The Mint

It was not until 1809 that building began in earnest in Southsea. Until this date development had been hindered by the huge earthworks that surrounded both Portsmouth and Portsea. Landport Terrace in Southsea was quickly followed by Stone, Gold, Silver and Steel Streets, locally known for obvious reasons as The Mint. Very little is know about the entrepreneurial builder, Thomas Croxton, who was not a native of the town and left shortly after the development was completed. However the maps of the early 1800s call this early development Croxton Town. These maps can be viewed at the City Museum and Record Office or the Central library.