50°55N 1°25W, pop (2001e) 217 500. Port city and (from 1997) unitary authority in Hampshire, S England, UK; on Southampton Water, at the mouth of the Test and Itchen Rivers; major UK port handling container traffic and passenger ships; four tides daily; site of both Roman and Saxon settlements; Mayflower set sail from here en route to Plymouth and then North America in 1620; Titanic sailed from here on her disastrous maiden voyage (1912); city status (1964); railway; ferries to the I of Wight and N Europe; university (1952); marine engineering, petrochemicals, cables, electrical goods; St Michael's Church (1070); 15th-c Guildhall; 14th-c wool house now housing a maritime museum; Mayflower memorial; football league team, Southampton (Saints).
| City of Southampton | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Status: | Unitary, City (1964) |
| Region: | South East England |
| Ceremonial County: | Hampshire |
|
Area: - Total |
Ranked 301st 49.84 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Southampton |
| Grid Ref.: | SU 42 11 |
| ONS code: | 00MS |
| Post Office and Telephone | |
| Postcode span: | SO14-SO19 |
| Post Town: | SOUTHAMPTON |
| Dialling Code: | 023 |
| Demographics | |
|
Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density |
Ranked 54th 222,000 4,454 / km² |
| Ethnicity: |
92.4% White 3.8% S.Asian 1.0% Afro-Carib. |
| Politics | |
| Southampton City Council | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Liberal Democrats (council NOC) |
| MPs: | John Denham, Sandra Gidley, Alan Whitehead |
Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. Southampton lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water where it is joined by the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region.
The Viking King Canute the Great is supposed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready here in 1014 and been crowned here, and his fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton.
By the 13th Century, Southampton had become a leading port, and was particularly involved in the wool trade.
Bowls was first played regularly on the Southampton Old Bowling Green adjacent to God's House Hospital in 1299.
The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate within the old walls is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England's departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt, the ringleaders of the "Southampton Plot", Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate.
King Edward VI Grammar School was founded in the city near God's House Tower as a school for poor clergyman in 1553 by William Capon.
The city is home to Sir Edwin Lutyens' first permanent cenotaph, a memorial to the city's dead of World War I.
The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard, partly because of its strategic importance as the major industrial area on the South Coast and partly because of the city's links to the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, which was invented and manufactured in Southampton.
There were many aircraft companies based around Hamble, to the east of the city, from the 1930s to 1950s, including Folland Aviation, started by Henry P Folland, the former chief designer of Gloster Aircraft.
Southampton was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and contained the parishes of All Saints, Holy Rood, St John, St Lawrence, St Mary, St Michael, and part of South Stoneham.
Southampton was awarded city status in 1964 by Letters Patent.
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Southampton with Darwen at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
| Year | Regional Gross Value Added | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2,656 | - | 674 | 1,982 |
| 2000 | 3,190 | - | 672 | 2,518 |
| 2003 | 3,944 | - | 781 | 3,163 |
↑ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
Southampton today
In common with many British towns and cities, Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Many historic buildings were lost as a result, but the old city walls remain, as does the Bargate, formerly the main gateway to the city at the northern end of the walls (Southampton has England's second-longest stretch of surviving Medieval wall, the longest being in York). Most of Southampton's municipal services, including the library and the well-endowed art gallery are to be found in the Civic Centre.
The city is home to the University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and West Quay shopping centre, which was the biggest city-centre shopping mall in Europe when it was opened.
Southampton has always been strongly connected with maritime history and developments. From 1977 to 2001 the famous Whitbread Around the World Yacht Race (now known as the Volvo Ocean Race) started in Southampton
The area of Swaythling is home to Ford's Southampton Assembly Plant, where the majority of their Transit models are manufactured.
Southampton is named the 'Green City' as it is graced with many green spaces and parks. The Common covers a larger area than Hyde Park in London and includes a Wildlife Centre on the former site of Southampton Zoo, a swimming pool and several lakes and ponds. The city also boasts the Southampton Sports Centre which is the focal point for the public's sporting and outdoor activities and includes an Alpine Centre, Theme Park and Athletics Centre used by professional athletes.
Southampton Football Club (nicknamed the "Saints") is also based here, at St Mary's Stadium which was built in the early 2000's on the site of the old gasworks.
Hampshire's county Cricket ground is the Rose Bowl, Southampton, in nearby West End.
Southampton has a vibrant nightlife and thriving cafe culture.
There is a large Polish population in Southampton, with estimates as high as 20,000, or 1 in every 10.
Government and politics
Formerly a County Borough within the county of Hampshire (to which it gave its name, the County of Southampton or Southamptonshire - this was officially changed to Hampshire in 1959 though the county had been commonly known as Hampshire or Hantshire for centuries), it became a non-metropolitan district in 1974.
Southampton City Council consists of 48 councillors elected by thirds.
There are three members of parliament for the city: Rt Hon John Denham (Labour) for Southampton Itchen (constituency for the east of the city), Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour) for Southampton Test (the west of the city), and Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) for Romsey (which includes a portion of the north of the city).
Transport
As befits Southampton's role as a major port, the city has good transport links with the rest of the country.
Southampton is also well served by the rail network, used by both freight services to and from the docks, and passenger services as part of the national rail system. The main station in the city is Southampton Central.
Southampton Airport is a regional airport located in the town of Eastleigh, just north of Southampton.
Whilst Southampton is no longer the base for any cross-channel ferries, it is the terminus for three internal ferry services, all of which operate from terminals at Town Quay. Town Quay is linked to Southampton Central station by a free bus service.
Local transport is largely road based, with significant peak hour congestion in the city. The main bus operators are First, Solent Blue Line (who also operate the BlueStar service) and Uni-link, although other operators also run services into the city, including Stagecoach and Wilts and Dorset.There is also a door to door minibus service (Southampton Dial a Ride) for residents who cannot access public transport, this is funded by the City Council and operated by SCA Support Services.
The Uni-link bus service was commissioned by the University of Southampton to provide access to students who are studying at the university to all parts of the city.
Districts and suburbs
Within Southampton there are several districts and suburbs, including:
Bassett, Bassett Green, Bevois Valley, Bitterne, Bitterne Park, Bitterne Manor Chartwell Green, Chilworth Coxford Freemantle Harefield, Highfield Lordshill Lordswood Mansbridge, Maybush, Midanbury, Millbrook Northam, Nursling, New Town Old Town Polygon, Portswood Redbridge, Rownhams Shirley, Sholing, St. Denys, St. Mary's, Swaythling Thornhill, Townhill Park Weston, WoolstonNotable people
(See also: Category:People from Southampton)
Notable current and former residents of Southampton include:
Will Champion (Coldplay drummer) Craig David (R&B singer) Benny Hill (comedian) John Jellicoe (admiral; commander of the British fleet at the Battle of Jutland) Matthew Le Tissier (footballer) Chris Packham (naturalist) Scott Mills (Radio 1 DJ) Isaac Watts (writer of hymns, notably the King Edward's VI school hymn) Wally Masur (former tennis player)Twinning
Southampton is twinned with:
Le Havre, France (since 1973) Rems-Murr-Kreis, Germany (since 1991)Southampton is also a sister city of:
Hampton, Virginia Qingdao, China (since 1998)
User Comments Add a comment…