INDUSTRY
Hayling Island was a small rural community (population 576 – 1801 census), largely given over to farming
and fishing. It was pretty self sufficient with water being drawn from wells and most produce available
from the farms. Connections with the mainland were the wadeway to Langstone and the ferry across the
Langstone Harbour entrance connecting Hayling Island with Portsmouth.
These links were sufficient at the time.
In 1824 the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal cut through the Wadeway and a wooden road bridge was
constructed to re-connect Hayling Island with Langstone. A toll was charged to use the bridge. Farm
products now had a much improved route to local markets.
The improved access to the Island with the building of the road bridge, kick-started the tourism industry.
The Norfolk Crescent (a terrace of lavish town houses) and the Royal Hotel were constructed in 1825. A
stage coach connection, using the turnpike roads, was established between London.and the Royal
Hotel. With little support for developing this further, the Norfolk Crescent was not completed to create
the envisaged grand crescent.
The story continues with the construction of the Hayling Branch line along the original 1860 (modified in
1864) route across Langstone Harbour. In 1864, The South of England Oyster Company leased 300 acres
of reclaimed mud lands to create the Oysterbeds to farm oysters.
Other Oysterbeds were already in existence on Hayling Island but the South of England Oyster
Company was developed as a direct result of building the railway line.
When the railway line was completed in 1867, the railway was involved in the movement of Oysters.
In 1877 a Gas Works was built next to the station providing gas street lighting for the first time on the
Island.
The island population had increased to >1600 in 1901 and tourism continued to grow with the easy
access provided by the railway. By the mid 1920\’s the population in the summer months had grown to
such an extent that the wells were at risk of being unable to supply sufficient water. In 1928 water was
pumped to the island to supplement the wells.
THE HAYLING ISLAND GAS COMPANY
In late Victorian times it was generally assumed that Hayling Island was about to become an important suburb of Portsmouth. The narrow but fast-flowing entrance to Langstone Harbour would, it was supposed, be bridged and land values on the Island would rise. There was speculation in land and a branch railway was constructed from Havant [...] Read more...
1937 – Closure of Hayling Island Gas Works
The Hayling Island Gas Company was absorbed by the Portsmouth and Gosport Company. Gas was then supplied from Hilsea and piped onto the island.This article from the Evening News, Aug 6 1937,
describes the formal handover and the closure of the Gas Works. Read more...
South of England Oyster Company
The 1860 Act of Parliament, authorising the construction of the Havant to Hayling Island branch line
included the reclamation of 1000 acres of mud land by the construction of the railway embankment in Langstone Harbour. Mr Robert Hume (a prominent supporter of the branch line) bought the mud lands in 1863 from the representatives of [...] Read more...
1877 – Gas Lighting arrives on Hayling Island
The following article appeared in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc. Portsmouth
England), Saturday, July 28, 1877; Issue 4690. Describes how the annual encampment of the 1st
Administrative Battalion of the Hampshire Rifle Volunteers were supplied for the first time with gas
lighting. The introduction of gas to the island was celebrated on this [...]