Havant
Havant is a town in Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It has good railway connections to London, Portsmouth and Brighton. The A27 road runs past its Southern side, beyond which lies Langstone, and then Hayling Island. To the north lies Leigh Park, a large council estate, 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 dates from Roman times, but the town has grown a lot since World War II, currently forming a conurbation with Langstone, Brockhampton, Bedhampton, Leigh Park, Denvilles and Warblington. The old centre of the town is similar to Chichester, in that it has a cross-shaped layout, with the four streets being named North St., East St., South St. and West St.; and there is a religious building on the corner of South St. and West St. (Havant, being less important, only has a church, whereas Chichester has a cathedral). There are several natural springs in the area, including one a short distance South-west of the church on West Street. Much of Havant was destroyed by fire in 1760, leaving only the church and the adjacent late 16th or early 17th century cottages. The cottages 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.
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