Fareham - market town on Portsmouth Harbour, England

Fareham is a town in Hampshire, approximately half-way between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, The town has been linked with brick making, notably, the production of the 'Fareham Reds', examples of the bricks in use on the Royal Albert Hall, in London and iron forging from the ironmaster, named "Henry Cort".

Understand

Get in

Fareham is well served by the major road and rail networks. The M27 motorway passes around the northern edge of Fareham, and is the main traffic artery into and out of the area. It provides easy access to both Portsmouth and Southampton, and from there to London via the M3 and A3(M).

The A27 is a route that passes through the centre of Fareham, from west to east, with good connections to Southampton and Portsmouth. The A32 passes through Fareham at the Quay Street roundabout, it runs north to south, on its way from Gosport in the south, with the north passing through the picturesque Meon Valley to Alton.

Fareham railway station is on the West Coastway Line, with regular services to Portsmouth, Southampton, Cardiff and London.

Get around

By foot

It is possible to walk around Fareham, either by walking in urban areas and rural areas, with a relatively-flat terrain.

By bike

Fareham has a few dedicated cycle routes; they are not particularly well linked but cyclists should not have a problem navigating the town centre. The town itself is mostly flat but some terrain involved, especially in the north of the town; Hampshire tends to undulate.

By bus

Bus transport in the town is provided by First Hampshire & Dorset, which runs nearly all bus routes in the area. Services run as far as Winchester. The main bus station is adjacent to the Market Quay development.

See

Fareham has developed several attractions to draw visitors to the town. The historic High Street features a fine collection of Georgian buildings, home to many of the town's restaurants. The town centre has been improved to bring it up to modern standards, and the opening of the Market Quay development has added a cinema.

• Fort Fareham, 50.840352°, -1.188293°.
• Royal Armouries Museum and Fort Nelson, 50.861°, -1.1389°.
• Titchfield Abbey, 50.856°, -1.232°.
• The Great Barn, Mill Ln, Titchfield, Fareham PO15 5RB, 50.8555°, -1.2349°, +44 1329 556156.
• Hovercraft Museum, Daedalus Site Seafront Gate, Marine Parade West, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO13 9NS, 50.80759°, -1.20974°, +44 2392 552090.

• Portchester Castle, Church Road, PO16 9QW, 50.837415°, -1.114906°, +44 2392 378291. The castle's keep was built in Norman times (largely from recycled Roman brick) and extensive late Roman structures remain although ruinous. The castle is well sign posted, and served by regular buses, Portchester rail station is a 10-min walk north. Adults £5.00, children £3.00, concessions £4.50

• Westbury Manor Museum, 50.852°, -1.18°.
• Bursledon Brickworks, Swanwick Lane, SO31 7HB, 50.8858°, -1.2908°.

Do

Ferneham Hall, a theatre, is in the town centre. The Ashcroft Centre specialises in amateur theatre productions.

Buy

The town centre is reasonably well-equipped with high street chains and supermarkets, but it has a smaller range of shops than might be expected for a town its size, it has a small shopping centre. The town has high street banks and other amenities, like libraries, entertainment facilities, and high street retailers. For a larger range of shops, the nearby town of Portsmouth is more promising, and slightly further afield Southampton, with a good selection at the north of the county at Basingstoke are the leading regional shopping centres. Also the town has a good selection of independent traders in West Street and High Street, this includes appliance shops, eateries, sewing machines, computer shops, bakeries and a sweet shop.

Eat

• Villa Romana, The Old Coach House High Street, Fareham PO16 7BB, 50.853222°, -1.173839°, +44 1329 825316, enquiries@villaromana.co.uk. M-F noon-4PM (last orders 2PM), M-Sa 6:30PM-late (last orders 9:30PM). Eclectic menu of Italian regional dishes in a chic 18th-century room with beams and flagstones. £10-20 2017-09-25

Drink

• Red Lion, East Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 0BP, 50.852235°, -1.174073°, +44 1329 822640, redlion.fareham@oldenglishinns.co.uk. Classic coaching inn dating from 1736, with polished bedrooms and a long pub-style menu. 2017-09-25

Sleep

• Holiday Inn Fareham - Solent, Cartwright Dr, Titchfield, 50.8553°, -1.2422°, +44 1329 745600.

Connect

The town has a tourist information office in Westbury Manor Museum. Fareham Borough Council also has some tourist information on its website.

Go next