Stubbington

Stubbington
Hampshire
Stubbington war memorial
Location
Grid reference:	SU545026
Location:	50°49’15"N, 1°13’38"W
Data
Post town:	Fareham
Postcode:	PO14
Dialling code:	01329
Local Government
Council:	Fareham
Parliamentary constituency:	Gosport

Stubbington is a village sitting between Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast of Hampshire, stretching down to the shore where the Solent meets Southampton Water. The shoreline here is Hill Head, once a separate village but now all of a piece with Stubbington.

To the north-west up the road is Titchfield: Stubbington was long a part of Tichfield parish. South-east with barely a gap is Lee-on-the-Solent, and to the east the suburbs of Gosport.

History

Both Stubbington and neighbouring Crofton are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as small estates belonging to the estates of Titchfield Abbey. Stubbington is listed as Stubetone.

The earliest known cricket match to have been played in Hampshire took place in the village in 1733.

During the 19th century, Stubbington engulfed Crofton and the small fishing village of Hill Head. The Crofton name still remains in the name of many local facilities, such as the Crofton School and Crofton Old Church.

At the start of the 20th century, the village still consisted of just a few dozen cottages and farms. By 1939, the population had risen to around 2,500, and a number of small shops had opened surrounding the village green. This remains the focus of the village to the present day, with a war memorial situated on the central village green.

The Church

The 'Crofton Old Church' at Crofton is one of the oldest known inhabited sites in the area. A church here is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086, and it is thought to date back to the reign of King Alfred the Great in the 9th century. It was extensively renovated during the 13th century. This church is believed to have caught the eye of Samuel Pepys in 1662.

A new church (Holy Rood) was built in Stubbington which took over the function of Crofton Church in 1878.

About the village

The village war memorial was built in 1922, to commemorate those from Stubbington and Hill Head who fell in the First World War. It takes the form of a 1922 a wooden shelter over the village pump, and the names were carved into the roof, although over the years they have been worn away. Today it is one of few pre-war structures standing in the vicinity of Stubbington Village Centre.

The population of Stubbington has risen to over 15,000, with new housing estates taking over a number of the surrounding fields. The town has a number of modern shops as well as a range of other facilities, including a doctor, dentist, library, community centre and seven schools. The former Royal Navy site of HMS Daedalus lies between Stubbington and neighbouring Lee-on-the-Solent, and a small part is currently being developed, however more is scheduled for further development that could further expand the town.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Stubbington)