Langstone

Langstone was a tithing and hamlet within the parish and liberty of Havant, standing on the harbour of that name near the causeway connecting Hayling Island with the mainland. The VCH describes it as consisting of a few houses, some thatched and some roofed with red tiles, together with a coastguard station. The tithingmen of Langstone, along with those of Hayling, Leigh and Brockhampton, attended the tourns of the bishop's court leet (VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 122-127).

The hamlet had salterns dating from the eleventh century. Oyster beds and fisheries were historically significant, though the VCH records that the fishery had decreased materially during the two preceding centuries. A disused mill at Langstone was described as the most picturesque of the mills in the town. In the nineteenth century Langstone served as a small port, with Thomas Pennant noting in 1801 that it was a sort of port for small vessels which discharged their cargoes there. By 1845 traffic through Langstone exceeded 7,000 tons per annum (VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 122-127).

Close by the hamlet, across the meadows, lie the grounds of Wade Court. The sub-manor of Limborne, which includes Wade Court, was probably parcel of Warblington manor, for the lands of Wade were among the terrae Normannorum and as such were granted in 1204 to the Earl of Arundel, with whose successors the overlordship remained. Juliane de Wade was an early tenant. Rominus Hospinel, who succeeded her, gave one carucate in Wade in marriage with his daughter Agnes to Richard Falconer in 1205. William Falconer was enfeoffed of a messuage at Wade by Hilary, wife of Adam de Wanstead, in 1250. John Falconer, to whom Isabel de Merlay in 1256 granted a messuage and land in La Wade and Nytimbre, died seised of Limborne c.1305, leaving a daughter and heir Joan, wife of John Butler (VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 122-127).

In 1352 John Butler held Limborne of the Earl of Arundel. Twelve years later a settlement was made upon John Butler, probably son of the former John, and his wife Katherine. Under the will of Richard Dalingrigge of Wade, a chantry was founded in Havant church about 1471, maintained from the profits of his manor of Iford in Sussex. Two priests were provided to sing continually for the souls of Richard Dalingrigge, his wife Sibyl and their ancestors, but four years after his death his nephew Roger Lewkenor entered upon the manor of Iford, declaring that Richard had made no such will (VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 122-127).

A chapel in connexion with the church was built at Langstone in 1869. The hamlet formed part of the wider manorial framework of Havant, held successively by the monks of St Swithun and the Bishop of Winchester until the nineteenth century (VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 122-127).