Hedge End Timeline
Key events from 1086 to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Hedge End. Explore the events that define our community.
1086
Domesday Book Records the Manor of Botley
The area that would become Hedge End was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as part of the manor of Botley, held by the Bishop of Winchester. The s...
c. 1150
St John the Evangelist Church Founded
St John the Evangelist Church was founded in the twelfth century to serve the scattered farming community in the area. The church, built in stone, inc...
1200-1500
Medieval Agricultural Settlement
Through the medieval period, the Hedge End area remained part of the Bishop of Winchester's extensive Hampshire landholdings. The landscape was one of...
1700s
Enclosure of Open Fields
During the eighteenth century, the remaining open fields in the Hedge End area were enclosed, consolidating the land into the hedged fields that would...
1842
Hedge End Railway Station Opens
Hedge End station opened on the line between Eastleigh and Fareham, part of the London and South Western Railway's expanding network across Hampshire....
c. 1860
Brickworks and Small Industry
The local clay deposits in the Hedge End area supported small-scale brickmaking during the Victorian period. Brickworks produced the building material...
1868
Hedge End Becomes a Separate Parish
In 1868, Hedge End was formally separated from the parish of Botley and established as its own ecclesiastical parish, with St John the Evangelist Chur...
1914-1918
First World War
The First World War brought change and loss to the Hedge End community. Men from the parish enlisted and served on the Western Front and other theatre...
1920s-1930s
Interwar Ribbon Development
The interwar period brought the first tentative expansion of Hedge End beyond its historic boundaries. Ribbon development, the building of houses alon...
1939-1945
Second World War
During the Second World War, Hedge End's proximity to Southampton and its docks made the area relevant to the war effort. Southampton was heavily bomb...
1960s
Housing Boom Transforms the Landscape
The 1960s marked the beginning of the rapid suburban expansion that would transform Hedge End from a rural parish into a suburban town. Developers pur...
1975
M27 Motorway Constructed
The M27 motorway was built in stages during the 1970s and opened to traffic progressively. The section near Hedge End, including Junction 7, provided ...
1987
Hedge End Town Council Established
Hedge End Town Council was established in 1987, giving the town its own parish-level government. The creation of the town council reflected the growth...
1990s
Hedge End Retail Park Opens
The Hedge End Retail Park was developed alongside the M27 near Junction 7 during the 1990s, bringing Marks and Spencer, Next, Boots and other national...
2010
Berry Theatre Opens
The Berry Theatre opened in 2010, giving Hedge End a purpose-built arts and community venue for the first time. The theatre was developed by Eastleigh...
2010s-2020s
Dowd's Farm Development
The Dowd's Farm development, on former agricultural land on the eastern edge of Hedge End, brought the largest single addition of new housing to the t...