Saxon Settlement at Emsworth

700

The origins of Emsworth lie in the Saxon period, when a settlement was established at the head of a tidal inlet on the coastal plain between the South Downs and the sea. The name Emsworth derives from the Old English personal name Aemele or a similar root, combined with 'worth', meaning an enclosure or homestead. The sheltered harbour and the fertile farmland of the coastal strip made this a favourable location for settlement. The Hermitage Stream, which runs through the modern town, provided fresh water. The Saxon community at Emsworth was one of several small settlements along the Hampshire and Sussex coastal plain, farming the land and exploiting the rich fishing grounds of the harbour and the Solent beyond.