Industrial hamlet Hook, Fareham

titchfield st peter s church in 2006

the modern hamlet of hook linked return england of william hornby, governor of bombay. after return in 1783 british government granted hornby land @ hook where, between 1785 , 1789, set building country mansion modelled upon government house in bombay. there memorial window william hornby in st peter s church in titchfield. parkland, laid out setting mansion, resulted in removal of remained of medieval hamlet. work involved diversion of existing local roads , construction of sea wall across creek, reducing former inlet small stream. @ time mansion built there no bridge across fleet @ newtown there today, , access estate titchfield via abshot , hook park road.

william hornby died in 1803 , ownership of estate passed son john. when john hornby died in 1832 ownership passed on son, william. william hornby, grandson of governor hornby, constructed estate buildings form industrial hamlet @ hook. these comprised blacksmiths house, smithy , 4 workers cottages serve estate. there evidence wheelwrights house of earlier date although shop adjoining built (or rebuilt) @ time. 4 cottages built in 1846. built serve estate, smithy , wheelwright’s shop gradually expanded serve wider area of warsash , locks heath, becoming small industrial centre providing woodwork , ironwork district.

the mansion destroyed fire around midnight on night of 17 july 1903. group of listed buildings associated house, lie west of conservation area, survive reminder. these include georgian stable block, known golf house, walled garden , orangery. scatter of older cottages still survive on hook park road, including former schoolhouse, these mark route old hamlet , former hook house. industrial hamlet survives notable example of group of victorian estate buildings , buildings form core of hook conservation area.