Havant
| Havant | |
|---|---|
(clockwise from top left:) The Old House at Home, St Faith’s Church, Staunton Country Park, Langstone Harbour, St Thomas à Becket Church, Warblington, and West Street. | |
Location within Hampshire | |
| Area | 20.34 km2 (7.85 sq mi) |
| Population | 45,826 (2011 census) |
| • Density | 2,253/km2 (5,840/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU717062 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAVANT |
| Postcode district | PO9 |
| Dialling code | 023 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Havant (/ˈhævənt/ HAV-ənt) is a town in the south-east corner of Hampshire, England. Nearby places include Portsmouth to the south-west, Southampton to the west, Waterlooville to north, Chichester to the east and Hayling Island to the south. The wider borough comprises the town (45,826), the resort of Hayling Island, the town of Waterlooville, and the town of Emsworth. Housing and population more than doubled in the 20 years following World War II, a period of major conversion of land from agriculture and woodland to housing across the region following the incendiary bombing of Portsmouth and the Blitz.
The old centre of the town was a small Celtic settlement before Roman times and the town's commerce, retired and commuter population swelled after World War II so as to be usually considered economically part of the Portsmouth conurbation.