Cowplain

Linear suburban settlement with its own shops, schools and community identity

The northern half of the wider Waterlooville urban area, running along London Road from the town centre up towards Horndean. Cowplain has its own identity and its own parade of shops along London Road, distinct from Waterlooville centre. The main shopping area along London Road has a Tesco Express, a Co-op, takeaways, a post office, hairdressers and independent retailers. Cowplain developed as a linear settlement along the road, and the housing extends outward into residential streets on both sides. Housing is a mix of interwar semis, postwar council estates and later private development. Padnell Park, a well-maintained public green space, provides open ground for recreation. The community has its own primary school, doctors' surgery and places of worship. Cowplain is separated from Waterlooville centre by only a few hundred metres, but local residents maintain a strong sense of separate identity. The Cowplain Activity Centre and the local churches provide community meeting points and activity groups.