Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a
ceremonial and
non-metropolitan county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in western
South East England on the coast of the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
. Home to two major English cities on its south coast,
Southampton and
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
, Hampshire is the 9th-most populous county in England. The
county town of Hampshire is
Winchester, located in the north of the county. The county is bordered by
Dorset to the south-west,
Wiltshire to the north-west,
Berkshire to the north,
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
to the north-east, and
West Sussex to the south east. The county is geographically diverse, with upland rising to and mostly south-flowing rivers. There are areas of
downland and marsh, and two national parks: the
New Forest and part of the
South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the eas ...
, which together cover 45 per cent of Hampshire.
Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered wa ...
, when its chief town was
Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
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 a crucial military role due to its ports.
At present, the county is divided into 13
non-metropolitan districts
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''shire counties'') in a two-tier arrangement. Non-m ...
. Southampton and Portsmouth are
unitary authorities and 7 hold borough status. This means that with the exceptions of Southampton and Portsmouth, the county is locally governed by a combination of the
County Council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
and non-metropolitan district councils. In 1974, The
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
was made a separate
ceremonial county from Hampshire and the towns of
Bournemouth and
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
were transferred to
Dorset.
Hampshire is the home of
Jane Austen,
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
, and
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War ...
, and the birthplace of
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...
.
Toponymy
The Saxon settlement at Southampton was known as , while the surrounding area or was called . The old name was recorded in the
Domesday book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
as , 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 was a departure point for several groups of
colonists who left England to settle on the east coast of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
during the 17th century, and many inhabitants of Hampshire settled there, naming the land
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
in honour of their original homeland.
History
Before the Roman Conquest
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 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, 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
Bouldnor Cliff is a submerged prehistoric settlement site in the Solent. The site dates from the Mesolithic era and is in approximately of water just offshore of the village of Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The preservat ...
.
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
was being practised in southern Britain by 4000 BCE and with it a
neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
culture. Some deforestation took place at that time, although during the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, beginning in 2200 BCE, it became more widespread and systematic. Hampshire has few monuments to show from those early periods, although nearby
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connec ...
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
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Rom ...
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
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...
;
[Cunliffe, B, 2008, ''Iron Age Communities in Britain'', fourth edition] many of them are still visible in the landscape today and can be visited, notably
Danebury Rings, 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
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...
described by classical writers. The town of
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and ward of Southampton, England.
Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the bittern, but probably from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words ''byht'' and ''ærn'' together mean ...
(''Byterne'' in a reference from the late 11th century.
) shares the same root as the
River Erne
The River Erne ( , ga, Abhainn na hÉirne or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their borde ...
, suggesting the name refers to the
Iverni.
[Roulston, William J. ''Fermanagh: History and Society''. Geography Publications, 2004. pp.577-578.]
Hillforts largely declined in importance in 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, was the ''de facto'' regional administrative centre; Winchester was, however, of secondary importance to the Roman-style town of
Calleva Atrebatum
Calleva Atrebatum ("Calleva of the Atrebates") was an Iron Age oppidum, the capital of the Atrebates tribe. It then became a walled town in the Roman province of Britannia, at a major crossroads of the roads of southern Britain.
The modern villa ...
, 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 was a major port.
The Roman Era
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 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
Clausentum was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. The site is believed to be located in Bitterne Manor, which is now a suburb of Southampton.
Identification
Route VII of the Antonine Itinerary documents the Roman settlement of Cla ...
, part of the
Saxon Shore forts, traditionally seen as defences against maritime raids by Germanic tribes. The Romans withdrew from Britain in 410.
[Cunliffe, B, 1991, ''Wessex to AD 1000''][Pryor, F, 2004, ''Britain AD'']
Two major Roman roads,
Ermin Way and
Port Way, cross the north of the county connecting Calleva Atrebatum with
Corinium Dobunnorum
Corinium Dobunnorum was the Romano-British settlement at Cirencester in the present-day English county of Gloucestershire. Its 2nd-century walls enclosed the second-largest area of a city in Roman Britain. It was the tribal capital of the Dobu ...
, 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
The Chichester to Silchester Way is a Roman Road between Chichester in South-East England, which as ''Noviomagus'' was capital of the ''Regni'', and Silchester or ''Calleva Atrebatum'', capital of the ''Atrebates''. The road had been entirely los ...
at Wickham connected
Noviomagus Reginorum, modern
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ...
, with Clausentum.
The Jutes
Records are sparse for the next 300 years, but later chroniclers speak of an influx of
Jutes – an amalgam of
Cimbri
The Cimbri (Greek Κίμβροι, ''Kímbroi''; Latin ''Cimbri'') were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic people (or Gaulish), Germanic people, or even Cimmerian. Several ancient sources indicate ...
,
Teutons
The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with th ...
,
Gutones and
Charudes called ''Eudoses'', ''Eotenas'', ''Iutae'' or ''Euthiones'' in other sources - and recorded by Bede in his
Ecclesiastical History of the English People in the early eighth century:
They initially settled Hampshire under
Visigothic
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
authority sometime after 476 AD, forming several distinct
folklands organized around 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
Clausentum was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. The site is believed to be located in Bitterne Manor, which is now a suburb of Southampton.
Identification
Route VII of the Antonine Itinerary documents the Roman settlement of Cla ...
, dated to 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
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
authority waned after 517 A.D and the settlements were gradually encroached upon by
South Saxons.
The Saxons
The
West Saxons moved south in the late seventh century and incorporated Hampshire into their kingdom. Around this period, 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
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lor ...
. A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful
King Alfred, who repulsed 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.
Middle Ages onwards
By the Norman conquest,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
had overtaken Winchester as 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
William II ( xno, Williame; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The thir ...
was killed while hunting there in 1100. There were 44
hundreds, covering 483 named places, recorded in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
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, 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
Calshot Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII on the Calshot Spit, Hampshire, England, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire and d ...
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
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
, declined, as they are amongst the few locations that combine shelter with deep water. ''
Mayflower
''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, ...
'' and ''
Speedwell'' set sail for America from Southampton in 1620.
During the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...
(1642–1651) there were several skirmishes in Hampshire between the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...
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 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 the county have been known as ''Hampshire hogs'' since the 18th century.
[Hampshire County Council, 2003.]
Press Release: Hampshire's Hog has a home
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
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...
'', lost on her maiden voyage in 1912, was crewed largely by residents of Southampton.
On 16 October 1908,
Samuel Franklin Cody made the first powered flight of in the United Kingdom at
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
, then home to the Army Balloon Factory.
Modern era
Hampshire played a crucial role in both World Wars due to the large
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
naval base at Portsmouth, the army camp at
Aldershot, and the military
Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to 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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Aldershot remains one of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
's main permanent camps.
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
is a major centre for the aviation industry.
During World War II, the
Beaulieu estate of Lord Montagu in 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
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963 he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring which had divulged British s ...
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 the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
has at times been part of Hampshire, it has been administratively independent for over a century, obtaining a
county council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
of its own in 1890. The Isle of Wight became a full
ceremonial county in 1974. Apart from a shared
police force
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
, no formal administrative links now exist between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, though many organisations still combine Hampshire and 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
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
were transferred to
Dorset.
Geography
Hampshire is bordered by
Dorset to the west,
Wiltshire to the north-west,
Berkshire to the north,
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
to the north-east, and
West Sussex to the east. The southern boundary is the coastline of the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
and the
Solent, facing the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
. 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 , and measures about east–west and north–south.
Geology
Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. In the south, along the coast is the "
Hampshire Basin", an area of relatively
non-resistant Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...
and
Oligocene clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...
s and
gravels which are protected from sea
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is d ...
by the
Isle of Purbeck,
Dorset, and the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
. These low, flat lands support
heathland
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
and
woodland habitats, a large area of which forms part of 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
A Plagioclimax community is an area or habitat in which the influences of the humans have prevented the ecosystem from developing further. The ecosystem may have been stopped from reaching its full climatic climax or deflected towards a different c ...
by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of the weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large
estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environme ...
and
rias, notably the 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 the area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups.
Natural regions
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
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the eas ...
,
Low Weald
Low or LOW or lows, may refer to:
People
* Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low
Places
* Low, Quebec, Canada
* Low, Utah, United States
* Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station
* Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: ...
and
Thames Basin Heaths
The Thames Basin Heaths are a natural region in southern England in Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey, a slightly mottled east-west belt of ecologically recognised and protected land.
They are recognised as national character area 129 by Natural ...
Green belt
Hampshire contains all its
green belt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which h ...
in the New Forest district, in 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.
Hills
The highest point in Hampshire is Pilot Hill at , in the northwest corner of the county, bordering Berkshire, and there are some 20 other hills exceeding .
Butser Hill
Butser Hill is a hill and nature reserve in Hampshire, England. South-west of Petersfield, it is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a national nature reserve and a Special Area of Conservation. Part of it ...
, at , where the A3 crosses the
South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the eas ...
, is probably the best known. In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the rocks of the
Chalk Group
The Chalk Group (often just called the Chalk) is the lithostratigraphic unit (a certain number of rock strata) which contains the Upper Cretaceous limestone succession in southern and eastern England. The same or similar rock sequences occur acro ...
, which form the
Hampshire Downs and the
South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the eas ...
. These are high hills with steep slopes where they border the clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a
scarp
Scarp may refer to:
Landforms and geology
* Cliff, a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure
* Escarpment, a steep slope or long rock that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevatio ...
onto the
Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest village in Hampshire at about above sea level is
Ashmansworth, located between
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
and
Newbury.
Rivers
The
Itchen and
Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
are
trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Other important watercourses are the
Hamble,
Meon,
Beaulieu and
Lymington rivers. The
Hampshire Avon, which links
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connec ...
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.
Wildlife
Hampshire's
downland supports 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 is known for its
ponies and herds of
fallow deer,
red deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of ...
,
roe deer
The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
, 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
Farlington Marshes is a Local Nature Reserve in Portsmouth in Hampshire. It is owned by Portsmouth City Council and managed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It is part of Langstone Harbour, which is a Site of Special Scientific In ...
, of flower-rich grazing marsh and saline lagoon at the north end of
Langstone Harbour
Langstone Harbour is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire. It is an inlet of the English Channel in Hampshire, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west, Hayling Island to the south and east, and Lan ...
, is a nature reserve and an internationally important over-wintering 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 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
A national park authority is a special term used in Great Britain for legal bodies charged with maintaining a national park of which, as of October 2021, there are ten in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. The powers and duties of all suc ...
.
Climate
Hampshire has a milder
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
than most areas of the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
, being in the far south with the climate stabilising effect of the sea, but protected against the more extreme weather of the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
coast. Hampshire has a higher average annual temperature than the UK average at , average rainfall at per year, and holds higher than average sunshine totals of around 1,750 hours
of sunshine per year.
Settlements
''For the complete list of settlements see
List of places in Hampshire
This is a list of settlements in the county of Hampshire, England. Places highlighted in bold type are towns or cities.
The Isle of Wight was in Hampshire until 1890. Bournemouth and adjacent parishes in the far west were transferred to the cer ...
and
List of settlements in Hampshire by population
This is a list of settlements in Hampshire by population based on the results of the 2011 census. The next United Kingdom census will take place in 2021. In 2011, there were 42 built-up area subdivisions with 5,000 or more inhabitants in Hamp ...
.''
Hampshire's
county town is Winchester, a historic city that 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 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 Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
,
Aldershot,
Blackwater and
Yateley and borders both
Berkshire and Surrey.
Hampshire lies outside the
green belt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which h ...
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 the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force respectively. The county also includes several
market towns:
Alresford,
Alton,
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
,
Bishop's Waltham,
Lymington,
New Milton
New Milton is a market town in southwest Hampshire, England. To the north is in the New Forest and to the south the coast at Barton-on-Sea. The town is equidistant between Lymington and Christchurch, 6 miles (10 km) away.
History ...
,
Petersfield,
Ringwood,
Romsey and
Whitchurch.
Demographics
Population
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 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 a population of 1,547,000.
Cities and towns by population size: (2001 census)
*
Southampton – 244,224
*
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
– 207,100
*
Basingstoke – 90,171 (town), 152,573 (borough)
*
Gosport – 69,348 (town), 77,000 (borough)
*
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
– 64,000
*
Waterlooville
Waterlooville is a market town in the Borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, approximately north northeast of Portsmouth. It is the largest town in the borough.
The town has a population of about 64,350 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendwort ...
– 63,558
*
Aldershot – 58,120
*
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
– 57,147
*
Fareham/
Portchester – 56,010 (town), 109,619 (borough)
*
Eastleigh – 52,894 (town), 116,177 (borough)
*
Havant – 45,435 (town), 115,300 (borough)
*
Winchester – 41,420 (city), 116,600 (district)
*
Fleet – 32,726
*
Petersfield-14,974 (town)
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 is
New Forest District.
Ethnicity and religion
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
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
(1.46 per cent) and
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
(0.73 per cent).
The Church of England
Diocese of Winchester 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
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
,
Guildford and
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth covers Hampshire as well as the Isle of Wight and the
Channel Islands.
Politics
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 district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''shire counties'') in a two-tier arrangement. Non- ...
s beneath it and, for the majority of the county,
parish councils or
town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
s at the local level.
In the
2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, nearly 55% of Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight) voted in favour of
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...
. Gosport was the area that voted to Leave with the highest majority (64%), while Winchester was the area that voted to Remain with the highest majority (59%). Hart and East Hampshire also voted to Remain.
Parliament
Hampshire elects eighteen Members of Parliament. As of the
2019 General Election, sixteen MPs are
Conservative and two MPs are
Labour.
In the 2019 General Election there were no seat changes, with the 16 Conservative constituencies and 2 Labour constituencies holding on to the same seats won or held in 2017. This is despite the
Liberal Democrats gaining 57,876 more votes (an increase of 50.4%) compared to 2017, and Labour losing 72,278 votes (29.9%) compared to 2017.
At the
2017 General Election, the
Conservatives won 16 seats, continuing their dominance in the county.
Labour took two seats,
Southampton Test and
Portsmouth South.
In the 2015 general election, every Hampshire seat except Southampton Test (Labour) was won by the Conservatives.
In 2010, 14 constituencies were represented by
Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs), two by the
Liberal Democrats, and two by
Labour. Labour represented the largest urban centre, holding both Southampton constituencies (
Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
and
Itchen). The Liberal Democrats held
Portsmouth South and
Eastleigh.
The Conservatives represent a mix of rural and urban areas:
Aldershot,
Basingstoke,
East Hampshire,
Fareham,
Gosport,
Havant,
Meon Valley,
North East Hampshire,
North West Hampshire,
New Forest East,
New Forest West
New Forest West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Desmond Swayne, a Conservative.
Constituency profile
This constituency covers the part of the New Forest which is not covered by New Forest ...
,
Portsmouth North,
Romsey and Southampton North
Romsey and Southampton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Caroline Nokes for the Conservative Party. For the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer i ...
and
Winchester.
At the
2013 local elections for Hampshire County Council, the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
had a 37.51 per cent share of the votes, the
Liberal Democrats 21.71 per cent, the
UK Independence Party 24.61 per cent and
Labour 10 per cent. As a result, 45 Conservatives, 17 Liberal Democrats, 10 UKIP, four Labour and one Community Campaign councillor sit on the County Council.
Southampton City Council, which is a separate Unitary Authority, has 28 Labour, 16 Conservative, 2 Councillors Against the Cuts and 2 Liberal Democrat councillors.
Portsmouth City Council, also a UA, has 25 Liberal Democrat, 12 Conservative and 5 Labour councillors.
Hampshire has its own County Youth Council (HCYC) and is an independent youth-run organisation. It meets once a month around Hampshire and aims to give the young people of Hampshire a voice. It also has numerous district and borough youth councils including Basingstoke's "Basingstoke & Deane Youth Council".
Emergency services
*
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Hampshire, including the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, and the county of the Isle of Wight on the south coast of ...
*
South Central Ambulance Service
*
South East Coast Ambulance Service
*
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is an air ambulance service serving the counties of Hampshire and Isle of Wight in South East England. It is one of a number of air ambulance services in the United Kingdom.
The service began o ...
*
Hampshire Constabulary
*
British Transport Police
*
HM Coastguard
Economy
Hampshire is one of the most
affluent counties in the country, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of
£29 billion, excluding Southampton and Portsmouth. In 2018, Hampshire had a GDP per capita of £22,100, comparable with the UK as a whole.
Portsmouth and Winchester have the highest job densities in the county; 38 per cent of workplace workers in Portsmouth commuted into the city in 2011. Southampton has the highest number of total jobs and commuting both into and out of the city is high. The county has a lower level of
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...
than the national average, at 1.3 per cent when the national rate is 2.1 per cent, as of February 2018. About one third are employed by large firms. Hampshire has a considerably higher than national average employment in high-tech industries, but average levels in knowledge-based industry. About 25 per cent of the population work in the
public sector. Tourism accounts for some 60,000 jobs in the county, around 9 per cent of the total.
One of the principal companies in the high tech sector is
IBM which has its research and development laboratories at
Hursley and its UK headquarters at
Cosham.
Many rural areas of Hampshire have traditionally been reliant on agriculture, particularly
dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history t ...
, although the significance of agriculture as a rural employer and rural wealth creator has declined since the first half of the 20th century and agriculture currently employs 1.32 per cent of the rural population.
The extractive industries deal principally with sand, gravel, clay and hydrocarbons. There are three active oilfields in Hampshire with one being also used as a natural gas store. These are in the west of the county in the ''Wessex Basin''. The ''Weald Basin'' to the east has potential as a source of shale oil but is not currently exploited.
The New Forest area is a national park, and tourism is a significant economic segment in this area, with 7.5 million visitors in 1992. The South Downs and the cities of Portsmouth, Southampton, and Winchester also attract tourists to the county.
Southampton Boat Show
The Southampton Boat Show, also called the Southampton International Boat Show, is an on-water boat show, one of the largest in Europe and the biggest of its type in the UK. The show is held annually in September in Mayflower Park, Southampton, ...
is one of the biggest annual events held in the county, and attracts visitors from throughout the country. In 2003, the county had a total of 31 million day visits, and 4.2 million longer stays.
The cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are both significant ports, with
Southampton Docks handling a large proportion of the national container freight traffic as well as being a major base for cruise liners, and
Portsmouth Harbour accommodating one of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
's main bases and a terminal for cross-channel ferries to France and Spain. The docks have traditionally been large employers in these cities, though mechanisation of cargo handling has led to a reduction in manpower needed.
The
Marine Accident Investigation Branch has its principal offices in Southampton, while the
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and crown dependencies. It is also the Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA ...
has its head office in
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
in
Rushmoor District .
[Additional information]
" Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved on 2 May 2010. "Air Accidents Investigation Branch Farnborough House Berkshire Copse Road Aldershot Hampshire GU11 2HH" The
Rail Accident Investigation Branch has one of its two offices at Farnborough.
Transport
Air
Southampton Airport, with an accompanying main line
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
, is an international airport situated in the
Borough of Eastleigh, close to
Swaythling in the city of Southampton. The
Farnborough International Airshow is a week-long event that combines a major trade exhibition for the
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and ast ...
and
defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
industries with a public
airshow. The event is held in mid-July in even-numbered years at
Farnborough Airport. The first five days (Monday to Friday) are dedicated to trade, with the final two days open to the public.
Sea
Cross-
channel and cross-
Solent ferries from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington link the county to the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and continental Europe.
Rail
The
South West Main Line (operated by
South Western Railway) from
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
to
Weymouth runs through Winchester and Southampton, and the
Wessex Main Line from
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
to
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
also runs through the county, as does the
Portsmouth Direct Line.
Road
The
M3 motorway bisects the county from the southwest, at the edge of the New Forest near Southampton, to the northeast, on its way to connect with the
M25 London orbital motorway. At its southern end it links with the
M27 south coast motorway. The construction of the
Twyford Down cutting near Winchester caused major controversy by cutting through a series of ancient trackways and other features of archaeological significance. The M27 serves as a bypass for the major conurbations and as a link to other settlements on the south coast. Other important roads include the
A27,
A3,
A31,
A34,
A36 and
A303.
The county has a high level of car ownership, with only 15.7 per cent having no access to a private car compared with 26.8 per cent for England and Wales. The county has a lower than average use of trains (3.2 compared with 4.1 per cent for commuting) and buses (3.2 to 7.4 per cent), but a higher than average use of bicycles (3.5 to 2.7 per cent) and cars (63.5 to 55.3 per cent).
Inland waterways
Hampshire formerly had several canals,
but most of these have been abandoned and their routes built over. The
Basingstoke Canal has been extensively restored, and is now navigable for most of its route, but the
Salisbury and Southampton Canal,
Andover Canal and
Portsmouth and Arundel Canal
The Portsmouth and Arundel Canal was a canal in the south of England that ran between Portsmouth and Ford in the Arundel district, it was built in 1823 but was never a financial success and was abandoned in 1855; the company was wound up in 1888 ...
have all disappeared. Restoration of the
Itchen Navigation
The Itchen Navigation is a disused canal system in Hampshire, England, that provided an important trading route from Winchester to the sea at Southampton for about 150 years. Improvements to the River Itchen were authorised by Act of Parliame ...
, linking Southampton and Winchester, primarily as a wildlife corridor, began in 2008.
Education
The school system in Hampshire (including Southampton and Portsmouth) is comprehensive. Geographically inside the Hampshire
LEA are 24 independent schools, Southampton has three and Portsmouth has four. Few Hampshire schools have sixth forms, which varies by district council. There are 14 further education colleges within the Hampshire LEA, including six graded as 'outstanding' by
Ofsted:
Alton College
HSDC Alton, formerly known as Alton College, is located in Alton, Hampshire, England. In addition to offering A Levels, the College provides an adult education service to the local population. It was built in 1978 and was one of the first instit ...
,
Barton Peveril Sixth Form College
Barton Peveril Sixth Form College was, in 2011, the seventh largest sixth form college in the UK, located in Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK with approximately 4,000 students. It is part of the Wessex Group of Sixth Form Colleges.
History
Originally B ...
,
Brockenhurst College
Brockenhurst College is a large tertiary college situated in Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Co-educational since the 1920s, Brockenhurst College accepts students over the age of 16 or year 12 students, whichever occurs first due to safeguarding polic ...
,
Farnborough College of Technology
Farnborough College of Technology is a college located in the town of Farnborough, Hampshire in the South East of England. Although primarily a further education college, Farnborough College of Technology also has a University Centre (University ...
,
Farnborough Sixth Form College
The Sixth Form College Farnborough is a sixth form college situated in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. It caters for around 3,915 students and admission is mostly from schools in the local areas of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. The college is ...
,
Peter Symonds College,
Queen Mary's College, and
South Downs College.
Notable independent schools in the county include
Winchester College, allegedly England's oldest public school, founded in 1382, and the pioneering co-educational
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of con ...
, founded in 1893.
The four universities are the
University of Southampton,
Solent University, the
University of Portsmouth, and the
University of Winchester (which also had a small campus in
Basingstoke until 2011). Farnborough College of Technology awards
University of Surrey-accredited degrees.
Health
There are major
NHS hospitals in each of the cities, and smaller hospitals in several towns, as well as a number of private hospitals. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust coordinates public health services, while Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust coordinates hospital services.
Culture, arts and sport
Flag
The
Flag of Hampshire
The Hampshire flag is the flag of the English county of Hampshire. It was registered with the Flag Institute on 12 March 2019.
__TOC__
Design
The flag of Hampshire, conceived by Jason Saber and further refined by Brady Ells, retains the rose ...
was officially added to the
Flag Institute's registry of flags on 12 March 2019 after receiving support from
Hampshire County Council, the
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, and many local organisations. The county day and flag day is 15 July, St Swithun's Day;
St Swithun was an
Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester.
Music
Hampshire is the home of many orchestras, bands, and groups. Musician
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit ...
hails originally from Hampshire. The Hampshire County Youth Choir is based in
Winchester, and has had successful tours of Canada and Italy in recent years. The Hampshire County Youth Orchestra (with its associated
chamber orchestra and
string orchestra) is based at
Thornden Hall.
Museums
There are a number of local museums, such as the City Museum in Winchester, which covers the Iron Age and Roman periods, the Middle Ages, and the Victorian period over three floors. A "Museum of the Iron Age" is in
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
.
Solent Sky Museum depicts the story of aviation in Hampshire and the Solent region, with more than 20 airframes from the golden age. Southampton's
Sea City Museum is primarily focused on the city's links with the ''Titanic''. Basingstoke's
Milestones Museum records the county's industrial heritage. There are also a number of national museums in Hampshire. The
National Motor Museum is located in the New Forest at
Beaulieu. The Royal Navy Museum is part of
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an area of HM Naval Base Portsmouth which is open to the public; it contains several historic buildings and ships. It is managed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy as an umbrella organization representing ...
. Other military museums include The
Submarine Museum
Submarine Museum ( ms, Muzium Kapal Selam) is a museum made out of a decommissioned submarine situated in Klebang, Malacca, Malaysia. The decommissioned submarine is a France-made Agosta class 70 submarine named Quessant (S623), which was ...
at Gosport, the
Royal Marines Museum
The Royal Marines Museum is a museum on the history of the Royal Marines from their beginnings in 1664 through to the present day. A registered charity, it is also a designated service museum under the terms of the National Heritage Act 198 ...
, originally in Southsea but was due to transfer to the Dockyard in 2019, the
Aldershot Military Museum
Aldershot Military Museum in Aldershot Military Town in Hampshire, England was conceived by former Aldershot Garrison Commander, Brigadier John Reed (1926–1992). Reed believed that it was essential to preserve the history of the military tow ...
, the
D-Day Story
The D-Day Story (formerly the D-Day Museum) is a visitor attraction located in Southsea, Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It tells the story of Operation Overlord during the Normandy D-Day landings. Originally opened as the D-Day Museum in 1984 ...
by
Southsea Castle
Southsea Castle, historically also known as Chaderton Castle, South Castle and Portsea Castle, is an artillery fort originally constructed by Henry VIII on Portsea Island, Hampshire, in 1544. It formed part of the King's Device programme to ...
and the
Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop. Several museums and historic buildings in Hampshire are the responsibility of the Hampshire Cultural Trust. Specialist museums include the
Gilbert White museum in his old home in
Selborne, which also includes The Oates Collection, dedicated to the explorer
Lawrence Oates.
Annual events
The New Forest and Hampshire County Show takes place annually at the end of July; 2020 will mark its centenary. The largest gathering of Muslims in Western Europe,
Jalsa Salana
Jalsa Salana ( ur, ; en, Annual Gathering) is the formal, annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community initiated by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the community who claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi of the end days. Usually, ...
, takes place near Alton, with 37,000 visitors in 2017. The ancient festival of
Beltain takes place at
Butser Ancient Farm
Butser Ancient Farm is an archaeological open-air museum and experimental archaeology site located near Petersfield in Hampshire, southern England. Butser features experimental reconstructions of prehistoric, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon build ...
in the spring.
Buildings and protected monuments
There are 187 Grade I
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
s in the county, ranging from statues to farm buildings and churches to castles, 511 buildings listed Grade II*, and many more listed in the Grade II category.
National Heritage's figures include the Isle of Wight, listing 208 Grade I buildings, 578 Grade II*and 10,372 Grade II, 731 scheduled monuments, two wrecks, 91 parks and gardens, and a battlefield: the Battle of Cheriton, which took place in 1644, near Winchester.
Sport
The game of
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
was largely developed in south-east England, with one of the first teams forming at
Hambledon in 1750, with the
Hambledon Club creating many of cricket's early laws.
Hampshire County Cricket Club is a
first-class team. The main county ground is the
Ageas Bowl in
West End, which has hosted
one day internationals and which, following redevelopment, hosted its first
test match in 2011.
The world's oldest surviving bowling green is the
Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299.
Hampshire's relatively safe waters have allowed the county to develop as one of the busiest sailing areas in the country, with many
yacht clubs and several manufacturers on the Solent. The Hamble, Beaulieu and Lymington rivers are major centres for both competitive and recreational sailing, along with
Hythe
Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to:
Places Australia
* Hythe, Tasmania
Canada
*Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada
England
* ...
and
Ocean Village marinas. The sport of
windsurfing was invented at
Hayling Island
Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth.
History
An Iron Age shrine in the north of Hayling Island was later developed into a Roman temple in the 1s ...
in the south east of the county.
Hampshire has several
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
teams, including
Premier league side
Southampton F.C.,
EFL League One side
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is a professional football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, which compete in . They are also known as ''Pompey'', a local nickname used by both HMNB Portsmouth and the city of Portsmouth; the ''Pompey'' nick ...
and
National league
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
sides
Aldershot Town F.C.,
Eastleigh F.C.
Eastleigh Football Club is a professional association football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, England. They currently compete in and play their home matches at The Silverlake Stadium.
History
Formation to Wessex League (1946–1986)
The ...
and
Havant & Waterlooville F.C. Portsmouth F.C. and Southampton F.C. have traditionally been fierce rivals. Portsmouth won the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
in 1939 and 2008 and the
Football League title in 1949 and 1950. Southampton won the FA Cup in 1976 and reached the finals in 1900, 1902, and 2003.
Aldershot F.C. were members of the Football League from 1932 to 1992. They were succeeded by Aldershot Town F.C. who in 2008 were crowned the
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...
champions and promoted to the Football League, but lost their Football League status after the 2012–13 season. Hampshire has a number of
Non League football teams.
Bashley, Gosport borough and AFC Totton play in the
Southern Football League Premier Division and
Sholing F.C.
Sholing Football Club is an English football club based in Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire. Formerly known as Vosper Thorneycroft FC and later VTFC the club changed its name in 2010 to Sholing FC. In 2013–14 they won both the FA Vase and the ...
and
Winchester City F.C. play in the
Southern Football League Division One South and West.
Thruxton Circuit, in the north of the county, is Hampshire's premier motor racing circuit, with a karting circuit; there are other karting circuits at Southampton and Gosport. The other main circuit is the Ringwood Raceway at Matchams.
Lasham Airfield
Lasham Airfield is an aerodrome located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.
It was built in 1942 and was a Royal Air Force Station during the Second World War, many significant operations being flown fro ...
, near Alton, is a major centre for
gliding, hosting both regional and national annual competitions.
Media
Television
The county's television news is covered by
BBC South Today from its studios in Southampton and
ITV Meridian from a studio in Whiteley, though both
BBC London and
ITV London can be received in northern and eastern parts of the county. A local independent television station, ''That's Hampshire'', started transmitting in May 2017.
Radio
Around 25 commercial radio stations cover the area, and
BBC Radio Solent looks after the majority of the county, while
BBC Surrey can be heard in the north east. University journalism students also "broadcast" bulletins on line for local areas, such as the
University of Winchester's WINOL (Winchester News Online), run by students on its BA (Hons) Journalism course.
Press
Southampton and Portsmouth support daily newspapers; the ''
Southern Daily Echo'' and ''
The News'' respectively. The ''
Basingstoke Gazette'' is published three times a week, and there are a number of other papers that publish on a weekly basis, notably the ''
Hampshire Chronicle'', one of the oldest newspapers in the country.
Notable people
Possibly the most notable resident was the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...
, who lived at
Stratfield Saye House in the north of the county from 1817. An eminent Victorian, who made her mark and "came home" to Hampshire for burial at
East Wellow
Wellow is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England that falls within the Test Valley district. The village lies just outside the New Forest, across the main A36 road which runs from the M27 motorway to Salisbury. The nearest town is ...
was
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War ...
.
Hampshire's
literary
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to includ ...
connections include the birthplace of authors Jane Austen,
Wilbert Awdry and Charles Dickens, and the residence of others, such as
Charles Kingsley and
Mrs Gaskell
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (''née'' Stevenson; 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many st ...
. Austen lived most of her life in Hampshire, where her father was rector of
Steventon, and wrote all of her novels in the county.
Alice Liddell, also known as Alice Hargreaves, the inspiration for Alice in
Lewis Carroll's ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', lived in and around
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Lyndhurst is a large village and civil parish situated in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, England. Serving as the administrative capital of the New Forest, it is a popular tourist attraction, with many independent shops, art galle ...
after her marriage to Reginald Hargreaves, and is buried in the graveyard of St Michael and All Angels Church in the town.
Hampshire also has many
visual art connections, claiming the painter
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...
as a native, and the cities and countryside have been the subject of paintings by
L. S. Lowry and
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbul ...
. Selborne was the home of
Gilbert White. Journalist and social critic
Christopher Hitchens was born into a
naval family in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
. Broadcasters
Philippa Forrester
Philippa Clare Ryan Forrester (born September 1968) is a British television and radio presenter, producer and author.
Throughout her career, Forrester has presented shows such as CBBC, ''Tomorrow's World'', Crufts, ''The Heaven and Earth Show'' ...
,
Amanda Lamb
Amanda Lamb (born 19 July 1972) is an English television presenter, property expert and former model who was notable for presenting '' A Place in the Sun'' from 2001 until 2009 and ''You Deserve This House''. Lamb has also had notable appearances ...
and
Scott Mills also are from the county. American actor and gameshow host,
Richard Dawson, was born and raised here.
Richard St. Barbe Baker
Richard St. Barbe Baker , Hon. LL.D. F.I.A.L., For.Dip.Cantab., ACF (9 October 1889 – 9 June 1982) was an English biologist and botanist, environmental activist and author, who contributed greatly to worldwide reforestation efforts. As a ...
Founder of the
International Tree Foundation
International Tree Foundation (ITF) is an international, non-profit, non-political, conservation organisation. It is involved in planting, maintenance and protection of trees. It was founded in Kenya on 22 July 1922 by Richard St. Barbe Baker a ...
and responsible for planting over two billion trees was born in West End.
See also
*
Business in Hampshire
Hampshire's total economy (worth £22.9bn) is the largest economy in England outside London, providing almost 3% of total GDP for the UK as a whole.
Economy
See Hampshire#Economy for more information.
Law & regulations
Hampshire Trading St ...
*
Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire—Keepers of the Rolls
*
Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)—Historical list of MPs for Hampshire constituency
*
List of High Sheriffs of Hampshire
*
List of churches in Hampshire
*
Places of interest in Hampshire
This is a list of places of interest in the ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Hampshire, England. See List of places in Hampshire for a list of settlements in the county.
Places of interest
* Aldershot Military Museum
* Beauli ...
*
Recreational walks in Hampshire
The following are lists of recreational walks in Hampshire, England:
Short Walks
*Blackwater Valley Path, Hollybush Pits to Coleford Bridge Near The Quays Grid ref: SU 886 534
*Grange Farm, a series of circular walks at Tichborne, south of ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*Bullen, Michael ''et al.'' ''The Buildings of England: Hampshire (Winchester and the North)''. Yale, 2010.
*Draper, Jo. 1990. ''Hampshire''. Wimborne: Dovecote Press.
*''Pigot & Co's Atlas of the Counties of England'', 1840. London: J Pigot & Co.
External links
Hampshire County Council websiteImages of Hampshireat the
English Heritage ArchiveFurther historical information and sources on GENUKI
{{authority control
Non-metropolitan counties
South East England
Counties of England established in antiquity