Memories of Cosham High Street (Including Northern Road, Spur Road and Wayte Street)
Published by the WEA Portsmouth Local History Group, 44 pages. A5 size booklet (N6675X1)
This booklet provides a fascinating insight into the history of this part of Portsmouth, and includes lots of memories and recollections of what life was like in years gone by. The booklet covers parts of the area now known as Cosham, and is a must read for anyone who lived or grew up in the area, and will delight anyone with an interest in the history and development of Portsmouth
The latest in our series of booklets takes us off the island and covers part of the area on the mainland known as Cosham. Originally we planned to cover the whole of Cosham but as the book evolved it became evident that, due to the number of pages, this would be impossible. So in general this booklet only covers the High Street and the streets across to Northern Road except for the memories growing up in the area...From the first inside page:
The name Cosham has at least two origins. The hamlet belonging to Cossa hence Cossa's Ham. Alternatively Cos refers to the broom or gorse which grew on the hill slopes. By the time of the doomsday book it was under control of Wymering which was a larger village and even included land on the Island of Portsea, down to just south of Torrington Road where the former boundary stone still stands. Later it was within two parishes, Widley & Wymering. The new parish of Cosham was formed in December 1894 by the amalgamation of the Widley & Wymering parishes. The village was in two parts, East Cosham along the road to Havant, which was formerly Wid ley; and Cosham on the road to Portsmouth, which was formerly Wymering. Administratively Cosham was incorporated into Portsmouth in Nov 1920, previously it had come under Fareham. Drayton and Farlington did not come under Portsmouth until 1932. Cosham High Street was part of the main road from Portsmouth leading to Portsdown Hill and eventually onto London. The village was principally along two main streets, High Street and Cosham Road with houses and shops; elsewhere there were a few villas in their own grounds. The majority of the housing on the eastern hill slopes down to the railway were built from the 1920s/1930s. In 1927, 22 plots on the west side of the High Street; 9 on the new North Road; 8 on the north side of the Spur Road, 9 on the south side of the new Spur Road were to be auctioned. They were part of the Portsdown Estate that had been purchased by the corporation from the Thistlethwayte family, 3 plots on the north side of Spur Road were later retained for the new Cosham Library....
The condition of the booklet is excellent. The cover is clean and tidy, the staple spine is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound
| Condition | New |