About Emsworth..........
Emsworth is a picturesque town located in the upper reaches of
Emsworth dates from the Saxon period the name The name Emsworth was probably once Emel's worth or Emil's worth. A worth was an enclosure like a farm or hamlet surrounded by a palisade. Although Emsworth started as a small settlement it soon grew to be larger and more important. In 1239 Emsworth was granted the right to hold a market. (In those days there were few shops and if you wanted to buy or sell anything you had to go to a market. Emsworth was also allowed an annual fair. (In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year and people traveled long distances to buy and sell at them.
Emsworth has a long association with the oyster Industry which became pre-eminent in the later part of the 19th century. In 1788. it is recorded that over 7,000 bushels of native Emsworth oysters, with a value of £1,500, were raked and dredged by a dozen master fishermen. The oyster industry flourished and the fishery was at its height during the last decade of the 19th century. In 1901 between 300 and 400 people, out of a population of some 3,000, were working in the Emsworth oyster trade, either for Foster or the other fishing masters, or engaged in the sale of oysters. Emsworth's important oyster industry on which so many relied for their living was devastated by the great oyster scare of 1902, when guests at a Winchester banquet became ill and the Dean of Winchester died from typhoid attributed to eating Emsworth oysters at that event. Following inspection of the oyster beds gross sewage contamination was identified and the sale of Emsworth oysters immediately slumped.
At the height of the Emsworth oyster industry’s production boom, the town boasted an oyster shop, which has long since gone and today the site is home to an Indian restaurant.
Today, Emsworth is popular with sailors, artists, naturalists and walkers. The two tidal millponds to east and west are host to a variety of wild life. Emsworth has a long history connected with oyster fishing and boat building and still boasts traditional shipwrights and chandleries. Its attractive streets are lined with a mixture of architectural styles and high walled gardens and a walk around the town gives a genuine feel for the past, with exceptional harbour views.
For more on Emsworth try: Emsworth Online.
