Hayling Island

Hayling Island

The coastline of Hayling Island
Hayling Island
Geography
Location	Solent
Coordinates	50°48′10″N 0°58′30″W / 50.80278°N 0.97500°W / 50.80278; -0.97500Coordinates: 50°48′10″N 0°58′30″W / 50.80278°N 0.97500°W / 50.80278; -0.97500
Total islands	1
Area	30 km2 (12 sq mi)
Length	6.5 km (4.04 mi)
Width	6.5 km (4.04 mi)
Administration
England
County	Hampshire
Borough	Havant
Largest settlement	Mengham (town)
Demographics
Population	17,379 (2011)
Pop. density	562.9 /km2 (1,457.9 /sq mi)

Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, near Portsmouth.

An iron-age shrine in the north of Hayling Island was later developed into a Roman temple in the first century BC and was first recorded in Richard Scott's Topographical and Historical Account of Hayling Island, published in 1826. The site was excavated between 1897 and 1907 and again from 1976 to 1978. Remains are no longer visible and are buried beneath cultivated farmland. The first coin credited to Commius that was found in an excavated context was found at the temple. This Commius was probably the son of the Commius mentioned by Julius Caesar in his writings although its possible the coin was issued by the original Commius.

Salt production was an industry on the island from the 11th century (the Domesday Book records a saltpan on the island for this purpose) until the late 19th century.

Construction of Northwode Chapel by the monks of Jumièges, Normandy, began in about 1140; this became the present St Peter's Church and is now the oldest surviving church on the Island. It has been claimed that St Peter's three bells, cast in about 1350, have one of the oldest peals in England. St Mary's Church is a standard design of the churches of its era, but upon close examination the walls have been constructed from a mortar of local shells and beach pebbles. The ancient yew tree in the churchyard is believed to be the oldest yew in the country, with a girth of some nine metres (30 feet). Although estimates as to its age vary, they range from over a thousand to nearly two thousand years old.

The grave of Princess Yourievsky (1878-1959) who was a member of the ill-fated Russian Royal family and who lived in North Hayling for many years, may be found in St. Peter's churchyard; and the grave of Scotsman George Glas Sandeman, nephew of the founder of Sandeman Port and second head of that company, is prominently featured in the north-east part of St. Mary's graveyard.

The island was the location of a mock invasion during the military Exercise Fabius in May 1944, rehearsing the preparations for D-Day.