Serpentine Road and Harrison Road

The oldest buildings are at the start of the road, on the right (2018, tap to enlarge)

Serpentine Road was built over another open field that was ripe for Fareham to expand into when it needed.

The first 12 properties were built in the 1920s, at the south end of the road, on the north side. An extension took us up to number 85, and Uplands Crescent up to number 31.

By 1958 these roads had been substantially completed, but it ended with a series of bollards outside number 123 Serpentine Road. From here a footpath led up to Park Lane, but in the late 1960s the plan was changed and the road was opened up.

Southampton Road

Southampton Road was built in the late 19th century, from Bloomfield House down to Wickham Road. There were a number of gaps in the properties, which started to be filled in the 1930s.

Number 48 became a nursery school.

In the late 1970s, the bottom of the road became one way to fight the rat-runners.

The question which remains unanswered is why does this street have a silly name? It must be named after the city generally, rather than it being the route to the city.

Harrison Road

When Southampton Road was built in the 19th century, the first section of Harrison Road was built too. It followed an old footpath and met the existing alleyway which is still there, and didn't appear to have any properties of its own until Dormer Cottage and Applegarth were added in the 1950s.

In the 1920s, the road was extended to serve Harrison County School. Originally a boys' secondary school, the school was significantly extended over the following two decades, and the road was completed with houses added at the Serpentine end.

Both roads are now designated U489.