Why visit Fareham
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 69 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Reel, Westbury Manor Museum, Fort Nelson and Segensworth.
Weather in Fareham
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Fareham
Fareham is a market town at the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour, between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton in south east Hampshire, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Fareham. It was historically an important manufacturer of bricks, used to build the Royal Albert Hall, and grower of strawberries and other seasonal fruits. In 2011, it had a population of 42,210.
From the Wikipedia article Fareham (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Fareham on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks8
Fort Nelson
Museum · 1.9 mi
Grade I listed military museum in Hampshire, England, UK
Portchester Castle
Monument and historic site · 3.0 mi
Medieval castle in Portchester, Hampshire, England, UK
The Nelson Monument
Monument and historic site · 2.1 mi
Monument on Portsdown Hill in Boarhunt, Hampshire, England, UK
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Segensworth
Park · 3.3 mi
Area of business parks in Hampshire, England, UK
Restaurants and cafes69
The Golden Lion
Bar and pub
28 High Street, Fareham
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00, Fr,Sa 12:00-24:00, Su 12:00-21:00
Grumpy Elephant
Restaurant · Thai
114 West Street
Su-Mo, We-Th 12:00-14:30, 17:30-22:30; Fr-Sa 12:00-14:30, 17:30-23:00
Caffè Nero
Cafe · Coffee Shop
54 West Street, Fareham
Mo-Fr 07:30-17:30; Sa 07:30-18:00; Su 08:00-16:30
La Orient
Restaurant · Far Eastern
138 West Street, Fareham
Tu-Su 17:30-23:00
The Indian Cottage
Restaurant · Indian
184 West Street, Fareham
Mo-Su,PH 17:30-00:00
57 more on the map.
History
The town has a documented history dating back to the Norman era, when a part of William's army marched up from Fareham Creek before continuing to the Saxon capital of England, Winchester. Originally known as Ferneham (hence the name of the former entertainment venue Ferneham Hall, now Fareham Live), it was listed in the Domesday Book as having 90 households. The ford of Fareham Creek (at the top of Portsmouth Harbour) was the location of the Bishop of Winchester's mills; the foundations were subsumed in the A27 near the railway viaduct. Commercial activity continued at the port until the 1970s and continues on a smaller scale.
In the 1960s Fareham experienced major residential development. By the 1970s the town had expanded to almost encompass the surrounding villages of Funtley, Titchfield, Catisfield and Portchester. In the late 1990s a settlement called Whiteley, straddling the boundaries of Fareham Borough and the City of Winchester, was developed to the north of Junction 9 of the M27 motorway. It is predominantly residential but includes the extensive Solent Business Park.
Fareham Magistrates Court was granted planning permission in 1990, with construction completed in 1994. It closed in October 2016, following a national review of the court estate by the UK government. The magistrate court functions moved to Portsmouth.
Read more of the history
In 1995 Cams Hall, a derelict Palladian mansion, was restored for office use, and the surrounding Cams Estate was developed as a golf course and modern technology park.
Since 1997 Fareham has been the home of the United Kingdom's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC), at the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC), and responsible for coordinating all Maritime & Coastguard Agency Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters. Currently the SAR centre in Fareham is named The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC).
An urban renewal initiative began in 1999, renovating the town centre and historic buildings to include a new entertainment and shopping complex. It featured a major iron sculpture park installed in 2001 to celebrate the work of influential Lancastrian iron pioneer, Henry Cort, who lived in neighbouring Gosport but who had an iron rolling mill in Funtley (or Fontley), on the outskirts of Fareham.
From the History section of Fareham on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Fareham
Arts and culture
Fareham was home to Ferneham Hall, a multi purpose venue with a capacity of over 700. The hall opened in 1982 and closed in 2020 to allow for renovation. Work on the remodel began in 2022, including rebranding the centre to Fareham Live.
On 24 September 2024, it was officially opened by Fareham Borough Council and Trafalgar Theatres (a division of Trafalgar Entertainment).
The Ashcroft Arts Centre, on Osborn Road, was a 150-seat theatre which included, a gallery, a dance/music studio and a fully licensed bar. It offered a varied programme of events including films, theatre, comedy and workshops.
The pedestrianised area of West Street, in the town centre, is home to a permanent exhibition of the work of 12 blacksmith artists celebrating the achievements of Henry Cort, the 18th century 'man of iron' who pioneered the iron refining process at Funtley near Fareham. The puddled wrought iron sculptures are themed on Fareham's market town history and the exhibition is the largest of its type in Britain.
Education
They have 1 college In Fareham College and in 2017, Fareham College was rated by OFSTED as "Outstanding".
They have 3 main schools that serve the town in Fareham Academy, The Henry Cort Community College and Cams Hill School.
From the Wikipedia article Fareham, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Fareham
Malcolm GladwellCanadian journalist and science writerPhoto: Bea Phi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rachel GoswellBritish singer-songwriterPhoto: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0
John GossEnglish organist and composer (1800-1880)Photo: Unknown artist Unknown artist, Public domain
Sue BlackBritish computer scientistPhoto: Mark Hillary from Serra Negra, São..., CC BY 2.0
Andrew VernonBritish long-distance runnerPhoto: Ian Robertson from East Lothian, Scotland, CC BY 2.0
Robert GoddardEnglish novelistPhoto: Transworld Publishers, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mark MelfordBritish author, actor and variety artistPhoto: Willsons, Leicester, Public domain
Edward Vernon UttersonBritish lawyer, literary antiquary, collector and editor (1775/1776–1856)Photo: James Posselwhite, Public domain- Randal CremerEnglish politician (1828–1908)
- Tommy GreenBritish racewalker (1894–1975)
- Ron NewmanEnglish footballer (1936–2018)
- Graham RoopeEnglish Test and County cricketer (1946-2006)
Born in Fareham, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping18
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare6
Fareham Community Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
135 Highlands Road, Fareham
Map of Fareham
146 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southampton Airport (SOU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Gosport 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Portsmouth 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Cosham 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Waterlooville 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Hedge End 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Cowes 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Havant 8 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Ryde 8 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Fair Oak 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Southampton 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Fareham
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Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 184-196 Castle Street, Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0
- BK73 AOL, Fareham Bus Station, 20 April 2024, Matt Taylor, CC BY 4.0
- FirstGroup buses in Fareham Bus Station, Hampshire 51721 intermediate Barbie livery 14 June 2008, Colin Babb, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fort nelson entrance, en:User:Geni, CC BY 2.5
- Portchester castle 04, Matthew Folley from UK, CC BY 2.0
- Portchester castle 02, scale speeder, CC BY 2.0
- Nelson's Monument,portsdown hill,5-7-2018, Hunanuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- FarehamShoppingCentre2Dec2006, GaryReggae, CC BY 3.0
- St Peter and St Paul's Church, Church Path, Fareham (NHLE Code 1094332) (May 2019) (5), Hassocks5489, CC0
- Holy Trinity Church, West Street, Fareham (NHLE Code 1276622) (May 2019) (7), Hassocks5489, CC0
- Fareham Live Construction - 53763041347, Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0
- Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham, Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0
- Entrance to the Garden of Reflection, Fareham, Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0
- Street-level photo, noid, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, chris_debian, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noid, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, RyanBush, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noid, CC BY-SA 4.0
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