Havant has a wealth of interesting Cemeteries and this guided walk will introduce you to a number of former citizens each with an interesting story to tell.

The original St Faith’s church was built about 1150 on what may be the site of an earlier Saxon church. The adjoining graveyard provided the parish of Havant with its only burial ground for those of any religious denomination. The parish records covering the period from 1653 to 1851 record some 6,000 burials there, and from this figure it has been estimated that the graveyard could well contain the remains of over 20,000 people. By the 1850s it was decided that no more burials could be carried out there so a new site would have to be found.

Sir George Staunton generously gave a piece of his land in New Lane for this purpose. One acre was used to provide for those of the Church of England under the control of St Faith’s Church, and one quarter of an acre for Dissenters under the control of the Dissenters’ Chapel, which later became the Congregational Church and then the United Reformed Church.

Alongside our guided tours run by the Friends of Havant Cemeteries, the trail will be available in a self-guided formal throughout the festival and can either be downloaded online or in the box at the cemetery.

Timings & Tours 

Available anytime

Location & directions 

Directions: Park in Eastern Road car park and walk to the distinctive and obvious gates.

Contact on day: Neil Spurgeon

Telephone number: +441329313016

Booking information 

Pre-booking requirement: Pre-booking not

Max no of people per tour: 50

Estimated tour duration: 1 hour

Accessibility Details

Care should be taken around the cemetery as there are some obvious trip hazards. Be especially careful when departing the Dissenters’ cemetery as the road is busy and you cannot be seen at the gate.

Additional Information

Self-guided leaflets to discover the most from the site can be accessed from:

https://www.friendsofhavantcemeteries.org.uk/self-guided-walks/

Detailed histories of the cemeteries are available from:

Booklet 24 - The Havant Cemeteries:

https://thespring.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/a-no-24-the-havant-cemeteries.pdf

Booklet 12 - The Dissenters’ Cemetery

https://www.thespring.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/a-no-12-the-havant-dissenters-cemetery.pdf