84-579: Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire , England, between Southampton and Winchester . It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh , with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen , one of England's premier chalk streams for fly fishing , and a designated site of Special Scientific Interest . The area was originally villages until
168-596: A calcareous grassland habitat, important for wild flowers and insects. A large area of the downs is now protected from further agricultural damage by the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The River Test has a growing number of otters as, increasingly, does the Itchen, although other areas of the county have quite low numbers. There are wild boar kept for meat in the New Forest , which
252-735: A naval air station on 23 July 1918 to assemble and repair Caproni Ca.5 and Airco DH.4 and DH.9 bombers for the Northern Bombing Group of the First World War. The base closed shortly after the First Armistice at Compiègne . Perhaps Eastleigh's best-known 'resident' is the Spitfire aeroplane which was built in Southampton and first flown from Eastleigh Aerodrome . A replica has recently been placed on
336-585: A central geographical feature. Various place-names identify locations as Jutish, including Bishopstoke ( Ytingstoc ), the River Itchen ( Ytene ) and the Meon Valley ( Ytedene ). There in fact appear to be at least two Jutish folklands in Hampshire: one established along the River Itchen and one along the River Meon . Evidence of an early Germanic settlement has been found at Clausentum , dated to
420-574: A crucial military role due to its ports. The Saxon settlement at Southampton was known as Hamtun , while the surrounding area or scīr was called Hamtunscīr . The old name was recorded in the Domesday book as Hantescire , and it is from this spelling that the modern abbreviation "Hants" derives. From 1889 until 1959, the administrative county was named the County of Southampton . It has also been called Southamptonshire . Hampshire
504-639: A majority of 1,771 votes following the resignation of Chris Huhne , in a by-election that was closely fought with UKIP coming in second and the Conservatives finishing in third place. In 2005 Huhne had been elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for the Eastleigh constituency after the previous MP ( David Chidgey , also Liberal Democrat) retired. Eastleigh has a tradition of close contests, and Huhne narrowly beat
588-461: A milkman for Hanns Dairies, on Factory Road, now Wells Place. His time working in Eastleigh on a horse-drawn milk float gave him his inspiration for his hit record, Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West . In Hill's honour, a plaque has been put up close to the site of the now demolished Hanns Dairies building and a new road has been named Benny Hill Close , though many of the people who had bought
672-473: A more detailed account of the settlement, which is referred to as 'Estleie'. In 1838 the London and South Western Railway Company (L&SWR) built a railway from Southampton to Winchester. It was decided to build a station near the little village of Barton. This railway station was originally named Bishopstoke Junction. In 1868 the villages of Barton and Eastley were combined into one parish. A parish church,
756-412: A population of 1,547,000. Cities and towns by population size: (2001 census) The table below shows the population change up to the 2011 census, contrasting the previous census. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5 per cent (August 2012). The most populous district of Hampshire
840-742: A series of castles and forts was constructed along the coast of the Solent to defend the harbours at Southampton and Portsmouth. These include the Roman Portchester Castle which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour , and a series of forts built by Henry VIII including Hurst Castle , situated on a sand spit at the mouth of the Solent, Calshot Castle on another spit at the mouth of Southampton Water, and Netley Castle . Southampton and Portsmouth remained important harbours when rivals, such as Poole and Bristol , declined, as they are amongst
924-726: A well documented practice of deliberately settling Germanic tribes to strengthen Roman defences. Portus Adurni was a Roman fort situated at the north end of Portsmouth Harbour . It was part of the Saxon Shore , and is the best-preserved Roman fort north of the Alps. Around an eighth of the fort has been excavated. A Norman keep was added in the Middle Ages , now known as Portchester Castle . The Romans withdrew from Britain in 410. Two major Roman roads, Ermin Way and Port Way , cross
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#17327984708651008-559: Is New Forest District . At the 2011 census, about 89 per cent of residents were white British, falling to 85.87 per cent in Southampton. The significant ethnic minorities were Asian at 2.6 per cent and mixed race at 1.4 per cent; 10 per cent of residents were born outside the UK. 59.7 per cent stated their religion as Christian and 29.5 per cent as not religious. Significant minority religions were Islam (1.46 per cent) and Hinduism (0.73 per cent). The Church of England Diocese of Winchester
1092-529: Is twinned with: It has a "sister city" relationship with: The friendship link with Kimry in Russia was suspended due to Russian invasion of Ukraine . Hampshire Hampshire ( / ˈ h æ m p ʃ ər / , /- ʃ ɪər / ; abbreviated to Hants. ) is a ceremonial county in South East England . It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to
1176-414: Is also home to a manufacturing plant owned by Prysmian Cables & Systems. Southampton Airport is located in Eastleigh; it is the 20th largest airport in the UK. The airport is served by a dedicated main line railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway , which is the next station stop south (5 minutes) from Eastleigh. The airport codes are ( IATA : SOU , ICAO : EGHI ). Eastleigh railway station
1260-469: Is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'a clearing in a forest'). There is additional evidence of this settlement in a survey from the time which details land in North Stoneham being granted by King Æthelstan to his military aid, Alfred in 932 AD. The prefix 'Est' or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of Baddesley . The Domesday Book of 1086 gives
1344-494: Is known for its ponies and herds of fallow deer , red deer , roe deer , and sika deer as well as a small number of muntjac deer . The deer had been hunted for some 900 years until 1997. An unwelcome relative newcomer is the mink population, descended from animals that escaped or were deliberately released from fur farms since the 1950s, which cause havoc amongst native wildlife. Farlington Marshes , 125 ha (310 acres) of flower-rich grazing marsh and saline lagoon at
1428-449: Is located close to the junction between the M3 motorway and M27 motorway , giving easy road access to London, Southampton, Winchester, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. The Swan Shopping Centre opened in 1989, and was built in the heart of the town's Victorian 'grid iron' road layout and blocked off Market Street and High Street – although through access was possible for pedestrians while the centre
1512-572: Is not recorded, but evidence of burning is seen in Winchester dated to around that period. For most of the next three centuries southern Britain enjoyed relative peace. During the later part of the Roman period most towns built defensive walls; a pottery industry based in the New Forest exported items widely across southern Britain. A fortification near Southampton was called Clausentum , part of
1596-634: Is on the South West Main Line from London Waterloo and Winchester to Southampton Central , Bournemouth , Poole and Weymouth ; South Western Railway provides services to those places. Eastleigh is also the junction station for two other routes: the Eastleigh–Fareham line and the Eastleigh–Romsey line . Eastleigh has bus services provided mostly by Bluestar , with Stagecoach operating one service to Winchester. Eastleigh
1680-590: Is represented in the House of Commons by Liberal Democrat MP Liz Jarvis . She was elected in 2024. The previous MP was Paul Holmes . He was first elected for the constituency at the 2019 general election with a majority of 9,147 votes, taking over from Mims Davies , the Conservative MP who took the seat in 2015. Mike Thornton of the Liberal Democrats was elected at the 2013 by-election with
1764-697: Is the secondary school for the town, and primary schools include Cherbourg Primary School, Norwood Primary School, Nightingale Primary School, the Crescent Primary School and Shakespeare Infant and Junior Schools to the north of the town. The Anglican parish church is All Saints in Desborough Road. The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross was built in Leigh Road in 1902 to replace an early tin church. Emmanuel Baptist Church
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#17327984708651848-589: The Army , Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force respectively. The county also includes several market towns : Alresford , Alton , Andover , Bishop's Waltham , Lymington , New Milton , Petersfield , Ringwood , Romsey and Whitchurch . At the 2001 census the ceremonial county recorded a population of 1,644,249, of which 1,240,103 were in the administrative county, 217,445 were in the unitary authority of Southampton, and 186,701 were in Portsmouth. The population of
1932-675: The Battle of Alton in 1643, where the commander of the Royalist forces was killed in the pulpit of the parish church, and the Siege of Portsmouth in 1642. By the mid-19th century, with the county's population at 219,210 (double that at the beginning of the century) in more than 86,000 dwellings, agriculture was the principal industry (10 per cent of the county was still forest) with cereals, peas, hops, honey, sheep and hogs important. Due to Hampshire's long association with pigs and boars, natives of
2016-463: The Domesday Book of 1086 which are in present-day Hampshire and part of Sussex. From the 12th century, the ports grew in importance, fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture in the county, and the fishing industry, and a shipbuilding industry was established. By 1523 at the latest, the population of Southampton had outstripped that of Winchester. Over several centuries,
2100-830: The English Channel and the Solent , facing the Isle of Wight . It is the largest county in South East England and remains the third largest shire county in the United Kingdom despite losing more land than any other English county in all contemporary boundary changes. At its greatest size in 1890, Hampshire was the fifth-largest county in England. It now has an overall area of 3,700 km (1,400 sq mi), and measures about 86 km (53 mi) east–west and 76 km (47 mi) north–south. Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. The north and centre are
2184-545: The Hamble , Meon , Beaulieu and Lymington rivers. The Hampshire Avon , which links Stonehenge to the sea, passes through Fordingbridge and Ringwood and then forms the modern border between Hampshire and Dorset. The northern branch of the River Wey has its source near Alton and flows east past Bentley . The River Loddon rises at West Ham Farm and flows north through Basingstoke. Hampshire's downland supports
2268-450: The Isle of Wight has at times been part of Hampshire, it has been administratively independent for over a century, obtaining a county council of its own in 1890. The Isle of Wight became a full ceremonial county in 1974. Apart from a shared police force , no formal administrative links now exist between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, though many organisations still combine Hampshire and
2352-530: The Itchen and Test flow south into Southampton Water , a large estuary. In the south-east are Portsmouth Harbour , Langstone Harbour , and the western edge of Chichester Harbour , three large rias . The south-west contains the New Forest , which includes pasture, heath , and forest and is of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England. Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain , when its chief town
2436-454: The Lambeth , Thames and Bracklesham Groups . In the south, along the coast is the " Hampshire Basin ", an area of relatively non-resistant Eocene and Oligocene clays and gravels which are protected from sea erosion by the Isle of Purbeck , Dorset , and the Isle of Wight . These low, flat lands support heathland and woodland habitats , a large area of which forms part of
2520-591: The London 2 South West . Also based at the Hub are "the Hurricanes", a team for young adults with learning difficulties. There is a broadly based running club. Eastleigh Swim Club provides swimming lessons, pool and land training sessions and competitions for young people and adults. The club is primarily based at Places Leisure, Eastleigh and also provides lessons and training at Oaklands Pool in Southampton. Eastleigh
2604-471: The New Forest . The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland , coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife . The forest is protected as a national park , limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grassland plagioclimax by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of
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2688-449: The Saxon Shore forts, traditionally seen as either defences against maritime raids by Germanic tribes, or as a settlement area of Germanic tribes, which receives support from archaeological finds. Artefacts of a Germanic style have been found in burials, while there is also evidence of the presence of early Saxon settlement in southern England and the northern coasts of Gaul around Boulogne-sur-Mer and Bayeux . This, in turn, could mirror
2772-616: The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University (formerly Southampton Institute), Portsmouth to the University of Portsmouth , and Winchester to the University of Winchester (formerly known as University College Winchester; King Alfred's College). The northeast of the county houses the Blackwater Valley conurbation, which includes the towns of Farnborough , Aldershot , Blackwater and Yateley and borders both Berkshire and Surrey. Hampshire lies outside
2856-419: The green belt area of restricted development around London, but has good railway and motorway links to the capital, and in common with the rest of the south-east has seen the growth of dormitory towns since the 1960s. Basingstoke , in the northern part of the county, has grown from a country town into a business and financial centre. Aldershot, Portsmouth, and Farnborough have strong military associations with
2940-520: The 19th century, when Eastleigh was developed as a railway town by the London and South Western Railway . The modern town of Eastleigh lies on the old Roman road, built in A.D.79 between Winchester ( Venta Belgarum ) and Bitterne ( Clausentum ) . Roman remains discovered in the Eastleigh area, including a Roman lead coffin excavated in 1908, indicate that a settlement probably existed here in Roman times. A Saxon village called 'East Leah' has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. ('Leah'
3024-697: The 2015–16 season. They are coached by Matt Guymon and play home games at the Fleming Park Leisure Centre . Eastleigh Ladies Hockey Club is based in South Hampshire. It fields 2 teams in the Hampshire Women's League (playing Saturdays), as well as playing floodlit and indoor league games (playing on weekdays). Eastleigh Rugby Football Club play from "the Hub" in Eastleigh. They currently have four senior sides, colts and young player development, their 1st XV currently play in
3108-632: The Church of the Resurrection, was built in the same year, at a cost of £2,300. A local noted author of many novels, Charlotte Yonge , donated £500 towards the building of the church. She was rewarded by being given the privilege to choose a name for the 'new' parish; either Barton or Eastly. She chose Eastly, but with a new modern spelling; Eastleigh. In 1891 the L&;SWR Carriage and Wagon Works from Nine Elms in London were transferred to Eastleigh. This
3192-713: The Conservative candidate Conor Burns with the second lowest swing against the Liberal Democrats of any seat with a retiring MP (2.6%). David Chidgey had succeeded the Conservative MP Stephen Milligan following his high-profile death. Chris Huhne was appointed as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change following the 2010 general election . Huhne resigned the seat in February 2013 after pleading guilty to perverting
3276-662: The English People in the early eighth century: Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight. They initially settled Hampshire under Visigothic authority sometime after 476 AD, forming several distinct folklands organized around
3360-456: The Isle of Wight. In the 1970s, local government reorganisation led to a reduction in Hampshire's size; in 1974, the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch were transferred to Dorset . Hampshire is bordered by Dorset to the west, Wiltshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north, Surrey to the north-east, and West Sussex to the east. The southern boundary is the coastline of
3444-646: The New Forest was the site of several group B finishing schools for agents operated by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) between 1941 and 1945. (One of the trainers was Kim Philby who was later found to be part of a spy ring passing information to the Soviets.) In 2005, a special exhibition was established at the Estate, with a video showing photographs from that era as well as voice recordings of former SOE trainers and agents. Although
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3528-888: The Pavilion on the Park. Eastleigh F.C. is the town's sole senior football team playing in the National League as well as entering the FA Cup and the FA Trophy. They are known as The Spitfires. Solent Kestrels are the town and area's basketball club, and compete in the English Basketball League Division 1, the second highest level of the sport in the country, behind the nationwide British Basketball League . The team were promoted to Division 1 in 2016, after finishing as champions of Division 2 in
3612-410: The UK average at 9.8 to 12 °C (49.6 to 53.6 °F), average rainfall at 640–1,060 mm (25–42 in) per year, and holds higher than average sunshine totals of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year. For the complete list of settlements see List of places in Hampshire and List of settlements in Hampshire by population . Hampshire's county town is Winchester, a historic city that
3696-659: The Vikings and stabilised the region in the 9th century. A scholar as well as a soldier, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , a powerful tool in the development of the English identity, was commissioned in his reign. King Alfred proclaimed himself "King of England" in 886 AD; but Athelstan of Wessex did not officially control the whole of England until 927 AD. By the Norman conquest, London had overtaken Winchester as
3780-529: The administrative county grew 5.6 per cent from the 1991 census and Southampton grew 6.2 per cent (Portsmouth remained unchanged), compared with 2.6 per cent for England and Wales as a whole. Eastleigh and Winchester grew fastest at 9 per cent each. Southampton and Portsmouth are the main settlements within the South Hampshire conurbation, which is home to about half of the ceremonial county's population. The larger South Hampshire metropolitan area has
3864-415: The administrative region of "Hampshire" seems to appear - the name is attested as Hamwic and "Hamtunscir" in 755 AD - and suggests that control over the Solent was the motivating factor for establishment of the settlement. Wessex, with its capital at Winchester, gradually expanded westwards into Brythonic Dorset and Somerset . A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful King Alfred , who repulsed
3948-555: The area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups. Natural England identifies a number of national character areas that lie wholly or partially in Hampshire: the Hampshire Downs , New Forest , South Hampshire Lowlands , South Coast Plain , South Downs , Low Weald and Thames Basin Heaths Hampshire contains all its green belt in the New Forest district, in
4032-600: The army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and the Isle of Purbeck . Supermarine , the designers of the Spitfire and other military aircraft, were based in Southampton, which led to severe bombing of the city in World War II . Aldershot remains one of the British Army 's main permanent camps. Farnborough is a major centre for the aviation industry. During World War II, the Beaulieu estate of Lord Montagu in
4116-605: The cities of Southampton (269,781) and Portsmouth (208,100). In the north-east, the Farnborough / Aldershot conurbation extends into Berkshire and Surrey and has a population of 252,937. The next-largest settlements are Basingstoke (113,776), Andover (50,887), and Winchester (45,184). The centre and south-west of the county are rural. For local government purposes Hampshire comprises a non-metropolitan county , with eleven districts, and two unitary authority areas: Portsmouth and Southampton. The county historically contained
4200-425: The clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a scarp onto the Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest village in Hampshire at about 240 m (790 ft) above sea level is Ashmansworth , located between Andover and Newbury . The Itchen and Test are trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Other important watercourses are
4284-458: The college was ranked the best in Hampshire for learner achievement (and within the top 10 FE and Sixth Form colleges nationally), and named the third largest college provider of adult apprenticeships in England. In 2018 the college was criticised for sub-contracting much of its provision. In 2018 a merger between Eastleigh College and Southampton City College was announced but fell through last minute. A consultation on another merger between
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#17327984708654368-717: The county have been known as Hampshire hogs since the 18th century. In the eastern part of the county the principal port was Portsmouth (with its naval base, population 95,000), while several ports (including Southampton, with its steam docks, population 47,000) in the western part were significant. In 1868, the number of people employed in manufacture exceeded those in agriculture, engaged in silk, paper, sugar and lace industries, ship building and salt works. Coastal towns engaged in fishing and exporting agricultural produce. Several places were popular for seasonal sea bathing. The ports employed large numbers of workers, both land-based and seagoing; Titanic , lost on her maiden voyage in 1912,
4452-416: The county's downlands : a gently folded succession of sedimentary rocks dating from the Cretaceous and Palaeogene periods. The lower (early) Cretaceous rocks are sandstones and mudstones whilst those of the upper (late) Cretaceous are the various formations that comprise the Chalk Group . Overlying these rocks in some areas are less consolidated Palaeogene clays , sands , gravels and silts of
4536-434: The county, and the South Downs National Park embraces parts of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex; they are each overseen by a national park authority . Hampshire has a milder climate than most areas of the British Isles , being in the far south with the climate stabilising effect of the sea, but protected against the more extreme weather of the Atlantic coast. Hampshire has a higher average annual temperature than
4620-431: The course of justice over a 2003 speeding case. Eastleigh Borough Council currently has 34 Liberal Democrats, 3 independent and 2 Conservative Councillors. On 1 April 2021 the town of Eastleigh became a civil parish, having previously been an unparished area within the borough. The B&Q head office is on Chestnut Avenue in Chandler's Ford , Eastleigh. The town was formerly home to a Mr Kipling bakery. Eastleigh
4704-427: The east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The city of Southampton is the largest settlement. The county has an area of 3,769 km (1,455 sq mi) and a population of 1,844,245, making it the 5th-most populous in England. The South Hampshire built-up area in the south-east of the county has a population of 855,569 and contains
4788-464: The few locations that combine shelter with deep water. Mayflower and Speedwell set sail for America from Southampton in 1620. During the English Civil War (1642–1651) there were several skirmishes in Hampshire between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. Principal engagements were the Siege of Basing House between 1643 and 1645, and the Battle of Cheriton in 1644; both were significant Parliamentarian victories. Other clashes included
4872-411: The fifth century and likely the Visigothic center of power in the area, either independently or in conjunction with powerful Romano-British trading ports. Nevertheless, Visigothic authority waned after 517 A.D and the settlements were gradually encroached upon by South Saxons . The West Saxons moved south in the late seventh century and incorporated Hampshire into their kingdom. Around this period,
4956-416: The largest city in England and after the Norman Conquest, King William I made London his capital. While the centre of political power moved away from Hampshire, Winchester remained an important city; the proximity of the New Forest to Winchester made it a prized royal hunting forest; King William Rufus was killed while hunting there in 1100. There were 44 hundreds , covering 483 named places, recorded in
5040-410: The majority of the county, parish councils or town councils at the local level. Eastleigh College Eastleigh College in Eastleigh , Hampshire is a further education college providing technical and professional training and apprenticeships to school leavers, in addition to part-time professional courses and part-time leisure courses for adults. With over 9,000 apprentices in learning,
5124-450: The new homes were not happy with the decision. An alternative suggestion was Cowpat Lane. Sir Arthur Young , the eminent chief of police , was born at 55 Chamberlayne Road in 1907. Sporting notables include Tommy Green who won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Games in the 50K walk, and Vince Hawkins who was British Middleweight Boxing Champion in the late 1940s. Other notable residents of Eastleigh include: Eastleigh
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#17327984708655208-414: The north end of Langstone Harbour , is a nature reserve and an internationally important overwintering site for wildfowl. In a valley on the downs is Selborne ; the countryside surrounding the village was the location of Gilbert White 's pioneering observations on natural history . Hampshire's county flower is the Dog Rose . Hampshire contains two national parks ; the New Forest is wholly within
5292-652: The north of the county connecting Calleva Atrebatum with Corinium Dobunnorum , modern Cirencester , and Old Sarum respectively. Other roads connected Venta Belgarum with Old Sarum, Wickham and Clausentum. A road presumed to diverge from the Chichester to Silchester Way at Wickham connected Noviomagus Reginorum , modern Chichester , with Clausentum. Records are sparse for the next 300 years, but later chroniclers speak of an influx of Jutes – an amalgam of Cimbri , Teutons , Gutones and Charudes called Eudoses , Eotenas , Iutae or Euthiones in other sources - and recorded by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of
5376-439: The northwest corner of the county, bordering Berkshire, and there are some 20 other hills exceeding 200 m (660 ft). Butser Hill , at 271 m (889 ft), where the A3 crosses the South Downs , is probably the best known. In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the rocks of the Chalk Group , which form the Hampshire Downs and the South Downs . These are high hills with steep slopes where they border
5460-436: The roundabout at the entrance to the airport. Eastleigh Museum, which is to be found in the High Street, holds information about the town and the surrounding villages, including Bishopstoke which had been the largest residential area . Eastleigh has two further education colleges: Barton Peveril Sixth Form College (where Colin Firth was a pupil) and Eastleigh College (both on the same road). Crestwood Community School
5544-426: The second half of the second century BCE, with many being abandoned. Probably around that period the first recorded invasion of Britain took place, as southern Britain was largely conquered by warrior-elites from Belgic tribes of northeastern Gaul, but whether those two events were linked to the decline of hillforts is unknown. By the time of the Roman conquest the oppidum at Venta Belgarum , modern-day Winchester,
5628-426: The southwest of the county, from the boundary with Dorset along the coastline to Lymington and northwards to Ringwood . Its boundary is contiguous with the New Forest National Park . The Hampshire portion was first created in 1958. Its function is to control expansion in the South East Dorset conurbation and outlying towns and villages. The highest point in Hampshire is Pilot Hill at 286 m (938 ft), in
5712-444: The subject of a major study by archaeologist Barry Cunliffe . By that period the people of Britain predominantly spoke a Celtic language , and their culture shared much in common with the Celts described by classical writers. The town of Bitterne ( Byterne in a reference from the late 11th century. ) shares the same root as the River Erne , suggesting the name refers to the Iverni . Hillforts largely declined in importance in
5796-401: The towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch , which are now part of Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms the Hampshire Downs , to south-east, where it is part of the South Downs . The county's major rivers rise in these hills; the Loddon and Wey drain north, into the Thames , and
5880-400: The two colleges together with Fareham College was launched in March 2023, with the merger proceeding in August that year to form the South Hampshire College Group. The college has recently undergone a £12 million redevelopment project, which includes a new training kitchen and professional restaurant for Catering students; new facilities for Art, Design & Media; new training salons and
5964-671: The weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large estuaries and rias , notably the 16 km (9.9 mi) long Southampton Water and the large convoluted Portsmouth Harbour . The Isle of Wight lies off the coast of Hampshire where the non-resistant rock has been eroded away, forming the Solent . A 2014 study found that Hampshire shares significant reserves of shale oil with other neighbouring counties, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil , which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in
6048-512: Was Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in Domesday Book as divided into 44 hundreds . From the 12th century, the ports settlements grew due to increasing trade with the European mainland resulting from the wool and cloth, fishing, and shipbuilding industries. This meant by the 16th century, Southampton had become more populous than Winchester. In 20th century conflicts, including World War One and Two , Hampshire played
6132-426: Was a departure point for several groups of colonists who left England to settle on the east coast of North America during the 17th century, and many inhabitants of Hampshire settled there, naming the land New Hampshire in honour of their original homeland. The region is believed to have been continuously occupied since the end of the last Ice Age about 12,000 BCE. At that time sea levels were lower and Britain
6216-642: Was a major inlet by 8000 BCE, although Britain was still connected to Europe by a land bridge across the North Sea until 6500 BCE. Notable sites from this period include Bouldnor Cliff . Agriculture was being practised in southern Britain by 4000 BCE and with it a neolithic culture. Some deforestation took place at that time, although during the Bronze Age , beginning in 2200 BCE, it became more widespread and systematic. Hampshire has few monuments to show from those early periods, although nearby Stonehenge
6300-578: Was a major port. The Romans invaded Britain again in 43 CE and Hampshire was incorporated into the Roman province of Britannia very quickly. It is generally believed their political leaders allowed themselves to be incorporated peacefully. Venta became the capital of the administrative polity of the Belgae, which included most of Hampshire and Wiltshire and reached as far as Bath. Whether the people of Hampshire played any role in Boudicca's rebellion of 60–61
6384-402: Was built in several phases at some time between 3100 and 2200 BCE. In the very late Bronze Age fortified hilltop settlements known as hillforts began to appear in large numbers in many parts of Britain including Hampshire, and they became more and more important in the early and middle Iron Age ; many of them are still visible in the landscape today and can be visited, notably Danebury Rings ,
6468-580: Was crewed largely by residents of Southampton. On 16 October 1908, Samuel Franklin Cody made the first powered flight of 400 yd (370 m) in the United Kingdom at Farnborough , then home to the Army Balloon Factory. Hampshire played a crucial role in both World Wars due to the large Royal Navy naval base at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot , and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to
6552-529: Was followed by the Nine Elms Locomotive Works which were moved there in 1909. These railway works were closed in 2006 but have since reopened, albeit on a smaller scale. Eastleigh has seen a rapid and controlled expansion in residential, industrial and commercial development over recent years. The borough of Eastleigh was ranked the "9th best place to live in the UK 2006" by a Channel 4 programme. The United States Navy established
6636-599: Was founded in 676AD and covers about two thirds of Hampshire and extends into Dorset. Smaller parts of Hampshire are covered by the dioceses of Portsmouth , Guildford and Oxford . The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth covers Hampshire as well as the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands . With the exceptions of the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, Hampshire is governed by Hampshire County Council based at Castle Hill in Winchester, with eleven non-metropolitan districts beneath it and, for
6720-695: Was founded in the early 1930s, in the former Desborough Mission Hall in Desborough Road. The building dates to 1905. Eastleigh Baptist Church is situated in Wells Place and was previously called Union Baptist Church. Adjacent to the main church building is the Wells Place Centre, built on the site of a former dairy which itself replaced a bacon factory. St Andrew's Methodist Church is located in Blenheim Road. Junction Church has premises in Eastleigh's High Street and Thrive Church meets at
6804-534: Was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex and of England until the Norman conquest of England . The port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth were split off as independent unitary authorities in 1997, although they are still included in Hampshire for ceremonial purposes. Fareham , Gosport and Havant have grown into a conurbation that stretches along the coast between the two main cities. The three cities are all university cities, Southampton being home to
6888-521: Was open. The Swan Centre included a French-style café and a new library (replacing the former library situated in the Park, now used as part of The Point ) Famous people linked to Eastleigh include the painter Mary Beale, Chrystabel Leighton-Porter , the model for the Second World War cartoon character Jane , and Benny Hill who both lived in the town. Hill's first job was at Woolworths on Leigh Road, Eastleigh. He then moved on to be
6972-521: Was still attached by a land bridge to the European continent and predominantly covered with deciduous woodland. The first inhabitants were Mesolithic hunter-gatherers . The majority of the population would have been concentrated around the river valleys. Over several thousand years the climate became progressively warmer and sea levels rose; the English Channel, which started out as a river,
7056-618: Was the de facto regional administrative centre; Winchester was, however, of secondary importance to the Roman-style town of Calleva Atrebatum , modern Silchester , built further north by a dominant Belgic polity known as the Atrebates in the 50s BCE. Julius Caesar invaded south-eastern England briefly in 55 and again in 54 BCE, but he never reached Hampshire. Notable sites from this period include Hengistbury Head (now in Dorset), which
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