Old Hampshire Mapped


Post Office Circulation 1890

Hampshire Mail Routes

Without any sort of written schedule (which does not exist - information from the Post Office archives) it is quite difficult to say exactly how the mails were routed. Notes below list each place and attempt to describe what the map indicates for the mails. It is particularly unclear which railway stations are used and which not. This list should not be believed without confirmation from other documentary evidence.
The place name in the margin is what is printed on the map. The modern place name including civil parish is given alongside.
Abbots Ann   Abbotts Ann
End of a mail coach or cart route to and from Andover, via Amport and Weyhill; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Andover via Amport and Weyhill.
Aldershot   Aldershot, Rushmoor
Post town - on the Farnham to Alton branch railway; on a mail coach route to and from Farnham, Surrey and Farnborough etc.
Aldershot Camp   North Camp and South Camp, Aldershot, Rushmoor
Sub office - on a mail coach route to and from Farnham, Surrey and Aldershot and Farnborough etc.
Alresford   New Alresford
Post town - on the Mid Hants, Alton Lines, Railway; on a mail coach or cart route to and from Alton and Winchester; posts to and from Bramdean by a rural foot postman's walk and by a mounted rural postman's walk.
Alton   Alton
Post town - on the Mid Hants, Alton Lines, Railway; on a mail coach or cart route to and from Winchester via Alresford; and posts to Selborne by two rural foot postman's walks.
Alverstoke   Alverstoke, Gosport
Sub office - on a rural foot postman's walk from Gosport.
Amport   Amport
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Andover, via Weyhill, to Abbots Ann; one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Andover via Weyhill, to Abbots Ann.
Andover   Andover
Post town - on the Basingstoke and Salisbury Railway; posts to and from Hurstbourne Tarrant by a mounted rural postman's walk, to and from Weyhill, Amport, and Abbots Ann by mail coach or cart route and by rural foot postman's walk, and on a mail coach route to and from Micheldever Station; etc.
Basingstoke   Basingstoke
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway, Berkshire and Hampshire Railway, Basingstoke and Salisbury Railway; posts by mounted rural postman's walks to and from Baughurst and Church Oakley, and by rural foot postman's walks to and from Church Oakley and Preston Candover.
Baughurst   Baughurst
End of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Basingstoke.
Beaulieu   Beaulieu
Sub office - end of a mail coach or cart route from Southampton via Totton, Hythe and Fawley.
Bentley   Bentley
Sub office - end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Farnham, Surrey.
Bishops Waltham   Bishops Waltham
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route from Southampton via Botley to Warnford; and on the Bishops Waltham Railway.
Bishopstoke   Bishopstoke, Eastleigh
Sub office - on the London and Southampton Railway, Bishopstoke to Gosport branch railway, and Eastleigh to Salisbury branch railway; and on two rural foot postman's walks from Eastleigh.
Bittern   Bitterne, Southampton
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route from Southampton to Netley Abbey.
Blackwater Station   Blackwater Station, Blackwater, Hawley
On the Reading, Guildford and Reigtae Railway; and on mail coach routes to and from Farnborough and Camberley, Surrey.
Boscombe   Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset
Sub office - on several mail coach or cart routes from Bournemouth.
Botley   Botley
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route from Southampton to Warnford; on the Bishopstoke to Gosport branch railway, and Bishops Waltham Railway.
Bournemouth   Bournemouth (Dorset)
Post town - on the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway; posts by mail coach or cart routes to and from Boscombe and to and from Parkstone.
Bramdean   Bramdean
Sub office - end of a rural foot postman's walk and of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Alresford.
Bramshaw   Bramshaw
Sub office - drawn in Wiltshire; end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Lyndhurst.
Bransgore   Bransgore
Sub office - end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from the Ringwood Christchurch mail coach or cart route.
Brockenhurst   Brockenhurst
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Lymington to Lyndhurst; on the Southampton and Dorchester Railway.
Broughton   Broughton
Sub offcie - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Stockbridge to Middle Wallop; and on a rural foot postman's walk to and from Middle Wallop.
Christchurch   Christchurch (Dorset)
Post town - on the Brockenhurst to Christchurch branch railway and Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway; posts by mail coach or cart route to and from Ringwood.
Church Oakley   Oakley
End of a mounted rural postman's walk and of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Basingstoke.
Cosham   Cosham, Portsmouth
Sub office - on the Fareham to Cosham branch railway; posts by mail coach or cart to Horndean and Hambledon.
Crondall   Crondall
Sub office - end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Farnham, Surrey.
Droxford   Droxford
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Southampton via Botley and Bishops Waltham to Warnford; and one end of rural foot postman's walks to and from Bishops Waltham and to and from Warnford.
Eastleigh   Eastleigh
Sub office - on the London and Southampton Railway, Bishopstoke to Gosport branch railway, and Eastleigh to Salisbury branch railway; on a mail coach or cart route to and from Romsey; one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Bishopstoke.
Eastney   Eastney, Portsmouth
Sub office - one end of two or three rural foot postman's walks to and from Portsmouth.
Emsworth   Emsworth, Havant
Post town - drawn in West Sussex; on a mail coach or cart route Havant to and from Chichester etc; on the Chichester to Portsmouth branch railway.
Fareham   Fareham
Post town - on the Bishopstoke to Gosport branch railway, Fareham to Cosham branch railway, and the extended Southampton and Netley Railway; posts by mail coach or cart to and from Titchfield and to or from Gosport, and by two mounted rural postman's walks to Wickham.
Farnborough   Farnborough, Rushmoor
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway, and on the Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway; posts by mail coach routes to and from Farnham, Surrey via Aldershot, and to and from York Town, Surrey via Blackwater Station, and to or from Bagshot, Surrey.
Fawley   Fawley
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Southampton via Totton and Hythe to Beaulieu.
Fleet   Fleet
Sub office - on the London and Southampton Railway; and one end of a mounted rural postman's walk and of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Winchfield.
Fordingbridge   Fordingbridge
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Salisbury to Cranborne.
Fullerton Station   Fullerton Station, Wherwell
On the Andover and Redbridge Railway, and the Hurstbourne and Fullerton branch railway.
Gosport   Gosport
Post town - on the Bishopstoke to Gosport branch railway; posts by two rural foot postman's walks to Alverstoke; one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Fareham; and by the Stokes Bay Railway?
Greatham   Greatham
End of a mail coach or cart route to and from Liphook; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Liphook via Headley.
Hambledon   Hambledon
Sub office - one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Cosham via Horndean and Waterloo Ville.
Hartford Bridge   Hartford Bridge, Hartley Wintney
Sub office - served by a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Winchfield, and on rural foot postman's walks to and from Winchfield and Hook.
Havant   Havant
Post town - on the Portsmouth Railway, and Chichester to Portsmouth branch railway; posts by two mounted rural postman's walks to and from Hayling; and by mail coach or cart to and from Chichester etc.
Hayling   North Hayling, Havant
Sub office - one end of two mounted rural postman's walks from Havant.
Headley   Headley, Ashford Hill with Headley
Sub office - on a rural foot postman's walk Liphook to and from Greatham.
Hook   Hook
Sub office - on the London and Southampton Railway; one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Winchfield via Hartford Bridge.
Horndean   Horndean
Sub office - on mail coach or cart routes Cosham via Waterloo Ville to and from Hambledon.
Hursley   Hursley
Sub office - one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Winchester via Twyford; and of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Winchester via Twyford.
Hurstbourne Station   Hurstbourne Station, Hurstbourne Priors
On the Basingstoke and Salisbury Railway, and the Hurstbourne to Fullerton branch railway.
Hurstbourne Tarrant   Hurstbourne Tarrant
Sub office - one end of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Andover.
Hythe   Hythe, Hythe and Dibden
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Southampton via Totton to and from Beaulieu.
Kings Somborne   Kings Somborne
Sub office - one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Stockbridge.
Kings Worthy   Kings Worthy
Sub office - one end of two tricycle post routes to and from Winchester.
Kingsclere   Kingsclere
Sub office - one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Newbury, Berkshire.
Liphook   Liphook, Bramshott and Liphook
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Greatham to and from Haslemere, Surrey via Shutter Mill; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Greatham via Headley.
East Liss  
West Liss
  
Liss
Subu offices - there are two rural foot postman's walks East Liss to and from West Liss, but it is not clear how the post gets to Liss, it is on the Portsmouth Railway.
Long Parish   Longparish
Sub office - one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Whitchurch.
Lymington   Lymington, Lymington and Pennington
Post town - on the Lymington Railway; one end of a mail coach route to and from Lyndhurst, carried on from there by foot or horse; one end of two mounted rural postman's walks to and from Milford.
Lyndhurst   Lyndhurst
Sub office - one end of two mail coach or cart routes to and from Lymington via Brockenhurst; of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Bramshaw; and of a stage coach or omnibus route to and from Lyndhurst Road Station.
Lyndhurst Road Station   Lyndhurst Road Station, Ashurst and Colbury
On the Southampton and Dorchester Railway; one end of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Lyndhurst.
Marchwood   Marchwood
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Southampton via Totton to and from Beaulieu.
Micheldever Station   Micheldever Station, Micheldever
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway; one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Whitchurch or perhaps Newbury, Berkshire; and a mail coach or cart route to and from Andover; posts to and from Sutton Scotney by a mounted rural postman's walk.
Middle Wallop   Middle Wallop, Nether Wallop
Sub office - on and of a mail coach or cart route to and from Stockbridge via Broughton, and perhaps Winchester; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Stockbridge via Broughton.
Milford   Milford-on-Sea
Sub office - one end of two mounted rural postman's walks to and from Lymington.
Netley Abbey   Netley Abbey, Hound
Sub office - on the Southampton and Netley Railway; and one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Southampton via Bittern and Woolstone.
North End   North End, East Woodhay
End of a mail coach or cart route to and from Newbury, Berkshire via Woolton Hill.
Odiham   Odiham
Sub office - served by a mail coach or cart to and from Winchfield; and one end of two stage coach or omnibus routes to and from Winchfield.
Overton   Overton
Sub office - on the London and Southampton Railway; and one end of a mounted rural postman's walk and of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Whitchurch.
Petersfield   Petersfield
Post town - on the Portsmouth Railway; posts by a rural postman's walk and by a mounted rural postman's walk to and from West Meon; and the same to and from Rogate, West Sussex; and by two rural foot postman's walks to and from Harting, West Sussex.
Pokesdown   Pokesdown (Bournemouth, Dorset)
Sub office - one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Boscombe.
Portsmouth   Portsmouth
Post town - on the Portsmouth Railway; posts by two or three rural foot postman's walks to and from Eastney.
Preston Candover   Preston Candover
Sub office - one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Basingstoke.
Ringwood   Ringwood
Post town - on the Southampton and Dorchester Railway; one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Christchurch.
Romsey   Romsey
Post town - on the Eastleigh to Salisbury branch railway, and the Andover and Redbridge Railway; one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Eastleigh.
Shutter Mill   Shottermill (Surrey)
On the Portsmouth Railway; on a mail coach or cart route Greatham to and from Haslemer, Surrey via Liphook; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Fernhurst, West Sussex.
Southampton   Southampton
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway, Southamptonm and Netley railway, and the Southampton and Dorchester Railway; posts by mail coach or cart to and from Salisbury via Totton; to and from Beaulieu via Totton etc, to and from Netley Abbey; and to and from Warnford via Bishops Waltham; and one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Totton.
Stockbridge   Stockbridge
Sub office - on the Andover and Redbridge Railway; posts by mail coach or cart to and from Middle Wallop via Broughton; one end of a rural foot postman's walk to Middle wallop via Broughton; and of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Kings Somborne; and on a mail coach or cart route to and from Winchester.
Strathfieldsaye   Stratfield Saye
Sub office - one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Mortimer, Berkshire.
Sutton Scotney   Sutton Scotney, Wonston
Sub office - one end of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Micheldever Station.
Titchfield   Titchfield, Fareham
Sub office - on two mail coach or cart routes to and from Fareham.
Totton   Totton, Totton and Eling
Sub office - on mail coach or cart routes Southampton to and from Beaulieu, and to and from Salisbury; and one end of two rural foot postman's walks to and from Southampton.
Twyford   Twyford
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Winchester to and from Hursley; and on a rural foot postman's walk Winchester to and from Hursley.
Warnford   Warnford
Sub office - one end of a mail coach or cart route to and from Southampton via Botley, Bishops Waltham and Droxford; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Droxford or Bishops Waltham.
Waterloo Ville   Waterlooville, Havant
Sub office - on two mail coach or cart routes Cosham to and from Horndean, and to and from Hambledon.
West Meon   West Meon, Westmeon
Sub office - one end of a mounted rural postman's walk to and from Petersfield; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Petersfield.
Weyhill   Weyhill, Penton Grafton
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route to and from Andover, perhaps to and from Amport via Abbots Ann; one end of a rural foot postman's walk Andover to and from Amport and Abbots Ann; and on rural foot postman's walks to and from Ludgershall, Wiltshire, and to and from Chute Standen, Wiltshire.
Whitchurch   Whitchurch
Sub office - on the Basingstoke and Salisbury Railway; on a mail coach or cart route Newbury, Berkshire to and from Micheldever Station; posts by mounted and foot rural postman's walks to and from Overton; and by two two rural foot postman's walks to and from Long Parish.
Wickham   Wickham
Sub office - one end of two mounted rural postman's walks to and from Fareham.
Winchester   Winchester
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway, amd Mid Hants, Alton Lines, Railway; posts by mail coach or cart to and from Stockbridge, Broughton and Middle Wallop; by two tricycle post routes to and from Kings Worthy; by mail coach or cart routes to and from Hursley via Twyford; and one end of a rural foot postman's walk to and from Hursley via Twyford.
Winchfield   Winchfield
Post town - on the London and Southampton Railway; posts by mounted rural postman's walks to and from Hartford Bridge, to and from Fleet, and to and from Odiham; by mail coach or cart to and from Odiham; by rural foot postamn's walks to and from Hook via Hartford Bridge, and to and from Fleet.
Woolstone   Woolston, Southampton
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Southampton to and from Netley Abbey via Bittern.
Woolton Hill   Woolton Hill, East Woodhay
Sub office - on a mail coach or cart route Newbury, Berkshire to and from North End.


Post Office Circulation 1890
General index
Old Hampshire Mapped

Map HMCMS:FA2001.173