Fareham Timeline
Key events from 700 to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Fareham. Explore the events that define our community.
700
Saxon Settlement at Fareham
The origins of Fareham lie in the Saxon period, when a settlement grew up at the head of a tidal creek on the northern shore of Portsmouth Harbour. Th...
1086
Fareham Recorded in the Domesday Book
Fareham appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Fernham', held by the Bishop of Winchester. The entry records a settlement of moderate size with agri...
1228
Fareham Granted a Market Charter
In 1228, Henry III granted Fareham the right to hold a weekly market. This charter formalised what may already have been a customary trading arrangeme...
1500
Fareham Creek as a Working Waterway
Fareham Creek, the tidal inlet that extends northward from Portsmouth Harbour to the head of the town, served as a working waterway for centuries. Sma...
1600
Fareham Brick-Making Industry Begins
The brick-making industry that would define Fareham's economy for over three centuries began in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The local cla...
1784
Henry Cort's Iron Works at Funtley
Henry Cort, one of the most important figures in the Industrial Revolution, operated an iron works at Funtley, just north of Fareham, in the 1780s. It...
1830
Price's Candles Established in Fareham
The Price's Patent Candle Company established manufacturing operations in Fareham in the 1830s, becoming one of the town's most significant employers....
1841
Fareham Railway Station Opens
Fareham railway station opened on 29 November 1841 as part of the London and South Western Railway's line from Eastleigh to Gosport. The arrival of th...
1860
Palmerston Forts Built Around Fareham
In the 1860s, a ring of forts was constructed around Portsmouth and across Portsdown Hill to defend the naval base from potential attack, particularly...
1870
Fareham Brickworks at Peak Production
By the 1870s, Fareham's brick-making industry had reached its peak, with multiple brickworks operating around the town and producing millions of brick...
1940
Fareham During the Second World War
Fareham's proximity to Portsmouth made it a significant location during the Second World War. The town was within the defensive perimeter of the naval...
1960
Post-War Town Centre Redevelopment
The 1960s and 1970s saw significant redevelopment of Fareham town centre, part of the wider pattern of post-war modernisation that transformed many Br...
1975
Fareham Shopping Centre Opens
Fareham Shopping Centre opened in 1975, providing the town with a covered retail destination on the eastern side of the High Street. The centre was de...
1975
M27 Motorway Opens Through Fareham Borough
The M27 motorway, connecting Southampton to Portsmouth along the south Hampshire corridor, was constructed through the northern part of Fareham boroug...
1990
Whiteley Village Development Begins
The development of Whiteley, on former farmland north of the M27, began in the early 1990s and has continued in phases ever since. The Whiteley Shoppi...
2015
Fareham Town Centre Regeneration
From 2015 onwards, Fareham Borough Council embarked on a programme of town centre regeneration focused on the Civic Quarter area at the western end of...