Post-War Gosport (Old Town)
Author(s): Elain Harwood
Gosport has a wealth of historic buildings, mostly connected with the Royal Navy. The old town itself, however, was almost entirely rebuilt between 1945 and 1980 save for parts of the High Street and Holy Trinity Church. A large area to the south of the High Street was badly damaged in the war, but this total reconstruction owed more to the demands of local councillors and planners in the borough and county councils. A drastic example of a small town’s bid to provide modern living conditions for its citizens and to alleviate traffic congestion, the story of what most visitors to Gosport see today has never been fully researched and is itself coming under threat. The new housing charts the stylistic evolution of public housing during the post-war period and the limited role played by conservation. Research on the High Street and its western extension, Stoke Road (a mix of buildings from the late nineteenth century, 1930s and 1970s) was prompted by the High Street Heritage Action Zone declared in 2019.
- Report Number:
- 53/2022
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 48
- Keywords:
- Standing Building Standing Structure Post-War
