Park Gate

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Human settlement in England

Fareham

Hampshire

Region

South East

CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townSouthamptonPostcode districtSO31Dialling code01489Police Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Hampshire and Isle of Wight Ambulance South Central UK Parliament

Fareham

List of places: UK; England; Hampshire

50°51′50″N 1°15′29″W / 50.864°N 1.258°W / 50.864; -1.258

Park Gate is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Fareham^[1] in Hampshire, England. It borders Locks Heath to the south, Segensworth to the east and Sarisbury to the west. Park Gate has two churches, Duncan Road Church and St Margaret Mary R.C. It also has three takeaway shops.^[2]

History

Park Gate was developed around Swanwick railway station and was a distribution hub for local strawberries that were grown in the area. In 1913, at the peak of strawberry production, more than 3,000 tons of strawberries were sent from local fields every week to be distributed from the station. Strawberry distribution stopped in 1966, however, the railway station remains, and even though fruit and vegetables are still grown in the area, the present landscape is dominated by housing. The Station Master's House adjacent to the railway station has since become a restaurant.

In 1944, Park Gate played host to convoys of Canadian soldiers and tanks who were stationed along Botley Road adjacent to Fair View Terrace, waiting for their orders for the Normandy D-Day landings. During this time, there was an account of a V1 rocket landing in the Duncan Road area, causing some of the Canadian ammunition trucks to catch fire and explode.

In the late 1980s, Park Gate along with neighbouring Locks Heath, became a growth sector for southern Hampshire with modern businesses moving to nearby Segensworth. With Junction 9 of the M27 within easy reach, Park Gate has become a base for commuting East to Portsmouth, West to Southampton and North to Winchester, Andover and Basingstoke.