FAREHAM, a market town and seaport in the Fareham par liamentary division of Hampshire, England, 844 m. S.W. from London by the S.R., is a junction station on the line from Ports mouth to Southampton, with branch to Gosport and Stokes Bay on the south, and north-west to Eastleigh. Pop. of urban district It lies at the head of a creek opening into the north-western corner of Portsmouth harbour. The principal in dustries are the manufacture of sackings, ropes, bricks, coarse earthenware, terra-cotta, tobacco-pipes and leather. Fareham has a considerable trade in corn, timber and coal, the creek being accessible to vessels of 30o tons. Three miles E. of Fareham, on Portsmouth harbour, are the interesting ruins of Porchester castle, an extensive walled enclosure retaining its Norman keep, and exhibiting in its outer walls considerable evidence of Roman workmanship. St. Mary's parish church (rebuilt and restored in the last century) retains some fine Norman portions; it belonged to an Augustinian priory founded by Henry I. At Titchfield, 3 m. W. of Fareham, are ruins of the beautiful Tudor mansion, Place house. on the site of a Premonstratensian abbey of the 13th cen tury, of which there are also fragments. At Knowle, 3 m. N.N.W.
of Fareham, is the large county asylum, where in 1927 there were over i,000 patients. Fareham became an urban district in 1894. The council owns the water and electricity supplies.
The fact that Fareham (Fernham, Ferham) formed part of the original endowment of the see of Winchester fixes its existence certainly as early as the 9th century. It is mentioned in the Domesday Survey as subject to a reduced assessment on account of its exposed position and liability to Danish attacks. There is evidence to show that Fareham had become a borough before 1264, but no charter can be found. It was a mesne borough held of the bishop of Winchester, but it is probable that during the 18th century the privileges of the burgesses were allowed to lapse, as by 1835 it has ceased to be a borough. Fareham was repre sented in the parliament of 1306, but two years later it petitioned against representation on the ground of expense. A fair was held under grant of Henry III., and in the 18th century was mainly important for the sale of toys; it was abolished in 1871. Fare ham in mediaeval times was a free port and had a considerable trade in wool and wine.