park
, West Leigh, Denvilles
and Warblington
.
The old centre of the town is on a classic crossroad configuration, with the four streets being named North Street, East Street, South Street and West Street, and St Faith's church at the crossing. At least one axis (and evidence suggests both) is a known Roman road.
There are several natural springs
in the area, including one a short distance south-west of the church on West Street at the end of Homewell. This used to be the home of the premier parchment
making facility in southern England (closing in 1936) which later became a glove making factory and leather processing plant. The Treaty of Versailles
was written on Havant parchment.
The main shopping centre is called Meridian Shopping
(formerly known as The Meridian Centre), as well as a pedestrianised section of West Street. The old town hall now houses Havant Arts Centre
. Havant is home to the local community radio station, Angel Radio which specialises in music and memories of the pre-60s era.
Havant was known around 935AD as ‘Hamafunta’ (the spring of Hama), referring to the spring to the south-west of St Faith’s churchyard and a settlement was made at the crossing point of tracks from the Downs
to the coast and another east – west along the coast.
In 1086 (at the time of Domesday Book
), Havant was a village with a population of around 100. In 1200, the monk
s of Winchester Cathedral
were granted the right to hold a market
at Haveunte. Around 1450 an annual fair was held.
For much of its history water played a vital part in local commerce, with many water mills
, parchment manufacture and brewing
.
Much of Havant was destroyed by fire in 1760, leaving only the church and the adjacent late 16th or early 17th century cottages. The cottage
s are now known collectively as "The Old House at Home", and are now used as a pub. It is claimed that the two main beams in the lounge bar were recovered from the Spanish Armada
, and that the "Bear Post" within once had the last dancing bear
in England
tethered to it. The fire did allow widening of roads and the easier passage of stagecoaches through the town: the Bear Hotel and Dolphin Hotel were notable coaching inns. In the early hours of 25 October 1784 Havant suffered a minor earthquake, and a similar event occurred on 30 November 1811.
Early English in style, the oldest undisturbed parts of the Church of St Faith, such as the chancel
, date from the early 13th century. Some of the foundations however are believed to date from Roman
times. The vestry
is 14th century and there is a brass
to William Aylward, 1413.
By 1768 Havant had its first postmaster
and the town’s post office operated from several locations from different central addresses until premises opened in East Street in 1936 (being one of only two post offices in the UK with the crown of Edward VIII above the entrance). In 1976 the 8½ pence Royal Mail
Christmas stamp
was an angel
design from a medieval embroidery
in the Victoria and Albert Museum
originating from the Catholic
Mission at Brockhampton near Havant.
In 1847 Havant became connected by railway to Portsmouth and Chichester, and this was followed by a connection to London in 1859 and a branch line to Hayling Island in 1867 (closed in the 1960s). Since then it has been an important junction.
The first hospital in the town opened in 1894 in Potash Terrace as a fever hospital, closing in 1939. A War Memorial hospital opened in 1929 in Crossway; in 1935 a fine frieze of Wedgwood
tiles depicting nursery rhymes was added to the children’s ward.
that Havant gained its first state schools – one in Brockhampton Lane, followed by one in West Street and then in Fairfield Road.
Havant has one of the more favoured colleges within the Portsmouth
district, Havant College
, located just to the north of the town centre (until the mid 1970s Havant County Grammar School). This success is partly due to the transport connections Havant has, including bus, train and roads, allowing students to commute from nearby towns. The college performs consistently well at AS/A-level with an impressive pass mark of over 99%, which encourages this, especially since several nearby areas either lack a state sector sixth form (e.g. Petersfield
), or the local college significantly underperforms by comparison (e.g. Fareham
).
side is Havant & Waterlooville F.C.
, On January 16, 2008 they reached the fourth round of the FA Cup
for the first time in their history, beating Swansea City
4-2 in a third-round replay, setting up a 4th round match against Liverpool
at Anfield
, which they went on to lose 5-2 despite having led twice in the first half. The town is represented by Havant RFC
(founded 1951) for rugby and Havant HC
(founded 1905) are three times winners of the English Hockey League
. The latter contributed several players to the British Olympic gold medal winning side of 1988. Havant Hockey Club also contributed two players to the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne
. The astroturf was provided by the National Lottery
Fund. The town has a successful amateur cricket club (founded 1876), which has attracted a number of first-class
cricketers. Havant Cricket Club
have won the Southern Premier Cricket League
in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008 and most recently 2009. In 2005 Havant Cricket Club reached the semi-finals of the Cockspur Cup.
Havant is also home to a notable Rifle and Pistol club. This club was the training venue for a member named Malcolm Cooper
who won Olympic Gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1988 Seoul Games, a feat not yet matched or beaten.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in south east Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
on the South coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, between Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. It gives its name to the borough
Havant (borough)
Havant is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Havant. Other places within the Borough include Bedhampton, Cowplain, Emsworth, Hayling Island, Purbrook, Waterlooville and Widley...
(population: 116,489) comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.
It has good railway connections to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, being served by Havant railway station
Havant railway station
Havant railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth.It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth...
. The A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
runs past its southern side, beyond which lies Langstone
Langstone
Langstone is a village near Havant, Hampshire in the south east of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It has good railway connections to London, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton, from the nearby Havant railway station. There are many large gated detached houses on the main road,...
, and then Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
. To the north is Leigh Park
Leigh Park
Leigh Park is a large suburb of Havant, in Hampshire, England. It has four electoral wards: Battins, Bondfields, Barncroft and Warren Park ....
, a large council estate suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
which lies within Havant's boundaries, and beyond that Staunton Country Park
Staunton Country Park
Staunton Country Park is a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest encompassing approximately in Hampshire, England.An ornamental farm, ornamental lake, follies, maze, walled garden and glasshouses can be found within it...
. To the east is Emsworth
Emsworth
Emsworth is a large village the south coast of England, situated on the Hampshire side of the border between Hampshire and West Sussex. The village lies at the north end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, a large but shallow inlet of the English Channel....
, another small town, whilst to the west lies Bedhampton and Portsdown Hill
Portsdown Hill
Portsdown Hill is a long chalk hill in Hampshire, England, offering good views over Portsmouth, The Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. The hill is on the mainland, just to the north of Ports Creek, which separates the mainland from Portsea Island, on which lies the...
. The A3(M)
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
motorway passes to the west. The old centre of the town was a settlement from Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times and before but the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
has grown a lot since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, currently forming a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
with Langstone
Langstone
Langstone is a village near Havant, Hampshire in the south east of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It has good railway connections to London, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton, from the nearby Havant railway station. There are many large gated detached houses on the main road,...
, Bedhampton
Bedhampton
Bedhampton is a former village, and now suburb, located in the Borough of Havant, Hampshire, England. It is located at the northern end of Langstone Harbour and at the foot of the eastern end of Portsdown Hill....
, Leigh Park
Leigh Park
Leigh Park is a large suburb of Havant, in Hampshire, England. It has four electoral wards: Battins, Bondfields, Barncroft and Warren Park ....
, West Leigh, Denvilles
Denvilles
Denvilles is a locality within Havant to the north of Warblington railway station. In 1877 it consisted of a solitary farm but by 1897 there were several roads of detached residencies. Slowly the area grew and in the 1960s it doubled in size as smaller housing estates for private ownership were built...
and Warblington
Warblington
Warblington, historically part of the Hundred of Bosmere , is a suburb of Havant, a town in Hampshire, England.-History:It is part of the parish of St Thomas à Becket, Warblington and St James, Emsworth. Pevsner describes the church of St Thomas as essentially late 12th century and praises the...
.
Geography
There are several natural springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the area, including one a short distance south-west of the church on West Street at the end of Homewell. This used to be the home of the premier parchment
Parchment
Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was as a material for writing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. It is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very...
making facility in southern England (closing in 1936) which later became a glove making factory and leather processing plant. The Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
was written on Havant parchment.
The main shopping centre is called Meridian Shopping
Meridian Shopping
Meridian Shopping is a shopping centre in Havant, Hampshire, England. The building work began in 1987 and was completed in 1991 when the centre officially opened. It includes large shops such as Wilkinson and Argos and it includes the local library...
(formerly known as The Meridian Centre), as well as a pedestrianised section of West Street. The old town hall now houses Havant Arts Centre
Havant Arts Centre
Havant Arts Centre is an arts centre in Havant, Hampshire, England.Containing a small theatre , the arts centre is used for professional and amateur theatre, music of all kinds, dance, to show films and for community groups to meet...
. Havant is home to the local community radio station, Angel Radio which specialises in music and memories of the pre-60s era.
History
Archeological digs in the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered evidence of Roman buildings – near St Faith’s church and in Langstone Avenue, along with neolithic, mesolithic remains.Havant was known around 935AD as ‘Hamafunta’ (the spring of Hama), referring to the spring to the south-west of St Faith’s churchyard and a settlement was made at the crossing point of tracks from the Downs
Downs
-Places:In the 'hill' context, the word 'down' derives from Celtic dun "hill, hill fort".*Downland, a geographical feature*The North Downs and the South Downs, England, as a collective term*North Wessex Downs AONB, England...
to the coast and another east – west along the coast.
In 1086 (at the time of Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
), Havant was a village with a population of around 100. In 1200, the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
were granted the right to hold a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
at Haveunte. Around 1450 an annual fair was held.
For much of its history water played a vital part in local commerce, with many water mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
, parchment manufacture and brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
.
Much of Havant was destroyed by fire in 1760, leaving only the church and the adjacent late 16th or early 17th century cottages. The cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s are now known collectively as "The Old House at Home", and are now used as a pub. It is claimed that the two main beams in the lounge bar were recovered from the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
, and that the "Bear Post" within once had the last dancing bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
tethered to it. The fire did allow widening of roads and the easier passage of stagecoaches through the town: the Bear Hotel and Dolphin Hotel were notable coaching inns. In the early hours of 25 October 1784 Havant suffered a minor earthquake, and a similar event occurred on 30 November 1811.
Early English in style, the oldest undisturbed parts of the Church of St Faith, such as the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, date from the early 13th century. Some of the foundations however are believed to date from Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times. The vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
is 14th century and there is a brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
to William Aylward, 1413.
By 1768 Havant had its first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
and the town’s post office operated from several locations from different central addresses until premises opened in East Street in 1936 (being one of only two post offices in the UK with the crown of Edward VIII above the entrance). In 1976 the 8½ pence Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
Christmas stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
was an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
design from a medieval embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
originating from the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Mission at Brockhampton near Havant.
In 1847 Havant became connected by railway to Portsmouth and Chichester, and this was followed by a connection to London in 1859 and a branch line to Hayling Island in 1867 (closed in the 1960s). Since then it has been an important junction.
The first hospital in the town opened in 1894 in Potash Terrace as a fever hospital, closing in 1939. A War Memorial hospital opened in 1929 in Crossway; in 1935 a fine frieze of Wedgwood
Wedgwood
Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
tiles depicting nursery rhymes was added to the children’s ward.
Education
Although there had been private schools before, it was not until the 1870 Education ActElementary Education Act 1870
The Elementary Education Act 1870, commonly known as Forster's Education Act, set the framework for schooling of all children between ages 5 and 12 in England and Wales...
that Havant gained its first state schools – one in Brockhampton Lane, followed by one in West Street and then in Fairfield Road.
Havant has one of the more favoured colleges within the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
district, Havant College
Havant College
Havant College is a sixth form college situated in Havant, Hampshire. In 2006 its A/AS-level performance was above both the county and the national average. In March 2010 Havant College announced a reduction in the number of A levels offered to students due to a cash shortage and lack of student...
, located just to the north of the town centre (until the mid 1970s Havant County Grammar School). This success is partly due to the transport connections Havant has, including bus, train and roads, allowing students to commute from nearby towns. The college performs consistently well at AS/A-level with an impressive pass mark of over 99%, which encourages this, especially since several nearby areas either lack a state sector sixth form (e.g. Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
), or the local college significantly underperforms by comparison (e.g. Fareham
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
).
Sport
The town's senior non-league footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
side is Havant & Waterlooville F.C.
Havant & Waterlooville F.C.
Havant & Waterlooville Football Club are an English football club based in Havant, Hampshire. The club formed in 1998 after a merger between Havant Town and Waterlooville, and are currently members of the Conference South. Nicknamed The Hawks, they play at West Leigh Park.-History:In 1998 Havant...
, On January 16, 2008 they reached the fourth round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
for the first time in their history, beating Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
4-2 in a third-round replay, setting up a 4th round match against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, which they went on to lose 5-2 despite having led twice in the first half. The town is represented by Havant RFC
Havant RFC
Havant RFC is an English rugby union club, playing in National Division Three South.Havant currently run 5 senior teams; 1st XV, 2nd XV , 3rd XV, an Academy and a Vets side ....
(founded 1951) for rugby and Havant HC
Havant HC
Havant Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Havant, Hampshire, England. The hockey club has been established since 1907.The club has achieved success nationally all the way through its history, especially in the early 90s...
(founded 1905) are three times winners of the English Hockey League
English Hockey League
The English Hockey League is a national hockey league run by England Hockey. It is currently sponsored by Slazenger and known as the Slazenger England Hockey League or EHL...
. The latter contributed several players to the British Olympic gold medal winning side of 1988. Havant Hockey Club also contributed two players to the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The astroturf was provided by the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
Fund. The town has a successful amateur cricket club (founded 1876), which has attracted a number of first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricketers. Havant Cricket Club
Havant Cricket Club
Havant Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club based at Havant, Hampshire. The club's first team plays in the Southern Premier Cricket League, which is one of the ECB Premier Leagues that are the highest level of the amateur, recreational sport in England and Wales.The club, founded in 1882,...
have won the Southern Premier Cricket League
Southern Premier Cricket League
The Southern Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in central southern England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League.The league covers the counties of Dorset, Hampshire and South Wiltshire....
in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008 and most recently 2009. In 2005 Havant Cricket Club reached the semi-finals of the Cockspur Cup.
Havant is also home to a notable Rifle and Pistol club. This club was the training venue for a member named Malcolm Cooper
Malcolm Cooper
Malcolm Douglas Cooper, MBE, was a British sport shooter and founder of Accuracy International. , he is the only shooter to win defend the gold medal in the Olympic 50 metre rifle three positions event....
who won Olympic Gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1988 Seoul Games, a feat not yet matched or beaten.