83-569: The Corfe River is one of the four main rivers flowing into Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset , England . It is just under 9 km (6 mi) long. The Saxon name for Corfe River was the Wichen ; this survives in the names of Wytch Farm, Upper Wych Channel, Wytch Heath and Wytch, or Wych, Lake. Wichen may have derived from wics which meant "dairy farm", an indication that the area may not always have been heathland . The Corfe River rises near North Egliston about 1.5 km (1 mi) west of
166-404: A non-metropolitan district (i.e. with lower-tier local government functions only) within a modified non-metropolitan county of Hampshire (Bournemouth and Christchurch were transferred to the neighbouring non-metropolitan county of Dorset ). From this date, Hampshire County Council became responsible for all upper-tier functions within its boundaries, including Southampton, until local government
249-708: A band of weak gravel and clay which is easily eroded by the rivers and sea. This band is bordered by two bands of chalk , the Purbeck Hills and Isle of Wight to the south, and the Dorset Downs and South Downs to the north. The clay extends west up the Frome valley to Dorchester , and would originally have extended east beyond Portsmouth in Hampshire. Before the last ice age the River Frome continued to flow east through what
332-548: A bath house. Clausentum was not abandoned until around 410. The Anglo-Saxons formed a new, larger, settlement across the Itchen centred on what is now the St Mary's area of the city. The settlement was known as Hamwic , which evolved into Hamtun and then Hampton . Archaeological excavations of this site have uncovered one of the best collections of Saxon artefacts in Europe. It
415-567: A county borough with responsibility for all aspects of local government. On 24 February 1964 Elizabeth II, by Letters Patent, granted the County Borough of Southampton the title of "City", so creating "The City and County of the City of Southampton". This did not, however, affect its composition or powers. The city has undergone many changes to its governance over the centuries and once again became administratively independent from Hampshire County as it
498-404: A four-year term, so there are elections three years out of four. The Labour Party has held overall control since 2022; after the 2023 council elections the composition of the council is: There are three members of Parliament for the city: Darren Paffey (Labour) for Southampton Itchen , the constituency covering the east of the city; Satvir Kaur (Labour) for Southampton Test , which covers
581-547: A large portion of those walls remain. A Royal Charter in 1952 upgraded University College at Highfield to the University of Southampton. In 1964 Southampton acquired city status , becoming the City of Southampton, and because of the Local Government Act 1972 was turned into a non-metropolitan district within Hampshire in 1973. Southampton City Council took over most of the functions of Hampshire County Council within
664-589: A major commercial port and industrial area. Prior to the Invasion of Europe , components for a Mulberry harbour were built here. After D-Day , Southampton docks handled military cargo to help keep the Allied forces supplied, making it a key target of Luftwaffe bombing raids until late 1944. Southampton docks was featured in the television show 24: Live Another Day in Day 9: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Some 630 people died as
747-469: A major port, freight transport has declined, but the port is still served by regular cross-Channel passenger ferries, with Brittany Ferries offering a passenger and freight service to Cherbourg. Condor Ferries operate to the Channel Islands and St Malo. Coastal trading vessels are also frequent visitors, unloading various cargos on the quaysides at Hamworthy, and fleet of fishing vessels operates from
830-689: A regular transatlantic service to New York from the city. Southampton is also one of the largest retail destinations in the South of England. Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War during what was known as the Southampton Blitz . It was one of the major embarkation points for D-Day . In the Middle Ages Southampton was where troops left England for the Battle of Agincourt . It
913-473: A result of the air raids on Southampton and nearly 2,000 more were injured, not to mention the thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed. Pockets of Georgian architecture survived the war, but much of the city was levelled. There has been extensive redevelopment since World War II. Increasing traffic congestion in the 1920s led to partial demolition of medieval walls around the Bargate in 1932 and 1938. However,
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#1732844314086996-449: A water supply system in 1290, which carried water from Conduit Head (remnants of which survive near Hill Lane, Shirley ) some 1.1 mi (1.7 km) to the site of the friary inside the town walls. Further remains can be observed at Conduit House on Commercial Road. The friars granted use of the water to the town in 1310. Between 1327 and 1330, the King and Council received a petition from
1079-511: Is heathland , and there are few settlements, as opposed to the eastern part of the Harbour. Directly south is Long Island , Round Island and Ower Bay. Green Island , Furzey Island and Brownsea Island (in that order) are to the east, with Newton Bay and Brands Bay (this area has several oil wells) to the south. This area of water is known as the South Deep. Continuing anti-clockwise comes back to
1162-704: Is Alan Spencer Southampton City Council has developed twinning links with Le Havre in France (since 1973), Rems-Murr-Kreis in Germany (since 1991), Trieste in Italy (since 2002), Hampton, Virginia , in the US, Qingdao in China (since 1998), Busan in South Korea (since 1978), and Miami, Florida , also in the US (since 14 June 2019). The geography of Southampton is influenced by
1245-463: Is Councillor David Shields Southampton is one of 16 cities and towns in England and Wales to have a ceremonial sheriff who acts as a deputy for the mayor. Traditionally the sheriff serves for one year after, which they will become the mayor of Southampton. Southampton's submission of an application for Lord Mayor status, as part of Queen Elizabeth II 's Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition 2022,
1328-500: Is a port city and unitary authority in Hampshire , England. It is located approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of London , 20 miles (32 km) west of Portsmouth , and 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Salisbury . Southampton had a population of 253,651 at the 2011 census, making it one of the most populous cities in southern England. Southampton forms part of the larger South Hampshire conurbation which includes
1411-510: Is a drowned valley ( ria ) formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome . The harbour has a long history of human settlement stretching to pre-Roman times. The harbour is extremely shallow (average depth 48 cm [19 in]), with one main dredged channel through the harbour, from the mouth to Holes Bay. Poole Harbour has an area of approximately 36 km (14 sq mi). It
1494-458: Is a small inlet from the main harbour. Spanning the inlet are two bridges: Poole Bridge and the new Twin Sails Bridge ; the latter officially opened in 2012 and cost around £37,000,000. Access to Holes Bay for vessels with an air draft greater than 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) is only possible when the bridges are lifted, which occurs several fixed times daily and sometimes on request. The new bridge
1577-429: Is also fortunate in that wind conditions are variable; wind conditions can be calm for sports such as wakeboarding, and a short while later strong for sports such as windsurfing. Most of these sports benefit from the harbour's generally flat water conditions. As a result, local watersport businesses operate around the harbour. Poole Tourism has developed and signed a number of trails and circular walks, collectively called
1660-463: Is an enormous number of moorings in the harbour, and many places to anchor. Much of the north side of the harbour is a built-up area, including the town of Poole , and the conurbation which continues 10 miles (16 km) eastwards along the coast. The west and south sides of the harbour and part of the Purbeck Heritage Coast are important wildlife havens, as are the five large islands in
1743-489: Is from this town that the county of Hampshire gets its name. Viking raids from 840 onwards contributed to the decline of Hamwic in the 9th century, and by the 10th century a fortified settlement, which became medieval Southampton, had been established. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Southampton became the major port of transit between the then capital of England, Winchester, and Normandy . Southampton Castle
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#17328443140861826-566: Is intended to help reduce traffic jams by ensuring at least one bridge is open to vehicular traffic at any one time. The bay contains Pergins Island , and the South Western railway line runs west to east on a causeway across the bay. To the north of the bay is Upton Country Park . Holes Bay is the location of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) training school, attached to their Poole headquarters. Uses of
1909-582: Is located between the two rivers. Town Quay is the original public quay, and dates from the 13th century. Today's Eastern Docks were created in the 1830s by land reclamation of the mud flats between the Itchen and Test estuaries. The Western Docks date from the 1930s when the Southern Railway Company commissioned a major land reclamation and dredging programme. Most of the material used for reclamation came from dredging of Southampton Water, to ensure that
1992-687: Is now the Solent , joining the Stour , Beaulieu , Test , Itchen and Hamble , before flowing into the English Channel to the east of the present day Isle of Wight. A relatively resistant chalk ridge ran continuously from the Purbeck Hills to the Isle of Wight, which the rivers could not break through. When the glaciers of the north of the island of Great Britain melted, the south of England sank slightly, flooding
2075-525: Is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world" (after Port Jackson , Sydney). In 1964 during harbour dredging, the waterlogged remains of a 2,000-year-old Iron Age logboat were found off Brownsea Island . Dated at about 295 BC, the 10 metres (33 ft) Poole Logboat is one of the largest vessels of its type from British waters. Its low freeboard would have limited its use to within Poole Harbour. Poole
2158-518: Is rated good or fail. Water quality of the Corfe River in 2019: This Dorset location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Poole Harbour Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset , southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour
2241-537: The 1888 Local Government Act , Southampton became a county borough within the county of Hampshire, which meant that the Corporation in Southampton had the combined powers of a lower-tier (borough) and an upper-tier (county) council within the city boundaries, while the new county council was responsible for upper-tier functions outside the city of Southampton. The ancient shire county, along with its associated assizes,
2324-571: The Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the ringleaders of the " Southampton Plot "— Richard, Earl of Cambridge , Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham , and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton —were accused of high treason and tried at what is now the Red Lion public house in the High Street. They were found guilty and summarily executed outside the Bargate . The city walls include God's House Tower , built in 1417,
2407-680: The Poole Harbour Trails , as well as the Poole Heritage Cycle Route for cyclists. A freight-only branch runs from Hamworthy railway station to Poole Docks. However, the line is fenced off at the Poole Docks level crossing with a run-round loop provided at Hamworthy Park. In 2017, it was served by a weekly stone train. As of 2024, this has stopped and the line abandoned. Photographs: Southampton Southampton ( / s aʊ θ ˈ ( h ) æ m p t ə n / )
2490-669: The River Piddle , the Corfe River and the Sherford River . Following the harbour anti-clockwise, heading north-east passes the built up residential settlements of Poole including Lilliput and Parkstone (east). About 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of the entrance of the harbour is the entrance to Poole Quay and the Holes Bay (see below). Directly west of the main part of Poole is Hamworthy . Continuing anti-clockwise, heading west around
2573-561: The Titanic Engineers' Memorial in East Park, built in 1914, dedicated to the ship's engineers who died on board. Nearby is another Titanic memorial, commemorating the ship's musicians. Southampton subsequently became the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth . In 1938, Southampton docks also became home to
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2656-413: The flying boats of Imperial Airways . Southampton Container Terminals first opened in 1968 and has continued to expand. Southampton was designated No. 1 Military Embarkation port during World War I and became a major centre for treating the returning wounded and POWs . It was also central to the preparations for the Invasion of Europe during World War II in 1944. The Supermarine Spitfire
2739-576: The 1940s. The port was the point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard Mayflower in 1620. In 1642, during the English Civil War , a Parliamentary garrison moved into Southampton. The Royalists advanced as far as Redbridge in March 1644 but were prevented from taking the town. Southampton became a spa town in 1740. It had also become a popular site for sea bathing by the 1760s, despite
2822-524: The Cinque Port men to damage Southampton, a flourishing port in the fourteenth century. When King Edward III came to the throne, this petition was given to the king and his mother, Queen Isabella , who was in charge of the town, and the country at this stage likely organised the writ of trespass that took any guilt away from the community at Southampton. The town was sacked in 1338 by French, Genoese and Monegasque ships (under Charles Grimaldi , who used
2905-594: The Empire . In his 1854 book The Cruise of the Steam Yacht North Star John Choules described Southampton thus: "I hardly know a town that can show a more beautiful Main Street than Southampton, except it be Oxford. The High Street opens from the quay, and under various names it winds in a gently sweeping line for one mile and a half, and is of very handsome width. The variety of style and color of material in
2988-579: The French. The town experienced major expansion during the Victorian era . The Southampton Docks company had been formed in 1835. In October 1838 the foundation stone of the docks was laid and the first dock opened in 1842. The structural and economic development of docks continued for the next few decades. The railway link to London was fully opened in May 1840. Southampton subsequently became known as The Gateway to
3071-490: The Harbour are the settlements of Upton and Wareham , as well as the outlet of the River Piddle . This area of water within the Harbour is known as Wareham Channel and includes other places such as Rockley Sands . Continuing anti-clockwise, now heading south are the majority of the islands within the Harbour as well as several small channels and inlets. To the west is Arne Bay and the Wych channel. The majority of land in this area
3154-523: The Port of Portsmouth; this tax farm was granted for an annual fee of £200 in the charter dated at Orival on 29 June 1199. The definition of the port of Southampton was apparently broader than today and embraced all of the area between Lymington and Langstone. The corporation had resident representatives in Newport, Lymington and Portsmouth. By a charter of Henry VI , granted on 9 March 1446/7 (25+26 Hen. VI, m. 52),
3237-506: The Solent valley and Southampton Water to form their characteristic rias (flooded estuaries). About 7,000 years ago, increased erosion from the sea and the increased flow caused by the change in climate broke through the chalk hills, cutting the Isle of Wight off from the Isle of Purbeck and flooding what is now the Solent and Christchurch Bay, leaving Poole Harbour as the estuary of the Frome. Once
3320-512: The Staple for the export of wool. Medieval Poole had trading links from the Baltics to Italy. In the 17th century, the town began trading with North America, in particular Newfoundland , and the town became very wealthy. In the 18th century, Poole was the principal British port trading with North America. At the start of the 19th century, 90% of Poole's population's employment was directly dependent on
3403-406: The approach channels to the Harbour and port, and 1.1 million m was made available to the local beaches of Poole, Bournemouth and Purbeck for beach replenishment . Poole Harbour Commissioners define the main shipping channels, in which leisure craft should take care, as : As well as the commercial activity discussed above, Poole is a major centre for sailing and motor boating. There
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3486-565: The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age . Following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD ;43 and the conquering of the local Britons in AD 70 the fortress settlement of Clausentum was established. It was an important trading port and defensive outpost of Winchester , at the site of modern Bitterne Manor . Clausentum was defended by a wall and two ditches and is thought to have contained
3569-446: The bay include fishing, kayaking and small leisure craft. A large marina known as Cobbs Quay is on the west side of the bay. On its east side the bay runs parallel to the A350 . Parkstone Bay is named after the suburb of Parkstone . Harbourside Park wraps around the bay. Poole Harbour is the location of a number of islands, of various sizes. These islands include: The harbour lies on
3652-545: The buildings affords an exhibition of outline, light and colour, that I think is seldom equalled. The shops are very elegant, and the streets are kept exceedingly clean." The port was used for military embarkation, including the Crimean war and the Boer War . A new pier, with ten landing stages, was opened by the Duke of Connaught on 2 June 1892. The Grand Theatre opened in 1898. It
3735-484: The city in April 1997 (including education and social services, but not the fire service), and thus became a unitary authority . In the 2010s several developments to the inner-city of Southampton were completed. In 2016 the south section of West Quay, or West Quay South, originally known as West Quay Watermark, was opened to the public. Its public plaza has been used for several annual events, such as an ice skating rink during
3818-649: The city of Portsmouth and the boroughs of Havant , Eastleigh , Fareham and Gosport . A major port, and close to the New Forest , Southampton lies at the northernmost point of Southampton Water , at the confluence of the River Test and Itchen , with the River Hamble joining to the south. Southampton is classified as a Medium-Port City. Southampton was the departure point for the RMS ; Titanic and home to 500 of
3901-458: The entrance to the Harbour and to Poole Bay , with Studland beach immediately south-east. Lytchett Bay lies to the north of the Harbour and flows into it through a narrow channel near the edge of the suburb of Hamworthy. This is fed by the Sherford River. Holes Bay is a tidal inland lake which lies to the north of Poole Harbour. It is a designated harbour quiet area. The entrance to the bay
3984-471: The first in southern England in modern times. The successful hatching is the first in 200 years. In August 2022, it was reported that one of the two chicks had been killed in a hawk attack. In May 2023, the only breeding pair of ospreys have hatched their first two chicks of the year. Due to the ever-increasing popularity of pleasure boating in the United Kingdom, the harbour has seen a rapid increase in
4067-600: The first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Over the years it has been used as home to the city's gunner, the Town Gaol and even as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board. Until September 2011, it housed the Museum of Archaeology. The walls were completed in the 15th century, but later development of several new fortifications along Southampton Water and the Solent by Henry VIII meant that Southampton
4150-509: The governance and regulation of the town and port which remained the "constitution" of the town until the local government organisation of the later Victorian period when the Local Government Act 1888 set up County Councils and County Borough Councils across England and Wales, including Southampton County Borough Council. Under this regime, "The Town and County of the Town of Southampton" became
4233-408: The hamlet of Steeple , between the Purbeck Hills and the coastal ridge. The river initially flows eastwards towards Corfe Castle . Just before reaching the village it swings north-northeast through the gap in the Purbecks between West Hill and East Hill and continues across Wytch Heath before emptying into Wych (or Wytch) Lake on the southern side of Poole Harbour . The Environment Agency measures
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#17328443140864316-402: The harbour is DFDS/LD Lines 186.5 metre Norman Voyager on 15 October 2013, with the second longest being the 167-metre Armorique of Brittany Ferries , which arrived in the port for the first time on 2 February 2010. The previous holder of that title was the 151-metre Bretagne , which arrived in the port for the first time on 27 February 2007. On 26 March 2023, an oil spill occurred in
4399-404: The harbour is partially blocked by Sandbanks , a spit on the north, which is built up and part of Poole, and by Studland to the south, which is another important wildlife area. The harbour is very shallow in places and has extensive mud flat and salt marsh habitats, as well as muddy and sandy shores and seagrass meadows . Being an extremely popular recreation and tourism area means that
4482-433: The harbour, but this dropped to 20% during the century as the railways reached the town, and deep-hulled boats moved up the coast to Southampton , which had a deeper harbour and is closer to London. With regular dredging of a channel through the harbour, it has regained some importance. During WW2 , Poole Harbour hosted seaplane bases. Dorset Yacht Co Ltd v Home Office was decided in 1970. The longest ship to enter
4565-404: The harbour, heading west, on either side are the shores of Studland beach (south west) and Sandbanks (in particular, the Haven Hotel and the peninsula, north east). Directly ahead are several islands, the largest of which is Brownsea Island . Four rivers drain into Poole harbour, the largest being the River Frome , which flows from the west through Dorchester and Wareham . The others are
4648-399: The harbour, originating from the oil field at Wytch Farm , run by Perenco . The Poole Harbour Commissioners reported that around 200 barrels of "reservoir fluid" had leaked into Poole Harbour from one of the oil field's pipelines. The Environment Agency described it as a "major incident". The entrance to Poole Harbour is from the east, via Poole Bay and the English Channel . Entering
4731-439: The harbour, which are home to the endangered red squirrel . The harbour is an area of international importance for wildlife conservation and is on the Ramsar list. It borders three national nature reserves , including the internationally important Studland and Godlingston Heath NNR , and a number of local and non-statutory nature reserves run by organisations such as the National Trust and RSPB , notably Arne . The mouth of
4814-412: The lack of a good quality beach. Innovative buildings specifically for this purpose were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide. Southampton engineer Walter Taylor 's 18th-century mechanisation of the block -making process was a significant step in the Industrial Revolution . The port was used for military embarkation, including during 18th-century wars with
4897-400: The local authorities and organisations have to carefully manage the tourism to prevent damage to the habitats. The south shore of the harbour, including Wytch Heath and Godlingstone Heath, is open heathland of little agricultural use. During the 20th century there was some afforestation with conifer plantations. Around Wareham Forest in the west this has been for commercial forestry, but on
4980-466: The mayor, bailiffs and burgesses of the towns and ports of Southampton and Portsmouth became a County incorporate and separate from Hampshire. The status of the town was changed by a later charter of Charles I by at once the formal separation from Portsmouth and the recognition of Southampton as a county. The formal title of the town became "The Town and County of the Town of Southampton". These charters and Royal Grants, of which there were many, also set out
5063-406: The motte and bailey castle, only a section of the bailey wall remains today, lying just off Castle Way. In 1447 Henry VI granted Southampton a charter which made it a county of itself, separate for most purposes from the county of Hampshire. The town was granted its own sheriff , which it retains to this day. The friary was dissolved in 1538 but its ruins remained until they were swept away in
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#17328443140865146-510: The people of Southampton. The community of Southampton claimed that Robert Batail of Winchelsea and other men of the Cinque Ports came to Southampton under the pretence that they were a part of Thomas of Lancaster 's rebellion against Edward II . The community thought that they were in conspiracy with Hugh le Despenser the Younger . The petition states that, the supposed rebels in the Despenser War 'came to Southampton harbour, and burnt their ships, and their goods, chattels and merchandise which
5229-429: The people who perished on board. The Spitfire was built in the city and Southampton has a strong association with the Mayflower , being the departure point before the vessel was forced to return to Plymouth . In the past century the city was one of Europe's main ports for ocean liners . More recently, Southampton is known as the home port of some of the largest cruise ships in the world. The Cunard Line maintains
5312-487: The plunder to help found the principality of Monaco ). On visiting Southampton in 1339, Edward III ordered that walls be built to "close the town". The extensive rebuilding — part of the walls dates from 1175 — culminated in the completion of the western walls in 1380. Roughly half of the walls, 13 of the original towers, and six gates survive. In 1348, the Black Death reached England via merchant vessels calling at Southampton. Prior to King Henry's departure for
5395-506: The private ownership of pleasure vessels over the past decade, most of which are housed in private marinas around the harbour. Due to this increase, Poole has seen a rise in the number of maritime-oriented businesses. With the popularity of watersports such as water skiing , wakeboarding , windsurfing and kitesurfing , Poole Harbour Commissioners have designated areas within the harbour almost exclusively for sport participation – virtually unrestricted from most regular harbour rules. Poole
5478-455: The sea and rivers. The city lies at the northern tip of the Southampton Water , a deep water estuary, which is a ria formed at the end of the last Ice Age and which opens into The Solent . At the head of Southampton Water the rivers Test and Itchen converge. The Test — which has a salt marsh that makes it ideal for salmon fishing — runs along the western edge of the city, while the Itchen splits Southampton in two—east and west. The city centre
5561-523: The shipping channels for the ferries and cargo vessels, enforcing harbour speed limits, improving port facilities and assisting with nature conservation. In November 2005 the main shipping channels into the harbour and the Port of Poole were dredged to accommodate modern ferries at all states of the tide. The project was carried out by Van Oord , and on completion the depth had been increased from 6 to 7.5 metres (20 to 25 ft). Approximately 1.8 million cubic metres of sand and silt were dredged from
5644-413: The south end of Poole Quay . There is considerable leisure usage of the harbour, by a combination of yachts and other private craft, cruise boats that ply the harbour, and ferries that provide a passenger link to Brownsea Island. The harbour is managed by the Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC), who represent all aspects of commercial and leisure activity in the harbour. Their duties include maintaining
5727-430: The southern shore the plantations conceal the Wytch Farm oil wells. Three bird species occur in internationally important numbers: common shelduck , pied avocet and black-tailed godwit . Other notable visitors include spoonbill , Sandwich tern and Eurasian whimbrel . Once rare, little egrets are now seen regularly and in increasing numbers. On 23 April 2022, ospreys nesting in Poole Harbour produced an egg,
5810-447: The water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations,
5893-489: The west of the city; and Caroline Nokes (Conservative) for Romsey and Southampton North , which includes a northern portion of the city. The first mayor of Southampton served in 1222 meaning 2022 was the 800th anniversary of the office. Early mayors of Southampton include: The first female mayor was Lucia Foster Welch , elected in 1927. In 1959 the city elected its sixth female mayor, Rosina Marie Stonehouse, mother to John Stonehouse . The current mayor of Southampton
5976-572: The winter season, and a public broadcast of the Wimbledon tennis championship . Two new buildings, the John Hansard Gallery with City Eye and a secondary site for the University of Southampton's Nuffield Theatre , in addition to several flats, were built in the "cultural quarter" adjacent to Guildhall Square in 2017. After the establishment of Hampshire County Council, following the passage of
6059-446: Was built in the 12th century and surviving remains of 12th-century merchants' houses such as King John's House and Canute's Palace are evidence of the wealth that existed in the town at this time. By the 13th century Southampton had become a leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool . The Franciscan friary in Southampton was founded circa 1233. The friars constructed
6142-465: Was demolished in 1960. From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton, building and repairing ships used in the two World Wars. In 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton. 497 men (four in five of the crew on board the vessel) were Sotonians, with about a third of those who perished in the tragedy hailing from the city. Today, visitors can see
6225-674: Was designed and developed in Southampton, evolving from the Schneider trophy -winning seaplanes of the 1920s and 1930s. Its designer, R J Mitchell, lived in the Portswood area of Southampton, and his house is today marked with a blue plaque. Heavy bombing of the Woolston factory in September 1940 destroyed it as well as homes in the vicinity, killing civilians and workers. World War II hit Southampton particularly hard because of its strategic importance as
6308-467: Was in them, and carried off other goods, chattels and merchandise of theirs found there, and took some of the ships with them, to a loss to them of £8000 and more.' For their petition to the King somewhere after 1321 and before 1327 earned some of the people of Southampton a prison sentence at Portchester Castle , possibly for insinuating the king's advisor Hugh le Despenser the Younger acted in conspiracy with
6391-477: Was itself raided by French pirates, leading to the construction of the fortified town walls , many of which still stand today. Jane Austen also lived in Southampton for a number of years. In 1964, the town of Southampton acquired city status , becoming the City of Southampton. Some notable employers in the city include the University of Southampton , Ordnance Survey , BBC South , Associated British Ports , and Carnival UK . Archaeological finds suggest that
6474-454: Was known as the County of Southampton or Southamptonshire . This was officially changed to Hampshire in 1959, although the county had been commonly known as Hampshire (and previously Hantescire – the origin of the abbreviation "Hants.") for centuries. In the reorganisation of English and Welsh local government that took effect on 1 April 1974 , Southampton lost its county borough when it became
6557-401: Was made into a unitary authority in a local government reorganisation on 1 April 1997, a result of the 1992 Local Government Act . The district remains part of the Hampshire ceremonial county . Southampton City Council consists of 51 councillors, 3 for each of the 17 wards. Council elections are held in early May for one third of the seats (one councillor for each ward), elected for
6640-544: Was no longer dependent upon its own fortifications. During the Middle Ages , shipbuilding had become an important industry for the town. Henry V 's famous warship Grace Dieu was built in Southampton and launched in 1418. The friars passed on ownership of the water supply system itself to the town in 1420. On the other hand, many of the medieval buildings once situated within the town walls are now in ruins or have disappeared altogether. From successive incarnations of
6723-405: Was once again reorganised in the late 1990s. Southampton as a port and city has had a long history of administrative independence of the surrounding County; as far back as the reign of King John the town and its port were removed from the writ of the King's Sheriff in Hampshire and the rights of custom and toll were granted by the King to the burgesses of Southampton over the port of Southampton and
6806-586: Was successful. Once the Letters Patent were published, the current Mayor (Councillor Jaqui Rayment) became the first Lord Mayor of Southampton. The Princess Royal presented the Lord Mayor with the Letters Patent in February 2023. The town crier from 2004 until his death in 2014 was John Melody, who acted as master of ceremonies in the city and who possessed a cry of 104 decibels . Southampton's current Town Crier
6889-469: Was used by the Romans as an invasion port for the conquest of southern England, who established the settlement at Hamworthy , now the western half of Poole. A Roman Road ran north from Hamworthy through a fort at Lake Farm, Ashington , to Badbury Rings , a Roman transport hub. At the time of the Norman Conquest , Poole was a small fishing village. The port grew, and in 1433 Poole was made Dorset's Port of
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