Inter-war period brings the first stirrings of change

1920-1939

The inter-war years brought gradual changes to the Locks Heath area. The strawberry industry began to face new pressures as competition from larger farms and imported fruit eroded the local growers' market position. Some smallholdings were sold, and the first non-agricultural residents began to settle in the area, attracted by the rural setting and the reasonable land prices. Bungalows and small houses appeared along the existing lanes, accommodating families who worked in Fareham, Southampton or the local trades rather than on the land. The population grew slowly, but the area remained predominantly agricultural. The inter-war period was a transitional time, when the forces that would transform the landscape were gathering strength but had not yet reached the tipping point.