Portal:Hampshire
The Hampshire Portal
Hampshire (/ˈhæmpʃər/, /-ʃɪər/ ⓘ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The city of Southampton is the largest settlement.
The county has an area of 3,769 km2 (1,455 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,920,959 in 2024. Southampton is in the south of the county and the city of Portsmouth in the south-east; both are part of a larger conurbation. A second conurbation in the north-east includes Farnborough and Aldershot and extends into Berkshire and Surrey. The remainder of the county is rural, and its principal settlements include Basingstoke in the north, Andover in the north-west, and the city of Winchester in the centre. For local government purposes Hampshire comprises a non-metropolitan county, with eleven districts, and two unitary authority areas: Portsmouth and Southampton. The county historically contained the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch, which are now in Dorset, and the Isle of Wight.
Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms the Hampshire Downs, to south-east, where it is part of the South Downs. The county's major rivers rise in these hills; the Loddon and Wey drain north, into the Thames, and the Itchen and Test flow south into Southampton Water, a large estuary. In the south-east are Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour, and the western edge of Chichester Harbour, three large rias. The south-west contains the New Forest, which includes pasture, heath, and forest and is one of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England.
Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain, when its chief town was Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in Domesday Book as divided into 44 hundreds. From the 12th century, the ports settlements grew due to increasing trade with the European mainland resulting from the wool and cloth, fishing, and shipbuilding industries. This meant by the 16th century, Southampton had become more populous than Winchester. In 20th century conflicts, including World War One and Two, Hampshire played a crucial military role due to its ports. (Full article...)
Selected article
On 6 September 1952, a prototype de Havilland DH.110 jet fighter crashed during an aerial display at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, England. The jet disintegrated mid-air during an aerobatic manoeuvre, killing pilot John Derry and onboard flight test observer Anthony Richards. Debris fell onto a crowd of spectators, killing 29 and injuring 60.
The cause was determined to be structural failure due to a design flaw in the wing's leading edge. All DH.110s were initially grounded, but after modification to its design, the type entered service with the Royal Navy as the Sea Vixen.
Stricter safety procedures were enacted for UK air shows and there were no further spectator fatalities until the 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash in which 11 people died. (Full article...)
Selected images
Twyford Post Office and stores, between Winchester and Southampton (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Breamore House in the west of the county, north of the New Forest (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Fawley Oil Refinery from the remains of Netley Hospital in the Royal Victoria Country Park (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
West End Fire Station, near Southampton, designed by Herbert Collins (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Heathland in the New Forest (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The seafront and beach at Lee-on-the-Solent (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The mill at Greywell in the north-east of Hampshire (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The church at Breamore in the west of the county, north of the New Forest (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The interior of Portsmouth Cathedral (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Hayling Island's mainly shingle beach with Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower beyond (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
A boat on the Basingstoke Canal (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The West window of Romsey Abbey (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Hovercraft passing the mixed architecture, public gardens and shingle beach at Southsea, Portsmouth (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Trees on Southampton Common in winter (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Winter sunshine at Keyhaven (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
The Rose Bowl, near Southampton, home to Hampshire County Cricket Club (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Highclere Castle in the far north of Hampshire, a large country house in the Jacobethan style by the architect Charles Barry, with a large park designed by Capability Brown, used as the set for Downton Abbey. (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
A train on the Watercress Line (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Odiham High Street in the north-east of Hampshire (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)- The seafront and beach at Lee-on-the-Solent (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
View looking east along West Street, New Alresford (from Portal:Hampshire/Selected pictures)
Apr2006.jpg)
Selected biography
Ælfheah (c. 953 – 19 April 1012), more commonly known today as Alphege, was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury from 1006 to 1012. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey. His reputation for piety and sanctity led to his promotion to the episcopate and, eventually, to his becoming archbishop. Ælfheah furthered the cult of Dunstan and also encouraged learning. He was captured by Viking raiders in 1011 during the siege of Canterbury and killed by them the following year after refusing to allow himself to be ransomed. Ælfheah was canonised as a saint in 1078. Thomas Becket, a later archbishop of Canterbury, is said to have prayed to Ælfheah just before his murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. (Full article...)
Did you know
- ... that a Portsmouth building was Grade II-listed because Eric Rimmington painted a mural inside it?
- ... that the first work of fan fiction featuring a romantic relationship between the Winchester brothers in Supernatural was published one day after the first episode aired?
- ... that the wreck of HMS Cambrian marks the extent of jurisdiction of the Portsmouth competent harbour authority?
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Topics
More articles: Business in Hampshire | Geology of Hampshire | History of Hampshire | Portsmouth | Recreational walks in Hampshire | Southampton | Winchester
Lists: List of churches in Hampshire | List of further education colleges in Hampshire | List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire | List of places in Hampshire
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