Hayling Island Timeline
Key events from 16 October 1987 to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Hayling Island. Explore the events that define our community.
16 October 1987
The Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of October 1987 struck the south coast with hurricane-force winds, causing widespread damage across Hayling Island. Trees were uproote...
1086
Hayling Island in the Domesday Book
Hayling Island is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a significant manor held by the Abbey of Jumieges in Normandy. The survey records agricultu...
c. 1140
Foundation of Hayling Priory
A small Augustinian priory was established on Hayling Island around 1140, dependent on the Abbey of Jumieges. The priory occupied a site in North Hayl...
c. 1170
St Mary's Church Rebuilt in Stone
St Mary's Church in North Hayling was rebuilt in stone during the twelfth century, probably on the site of an earlier Saxon timber church. The present...
c. 1250
Medieval Salt Production
Hayling Island was an important centre of salt production throughout the medieval period. The low-lying shores and tidal marshes provided ideal condit...
1340
French Raids on the South Coast
During the Hundred Years War, the south coast of England was repeatedly raided by French naval forces. Hayling Island, exposed and poorly defended, wa...
1414
Suppression of Hayling Priory
Hayling Priory was suppressed in 1414 by Henry V as part of the seizure of alien priories, religious houses that owed allegiance to monasteries in Fra...
1800
Napoleonic Coastal Defences
During the Napoleonic Wars, Hayling Island's position guarding the approaches to Langstone and Chichester Harbours made it strategically important. Ba...
1867
Hayling Island Railway Opens
The Hayling Island branch line opened on 17 July 1867, connecting the island to the main railway network at Havant. The single-track line crossed Lang...
1932
Butlins Holiday Camp Opens
Billy Butlin opened his first amusement park on Hayling Island in 1932, before going on to establish the chain of holiday camps that bore his name. Th...
1939
Hayling Island in the Second World War
During the Second World War, Hayling Island's coastal position made it part of the south coast defensive zone. Anti-invasion obstacles were placed on ...
1958
Invention of Windsurfing on Hayling Island
In 1958, a twelve-year-old boy named Peter Chilvers fitted a sail to a board and sailed it on the waters off Hayling Island, creating what is widely r...
1963
Closure of the Hayling Island Railway
The Hayling Island branch line closed on 4 November 1963, a casualty of the Beeching cuts that reshaped Britain's railway network. The timber bridge a...
1984
Hayling Billy Trail Opens
The Hayling Billy Trail was established in the 1980s on the route of the former Hayling Island railway line, which had closed in 1963. The trail runs ...
1985
Eastoke Coastal Defence Works
Major coastal defence works were undertaken at Eastoke in the 1980s to protect the vulnerable south-eastern corner of Hayling Island from flooding and...
2009
Closure of Butlins Hayling Island
The Butlins holiday park on Hayling Island closed in 2009, ending nearly eight decades of holiday camp operation on the site. The closure reflected ch...