Cowplain

Cowplain is a village north of Waterlooville, Hampshire, England. With a population of 9,353 at the 2011 census,^[1] it makes up above 7% of Havant borough's population. It grew along the old London to Portsmouth road (the A3) on which the village centre and local shops lie.

Cowplain is a new village by UK standards. In 1810 it was all still forest, the forest of Bere. The only building shown was Padnell Brick Kiln (later Padnell Farm, then Padnell Grange) Since feilding, Cowplain is still surrounded by remnants of the ancient Forest of Bere: The Queens Inclosure, Padnell (Cuts) Woods, Idlewood, Hurstwood and Park Woods. The village began at the bottom of the hill, where The Spotted Cow pub was built circa 1860, & is believed to have given the nameto the village. cottage could be the oldest building left. A Bakery also started here (later to beome one of the first KFCs in the country). Three temporary stores opened opposite the pub, & are still in use. Cowplain Social club was formed. what is now the main part of Cowplain shops wre on the hill top, & was originally called broadway. All the shops here are on the west side of the road.

The nearest town is Waterlooville and the nearest villages are Lovedean, Rowlands Castle, Denmead and Horndean. A Portsmouth city council housing estate, Wecock Farm (built in the 1970s), is west of Cowplain village.

The village schools are Cowplain School, Padnell Infant, Padnell Junior Schools, Hartplain Infant and Junior schools and Queen's Inclosure Primary School, adjacent to the Queen's Inclosure woods. The local church is St Wilfrid's, although there are a number of others in the area including Cowplain Evangelical Church.

At its peak, all four major UK banks had a branch in the main road (London Road). All have now gone. Cowplain has had a supermarket since the early sixties and later a Fine Fare at the Fernwood house development, replacing the decades old Harcourt Stores. There are a number of places to eat, including The Spotted Cow, built in the 1930s when the original Spotted Cow was demolished and rebuilt.

The golf course in Cowplain is called Waterloovile Golf Course.

One of the main reasons for Cowplain's early expansion was the building of the Portsdown & Horndean Light Railway in 1903. This tramline followed the route of the main A3 road and ran through Cowpain, where the main tram shed was built. The tram line closed in 1935. Southdown buses took over the route as No 42, recently renumbered as No 8. A number of bus routes go through Cowplain: the 37 (Stagecoach) from Havant to Clanfield, Petersfield and Liss, the National Express 030 to London and First Group service 8. The number 8 route follows the A3 from Clanfield to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. Also No 39 (Stagecoach) serves Weacock Farm estate.

The London to Portsmouth railway line bypassed Cowplain, heading eastwards through Havant. Nearest train stations are at Havant and Cosham.

• Mark Wingett, actor known for playing Police Constable Jim Carver in The Bill
• Jill Ellis, English-American football coach^[2]
• Gareth Southgate, England footballer and team manager. Lived on the Hazleton Estate and attended Padnell infant school for a short while

• Havant Borough Council. "Profiles & statistics by ward: Cowplain". Archived from the original on 24 November 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2006.