[2] In prehistoric and early historical times the River Ems was tidal as far as Westbourne and the Westbrook creek reached to Victoria Road, leaving Emsworth almost isolated at high tide.

A coastal route developed that led from Hayling Island through Havant and Rowlands Castle to the South Downs.

A part of the coastal route followed the Portsdown ridgeway and from Chichester to Belmont Hill in Bedhampton probably skirted the heads of the various creeks which entered the harbour, passing through country still covered with the original thick forest of oak and beech.

[4] In Roman times a villa existed to the south of the road to Noviomagus Reginorum in the fields of what is now Warblington Castle Farm.

[10] In the 1400s, the people were removed and the area became a private deer park for Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick who then owned the manor.

Two and half years later she was executed and the Manor of Warblington was granted to Sir Richard Cotton by Edward VI.

In October 1551, Mary of Guise the widow of James V of Scotland stayed a night in the manor as a guest of Cotton.

In 1967 Pevsner and Lloyd described St Thomas à Becket church as essentially late 12th century and notes the "undisturbed" setting.