Waterlooville Timeline
Key events from c. 43-410 AD to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Waterlooville. Explore the events that define our community.
c. 43-410 AD
Roman Road Through the Area
A Roman road ran through the area now occupied by Waterlooville, connecting the coastal settlement at Portchester (Portus Adurni) to the inland town o...
c. 1000-1500
Medieval Farming Hamlet
Through the medieval period, the area now occupied by Waterlooville was agricultural land within the manors of Purbrook and Waterloo. Small farms and ...
1815
Waterlooville Named After the Battle of Waterloo
The name Waterlooville derives from a public house called the Heroes of Waterloo, which was established at the crossroads on London Road shortly after...
c. 1820-1860
Growth of the Crossroads Hamlet
Following the establishment of the Heroes of Waterloo pub, a small hamlet grew at the crossroads on London Road. A few cottages, a smithy, a general s...
1831
St George's Church Built
St George's Church was built in 1831 as a chapel of ease serving the growing hamlet at Waterlooville. The church was funded by public subscription and...
c. 1870-1900
Late Victorian Development
In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Waterlooville began to grow more rapidly. New houses were built along London Road and the side streets...
1914-1918
First World War
During the First World War, Waterlooville's men enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment and other units, serving on the Western Front, in Gallipoli and in ...
1920s-1930s
Interwar Suburban Expansion
Between the wars, Waterlooville experienced its first major phase of suburban expansion. New housing estates were built along London Road and the surr...
1939-1945
Second World War
During the Second World War, Waterlooville was less heavily bombed than Portsmouth, but the community was deeply affected by the conflict. Many reside...
1945-1970
Postwar Housing Boom
After the war, Waterlooville experienced explosive growth. New housing estates were built across what had been farmland, and the population surged. Co...
1970s
Waterlooville Shopping Centre Built
In the 1970s, the old village centre of Waterlooville was demolished and replaced with a modern shopping precinct. Wellington Way was created as a ped...
1970s-1980s
A3(M) Motorway Opened
The A3(M) motorway, running north from the Portsdown Hill area towards Horndean and connecting to the A3 towards London, was built in stages during th...
1976
Queen Elizabeth Country Park Opens
Queen Elizabeth Country Park opened in 1976 on the chalk downlands to the north of Waterlooville, straddling the A3 between Horndean and Petersfield. ...
1998 and 2013
Waterlooville FC FA Vase Victories
Waterlooville Football Club, a non-league side playing at Jubilee Park, achieved national recognition by winning the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium. The c...
2000s-2020s
Continued Growth and New Housing
In the twenty-first century, Waterlooville has continued to grow, with new housing developments on the edges of the built-up area and infill developme...
c. 3000-1000 BC
Bronze Age Activity on the Downs
The chalk downlands around Waterlooville, particularly the higher ground towards Butser Hill and the South Downs, show evidence of human activity stre...