92-480: The western Weald is an area of undulating countryside in Hampshire and West Sussex containing a mixture of woodland and heathland areas. It lies to the south of the towns of Bordon , Haslemere and Rake and to the west of the town of Pulborough . It includes the towns of Liss and Petersfield on its western boundary and the towns of Midhurst and Petworth to the south. Natural features include Blackdown ,
184-577: 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
276-518: 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 part of Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms the Hampshire Downs , to south-east, where it
368-555: A business partner. Cowdray moved to another family property at Fernhurst . The following year, in September 2010, the house was put on the market for £25 million, not including the rest of the estate. Lord Cowdray, claimed that he did not want his son to inherit the burden of maintaining the house. The collection housed within Cowdray Park was auctioned in situ by Christie's over three days, between 13 and 15 September 2011. Among
460-622: A central geographical feature. Various place-names identify locations as Jutish, including Bishopstoke ( Ytingstoc ), the River Itchen ( Ytene ) and the Meon Valley ( Ytedene ). There in fact appear to be at least two Jutish folklands in Hampshire: one established along the River Itchen and one along the River Meon . Evidence of an early Germanic settlement has been found at Clausentum , dated to
552-566: A diversity of plants and animals, including 14 out of 16 species of bat which occur in the UK, including the rare Bechstein's and Barbastelle bats. Adjoining farmland has been purchased with a grant from Restore UK which will be allowed to revert to pasture woodland over a long period with managed grazing by cattle. The Barbastelle bats need old dying trees with loose bark for their roosts and travel great distances along traditional flight lines to feed over damp meadows, which may be as much as 20 kilometres from
644-526: A landscape which has changed little since the Middle Ages. Almost one third of the area is woodland, and two-thirds of that is ancient, including old growth forest at The Mens and wood-pasture at Ebernoe Common . The area has many man-made lakes and ponds, often created to power the Wealden iron industry or for water mills, although others were created for sporting purposes. The western Weald has been described as
736-412: A population of 1,547,000. Cities and towns by population size: (2001 census) The table below shows the population change up to the 2011 census, contrasting the previous census. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5 per cent (August 2012). The most populous district of Hampshire
828-634: A rare example of a part-functioning forest ecosystem. The predominant geology underlying the western Weald is the Weald Clay of the Wealden Series of the Lower Cretaceous , including in a few places Paludina limestones, used as a building stone. To the west there are extensive hills and ridges formed of Lower Greensand , including Blackdown , the highest point in Sussex. There are patches of drift overlying
920-571: A reference from the late 11th century. ) shares the same root as the River Erne , suggesting the name refers to the Iverni . Hillforts largely declined in importance in 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
1012-724: A series of castles and forts was constructed along the coast of the Solent to defend the harbours at Southampton and Portsmouth. These include the Roman Portchester Castle which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour , and a series of forts built by Henry VIII including Hurst Castle , situated on a sand spit at the mouth of the Solent, Calshot Castle on another spit at the mouth of Southampton Water, and Netley Castle . Southampton and Portsmouth remained important harbours when rivals, such as Poole and Bristol , declined, as they are amongst
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#17328518300411104-707: A well documented practice of deliberately settling Germanic tribes to strengthen Roman defences. Portus Adurni was a Roman fort situated at the north end of Portsmouth Harbour . It was part of the Saxon Shore , and is the best-preserved Roman fort north of the Alps. Around an eighth of the fort has been excavated. A Norman keep was added in the Middle Ages , now known as Portchester Castle . The Romans withdrew from Britain in 410. Two major Roman roads, Ermin Way and Port Way , cross
1196-565: Is New Forest District . At the 2011 census, about 89 per cent of residents were white British, falling to 85.87 per cent in Southampton. The significant ethnic minorities were Asian at 2.6 per cent and mixed race at 1.4 per cent; 10 per cent of residents were born outside the UK. 59.7 per cent stated their religion as Christian and 29.5 per cent as not religious. Significant minority religions were Islam (1.46 per cent) and Hinduism (0.73 per cent). The Church of England Diocese of Winchester
1288-604: Is a rare example of a more natural forest ecosystem; it is home to rare wildlife species; it has a historic living landscape dating back to before medieval times; and it is an island of tranquillity in south-east England. The project has four objectives: The western Weald comprises the Low Weald, a vale of Weald Clay , and the hills of the Greensand Ridge . The Low Weald has an undulating, well-wooded character. A patchwork of farmland, woodland and commons, with many hedgerows, form
1380-524: 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 km (1,455 sq mi) and a population of 1,844,245, making it the 5th-most populous in England. The South Hampshire built-up area in
1472-613: Is designed to pass through most of the heathlands in the area, passing from Haslemere west to Rake, West Sussex then east to Fittleworth, north of the River Rother, and then westwards again, south of the river, to Petersfield. The A272 road is the only major road across the Western Weald, and is nearly all single carriageway, while the A283 and A286 roads provide north–south access. Local roads tend to be narrow and winding. The inclusion of
1564-494: Is known for its ponies and herds of fallow deer , red deer , roe deer , and sika deer as well as a small number of muntjac deer . The deer had been hunted for some 900 years until 1997. An unwelcome relative newcomer is the mink population, descended from animals that escaped or were deliberately released from fur farms since the 1950s, which cause havoc amongst native wildlife. Farlington Marshes , 125 ha (310 acres) of flower-rich grazing marsh and saline lagoon at
1656-556: Is not recorded, but evidence of burning is seen in Winchester dated to around that period. For most of the next three centuries southern Britain enjoyed relative peace. During the later part of the Roman period most towns built defensive walls; a pottery industry based in the New Forest exported items widely across southern Britain. A fortification near Southampton was called Clausentum , part of
1748-515: Is of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England. Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain , when its chief town 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
1840-631: 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
1932-579: The Army , Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force respectively. The county also includes several market towns : Alresford , Alton , Andover , Bishop's Waltham , Lymington , New Milton , Petersfield , Ringwood , Romsey and Whitchurch . At the 2001 census the ceremonial county recorded a population of 1,644,249, of which 1,240,103 were in the administrative county, 217,445 were in the unitary authority of Southampton, and 186,701 were in Portsmouth. The population of
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#17328518300412024-662: 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
2116-565: The Chichester District of West Sussex and the borough of Waverley in Surrey. It is funded by a partnership of 15 organisations including environmental bodies and local authorities. The project seeks to conserve and enhance the special natural environment of the area, which it considers to be internationally important for the following reasons: it is one of the most wooded landscapes in Britain; it
2208-401: The Domesday Book of 1086 which are in present-day Hampshire and part of Sussex. From the 12th century, the ports grew in importance, fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture in the county, and the fishing industry, and a shipbuilding industry was established. By 1523 at the latest, the population of Southampton had outstripped that of Winchester. Over several centuries,
2300-771: The English Channel and the Solent , facing the Isle of Wight . It is the largest county in South East England and remains the third largest shire county in the United Kingdom despite losing more land than any other English county in all contemporary boundary changes. At its greatest size in 1890, Hampshire was the fifth-largest county in England. It now has an overall area of 3,700 km (1,400 sq mi), and measures about 86 km (53 mi) east–west and 76 km (47 mi) north–south. Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. The north and centre are
2392-536: The Hamble , Meon , Beaulieu and Lymington rivers. The Hampshire Avon , which links Stonehenge to the sea, passes through Fordingbridge and Ringwood and then forms the modern border between Hampshire and Dorset. The northern branch of the River Wey has its source near Alton and flows east past Bentley . The River Loddon rises at West Ham Farm and flows north through Basingstoke. Hampshire's downland supports
2484-399: The Isle of Wight has at times been part of Hampshire, it has been administratively independent for over a century, obtaining a county council of its own in 1890. The Isle of Wight became a full ceremonial county in 1974. Apart from a shared police force , no formal administrative links now exist between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, though many organisations still combine Hampshire and
2576-520: The Lake District and Peak District . The Campaign to Protect Rural England , which had been campaigning for a South Downs national park since 1929, vigorously supported inclusion of the western Weald. Its president, Bill Bryson , claimed that failure to include the area would be a "national tragedy". Critics of the decision countered that there had been only limited new housing, and the area had been an AONB for forty years, showing that it did not need
2668-449: The Lambeth , Thames and Bracklesham Groups . In the south, along the coast is the " Hampshire Basin ", an area of relatively non-resistant Eocene and Oligocene clays and gravels which are protected from sea erosion by the Isle of Purbeck , Dorset , and the Isle of Wight . These low, flat lands support heathland and woodland habitats , a large area of which forms part of
2760-471: The New Forest . The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland , coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife . The forest is protected as a national park , limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grassland plagioclimax by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of
2852-620: The River Lod , and by the River Kird and Loxwood Stream, all of which are tributaries of the River Arun . Water quality is above average for south eastern England, with chemical water quality variable but biological quality good to exceptional in all of the rivers, according to the Environment Agency. Silt from intensive arable farming on silty erosion prone soils on the greensand is a problem in
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2944-449: The Saxon Shore forts, traditionally seen as either defences against maritime raids by Germanic tribes, or as a settlement area of Germanic tribes, which receives support from archaeological finds. Artefacts of a Germanic style have been found in burials, while there is also evidence of the presence of early Saxon settlement in southern England and the northern coasts of Gaul around Boulogne-sur-Mer and Bayeux . This, in turn, could mirror
3036-614: The South Downs National Park formally came into being. West Sussex County Council , which had consistently opposed the creation of any national park for the South Downs, sought at least to restrict the park boundary to the chalk escarpment of the South Downs, arguing that existing AONB designations gave the western Weald an equal level of protection. The leader of the council told the re-opened South Downs National Park inquiry that "there continues to be no support for inclusion of
3128-602: The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University (formerly Southampton Institute), Portsmouth to the University of Portsmouth , and Winchester to the University of Winchester (formerly known as University College Winchester; King Alfred's College). The northeast of the county houses the Blackwater Valley conurbation, which includes the towns of Farnborough , Aldershot , Blackwater and Yateley and borders both Berkshire and Surrey. Hampshire lies outside
3220-419: The green belt area of restricted development around London, but has good railway and motorway links to the capital, and in common with the rest of the south-east has seen the growth of dormitory towns since the 1960s. Basingstoke , in the northern part of the county, has grown from a country town into a business and financial centre. Aldershot, Portsmouth, and Farnborough have strong military associations with
3312-540: The 17th century, and many inhabitants of Hampshire settled there, naming the land New Hampshire in honour of their original homeland. The region is believed to have been continuously occupied since the end of the last Ice Age about 12,000 BCE. At that time sea levels were lower and Britain 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
3404-640: The 1870s. It was purchased in 1909 by Weetman Pearson , later 1st Viscount Cowdray , who restored the house. His heir and his twin Angela Pearson were born in 1910 and they and their three sisters were brought up here. His heir made further alterations in 1927. During the Second World War it was occupied by the Royal Army Service Corps . After the war, architect Percy Wheeler made alterations for John Pearson, 3rd Viscount Cowdray . The house
3496-645: The English People in the early eighth century: Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight. They initially settled Hampshire under Visigothic authority sometime after 476 AD, forming several distinct folklands organized around
3588-451: The Isle of Wight. In the 1970s, local government reorganisation led to a reduction in Hampshire's size; in 1974, the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch were transferred to Dorset . Hampshire is bordered by Dorset to the west, Wiltshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north, Surrey to the north-east, and West Sussex to the east. The southern boundary is the coastline of
3680-557: The National Soils Map, the most widespread being slowly permeable, seasonally wet, slightly acid but base-rich, loamy and clayey soils which have moderate natural fertility and impeded drainage. Where groundwater levels are high, a wet low fertility variant of the first type occurs. Very acid, free-draining soils with very low natural fertility occur over the Lower Greensand. Freely draining, slightly acid loamy soils are found along
3772-625: The New Forest was the site of several group B finishing schools for agents operated by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) between 1941 and 1945. (One of the trainers was Kim Philby who was later found to be part of a spy ring passing information to the Soviets.) In 2005, a special exhibition was established at the Estate, with a video showing photographs from that era as well as voice recordings of former SOE trainers and agents. Although
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3864-579: The Rother Valley so that it was unsuitable to be included. Seasonal use of plastic film on intensive vegetable crops along the fertile valley has a strong visual impact. This conclusion was disputed by a number of organisations, including Natural England , the Ramblers' Association , Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Campaign for National Parks who pointed to the diverse geology of existing national parks such as
3956-572: The Rother valley where they are used for intensive arable farming and vegetable growing. Freely draining, slightly acid sandy soils are found at Cowdray Park and around Hambledon . Wet loamy and clayey floodplain soils of moderate natural fertility are found along the River Arun, where they provide summer grazing for cattle. The western Weald is drained by the Western Rother and its tributaries, notably
4048-593: The South Downs would be designated a national park, and that the western Weald would be included within it. Until the creation of the national park, the western Weald had been protected by two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the East Hampshire AONB and the Sussex Downs AONB , both administered by the South Downs Joint Committee; these areas remained in existence until 31 March 2010, when
4140-410: The UK average at 9.8 to 12 °C (49.6 to 53.6 °F), average rainfall at 640–1,060 mm (25–42 in) per year, and holds higher than average sunshine totals of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year. For the complete list of settlements see List of places in Hampshire and List of settlements in Hampshire by population . Hampshire's county town is Winchester, a historic city that
4232-636: The Vikings and stabilised the region in the 9th century. A scholar as well as a soldier, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , a powerful tool in the development of the English identity, was commissioned in his reign. King Alfred proclaimed himself "King of England" in 886 AD; but Athelstan of Wessex did not officially control the whole of England until 927 AD. By the Norman conquest, London had overtaken Winchester as
4324-630: The Wealden area in the South Downs National Park", though this claim came only two weeks after a meeting with a number of parish and town councils from that area who had expressed strong support for its inclusion in the national park. Chichester District Council also expressed opposition to the creation of the national park, which was to cover two-thirds of its area, and to the inclusion of the western Weald. By contrast, Hampshire County Council and East Hampshire District Council , together with all
4416-535: The Western Rother. The Environment Agency is working with farmers to control run off from fields, by using reduced cultivations with less ploughing, having grass margins at the foot of slopes and moving gateways away from the foot of slopes. Flow rates, which are measured for the River Lod and Loxwood Stream, vary greatly with rainfall on the impermeable clay, with a tendency to flash flooding, and this has increased over
4508-522: 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
4600-415: The administrative region of "Hampshire" seems to appear - the name is attested as Hamwic and "Hamtunscir" in 755 AD - and suggests that control over the Solent was the motivating factor for establishment of the settlement. Wessex, with its capital at Winchester, gradually expanded westwards into Brythonic Dorset and Somerset . A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful King Alfred , who repulsed
4692-490: The area South east England has the most light polluted skies in Britain, especially in Greater London, with only about 1% truly dark sky. The Western Weald has some of the darkest skies in the region, with 3% of West Sussex being in the darkest category and 11% in the next darkest in 2000, all of it in the western weald. Between 1993 and 2000 the overall situation deteriorated but the darkest areas actually increased in parts of
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#17328518300414784-422: The area for a number of years, but red kites have not yet colonised the area. At least 4,400 species have been recorded, including many priority species for conservation, including 95 listed under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Ebernoe Common is a national nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest . Managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust, it includes ancient woodland, glades and ponds, and supports
4876-424: The area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups. Natural England identifies a number of national character areas that lie wholly or partially in Hampshire: the Hampshire Downs , New Forest , South Hampshire Lowlands , South Coast Plain , South Downs , Low Weald and Thames Basin Heaths Hampshire contains all its green belt in the New Forest district, in
4968-425: The army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and the Isle of Purbeck . Supermarine , the designers of the Spitfire and other military aircraft, were based in Southampton, which led to severe bombing of the city in World War II . Aldershot remains one of the British Army 's main permanent camps. Farnborough is a major centre for the aviation industry. During World War II, the Beaulieu estate of Lord Montagu in
5060-424: The clay and some river terrace gravels and alluvium in the river valleys. Beyond the Weald Clay a generally narrow band of Gault Clay outcrops to form the boundary between the Weald and the chalk downlands. At Alice Holt Forest , north of Woolmer Forest, a wide outcrop of this blue clay was exploited on an industrial scale for pottery production during the Roman era. Six soil condition types have been identified by
5152-425: The clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a scarp onto the Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest village in Hampshire at about 240 m (790 ft) above sea level is Ashmansworth , located between Andover and Newbury . The Itchen and Test are trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Other important watercourses are
5244-717: The county have been known as Hampshire hogs since the 18th century. In the eastern part of the county the principal port was Portsmouth (with its naval base, population 95,000), while several ports (including Southampton, with its steam docks, population 47,000) in the western part were significant. In 1868, the number of people employed in manufacture exceeded those in agriculture, engaged in silk, paper, sugar and lace industries, ship building and salt works. Coastal towns engaged in fishing and exporting agricultural produce. Several places were popular for seasonal sea bathing. The ports employed large numbers of workers, both land-based and seagoing; Titanic , lost on her maiden voyage in 1912,
5336-416: The county's downlands : a gently folded succession of sedimentary rocks dating from the Cretaceous and Palaeogene periods. The lower (early) Cretaceous rocks are sandstones and mudstones whilst those of the upper (late) Cretaceous are the various formations that comprise the Chalk Group . Overlying these rocks in some areas are less consolidated Palaeogene clays , sands , gravels and silts of
5428-434: The county, and the South Downs National Park embraces parts of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex; they are each overseen by a national park authority . Hampshire has a milder climate than most areas of the British Isles , being in the far south with the climate stabilising effect of the sea, but protected against the more extreme weather of the Atlantic coast. Hampshire has a higher average annual temperature than
5520-580: 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 , 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
5612-402: The early and middle Iron Age ; 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 described by classical writers. The town of Bitterne ( Byterne in
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#17328518300415704-464: The few locations that combine shelter with deep water. Mayflower and Speedwell set sail for America from Southampton in 1620. During the English Civil War (1642–1651) there were several skirmishes in Hampshire between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. Principal engagements were the Siege of Basing House between 1643 and 1645, and the Battle of Cheriton in 1644; both were significant Parliamentarian victories. Other clashes included
5796-411: The fifth century and likely the Visigothic center of power in the area, either independently or in conjunction with powerful Romano-British trading ports. Nevertheless, Visigothic authority waned after 517 A.D and the settlements were gradually encroached upon by South Saxons . The West Saxons moved south in the late seventh century and incorporated Hampshire into their kingdom. Around this period,
5888-420: The greater protection of being in a national park. After much public outcry and petitioning of government it was decided to re-open the public inquiry to take new submissions regarding the western Weald and a number of other disputed areas; the inquiry re-opened on 12 February 2008 and closed on 4 July 2008 after 27 sitting days. On 31 March 2009 the result of the inquiry was published. The government announced that
5980-610: The highest point in Sussex, and Woolmer Forest in Hampshire. The chalk escarpment of the South Downs forms a prominent boundary to the south and west. The western Weald forms part of the larger Weald . Geologically it consists of a mixture of sandstone and clay strata which have been exposed by the erosion of the Weald-Artois Anticline . The resulting soils include acid heathland and poorly draining clay soil which support deciduous, particularly oak, woodlands interspersed with small irregularly shaped fields, with many surviving medieval boundaries. The western Weald came to prominence as
6072-416: The largest city in England and after the Norman Conquest, King William I made London his capital. While the centre of political power moved away from Hampshire, Winchester remained an important city; the proximity of the New Forest to Winchester made it a prized royal hunting forest; King William Rufus was killed while hunting there in 1100. There were 44 hundreds , covering 483 named places, recorded in
6164-408: The last thirty years. The low population density of the western Weald leads to gaseous pollution levels from fossil fuels being around half those of surrounding districts. Methane coming from ruminant animals and nitrous oxide from soils mean there is less difference regarding these gases. Low population density for south east England and the absence of trunk roads contribute to low noise levels in
6256-546: The majority of the county, parish councils or town councils at the local level. Cowdray Park, West Sussex The park lies near Easebourne , West Sussex , in the South Downs National Park . The estate belongs to Viscount Cowdray , whose family have owned it since 1909. It has a golf course, and it offers clay pigeon shooting and corporate activity days, as well as the more traditional activities of agriculture, forestry and property lets. The preserved ruins of Cowdray House an important Tudor era great house lie in
6348-414: The north end of Langstone Harbour , is a nature reserve and an internationally important overwintering site for wildfowl. In a valley on the downs is Selborne ; the countryside surrounding the village was the location of Gilbert White 's pioneering observations on natural history . Hampshire's county flower is the Dog Rose . Hampshire contains two national parks ; the New Forest is wholly within
6440-652: The north of the county connecting Calleva Atrebatum with Corinium Dobunnorum , modern Cirencester , and Old Sarum respectively. Other roads connected Venta Belgarum with Old Sarum, Wickham and Clausentum. A road presumed to diverge from the Chichester to Silchester Way at Wickham connected Noviomagus Reginorum , modern Chichester , with Clausentum. Records are sparse for the next 300 years, but later chroniclers speak of an influx of Jutes – an amalgam of Cimbri , Teutons , Gutones and Charudes called Eudoses , Eotenas , Iutae or Euthiones in other sources - and recorded by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of
6532-439: The northwest corner of the county, bordering Berkshire, and there are some 20 other hills exceeding 200 m (660 ft). Butser Hill , at 271 m (889 ft), where the A3 crosses the South Downs , is probably the best known. In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the rocks of the Chalk Group , which form the Hampshire Downs and the South Downs . These are high hills with steep slopes where they border
6624-474: The objects sold were furniture, silver, paintings, tapestries and porcelain, with a portrait previously identified as Queen Elizabeth I (but now considered more likely to be Catherine Howard , née Carey, Countess of Nottingham ) achieving the highest auction price of £325,250. In total, the auction raised £7.9 million. The estate is home to the Cowdray Park Polo Club, which describes itself as
6716-440: The parish councils in the Hampshire part of the western Weald, took a positive view of the proposed park and welcomed the public enquiry inspector's decision in favour. 51°03′N 0°45′W / 51.05°N 0.75°W / 51.05; -0.75 Hampshire Hampshire ( / ˈ h æ m p ʃ ər / , /- ʃ ɪər / ; abbreviated to Hants. ) is a ceremonial county in South East England . It
6808-515: The park and are open to visitors. The estate was owned by the Bohun family from approximately 1185. Sir David Owen, son of Owen Tudor , built Cowdray House in the 16th century. His son sold the estate to William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton in 1529. His half-brother Sir Anthony Browne inherited the estate in 1542. Browne's son Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu inherited in 1548. The 7th Viscount employed Capability Brown to landscape
6900-425: The park in 1770. The park and gardens are Grade II* listed . On 25 September 1793, a fire destroyed Cowdray House, reducing it to its present ruined state. The ruins are Grade I listed. The 7th Viscount's daughter married William Stephen Poyntz . On his death in 1840, the estate was purchased by George Perceval, 6th Earl of Egmont . The present house was built by his son Charles Perceval, 7th Earl of Egmont in
6992-526: 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 . Agriculture
7084-405: The result of a protracted and sometimes heated dispute about whether or not the area should be included in the South Downs National Park . The original public inquiry into the proposal to create the national park concluded that it should be excluded, in large part because of its different geology from the chalky South Downs. However, following a second inquiry the government decided that the whole of
7176-478: The roost, in the Arun and Rother valleys. Local landowners are being encouraged to maintain and enhance continuous tree cover along these routes so that the bats can travel out on summer evenings, avoiding predation by sparrow hawks. There are substantial areas of open access land on commons across the area and extensive footpath and bridleway networks. The Serpent Trail long distance path between Petersfield and Haslemere
7268-520: The south-east of the county has a population of 855,569 and contains the cities of Southampton (269,781) and Portsmouth (208,100). In the north-east, the Farnborough / Aldershot conurbation extends into Berkshire and Surrey and has a population of 252,937. The next-largest settlements are Basingstoke (113,776), Andover (50,887), and Winchester (45,184). The centre and south-west of the county are rural. For local government purposes Hampshire comprises
7360-551: The southwest of the county, from the boundary with Dorset along the coastline to Lymington and northwards to Ringwood . Its boundary is contiguous with the New Forest National Park . The Hampshire portion was first created in 1958. Its function is to control expansion in the South East Dorset conurbation and outlying towns and villages. The highest point in Hampshire is Pilot Hill at 286 m (938 ft), in
7452-671: The weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large estuaries and rias , notably the 16 km (9.9 mi) long Southampton Water and the large convoluted Portsmouth Harbour . The Isle of Wight lies off the coast of Hampshire where the non-resistant rock has been eroded away, forming the Solent . A 2014 study found that Hampshire shares significant reserves of shale oil with other neighbouring counties, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil , which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in
7544-518: The western Weald in the South Downs National Park was a matter of great controversy. The report on the original public inquiry into the creation of the national park, which was published on 31 March 2006, concluded that its boundaries should be confined to the chalk downs, and thus exclude the wealden area of East Hampshire and the Chichester District of West Sussex. The inspector claimed new housing developments and intensive agriculture had degraded
7636-493: The western Weald should be included, a decision which took effect when the new national park formally came into existence on 31 March 2010. The West Weald Landscape Project refers to itself as "a visionary partnership project that promotes the integrated management of a viable and enhanced landscape in the West Weald for people and nature." The project covers an area of 240 square kilometres (93 sq mi) north of Petworth in
7728-455: The western weald. As well as obscuring the starry sky light pollution is claimed to detrimentally affect foraging behaviour of bats, frogs and moths, the migration of birds and singing by song birds. The range of habitats, broken topography and small field sizes in the Western Weald support a wide range of species. The large fragments of ancient woodland , heathlands and wet meadows are of special conservation value. Buzzards have been breeding in
7820-413: 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. The Saxon settlement at Southampton was known as Hamtun , while the surrounding area or scīr was called Hamtunscīr . The old name
7912-569: Was a major port. The Romans invaded Britain again in 43 CE and Hampshire was incorporated into the Roman province of Britannia very quickly. It is generally believed their political leaders allowed themselves to be incorporated peacefully. Venta became the capital of the administrative polity of the Belgae, which included most of Hampshire and Wiltshire and reached as far as Bath. Whether the people of Hampshire played any role in Boudicca's rebellion of 60–61
8004-642: Was being practised in southern Britain by 4000 BCE and with it a neolithic culture. Some deforestation took place at that time, although during the Bronze Age , beginning in 2200 BCE, it became more widespread and systematic. Hampshire has few monuments to show from those early periods, although nearby Stonehenge was built in several phases at some time between 3100 and 2200 BCE. In the very late Bronze Age fortified hilltop settlements known as hillforts began to appear in large numbers in many parts of Britain including Hampshire, and they became more and more important in
8096-567: Was crewed largely by residents of Southampton. On 16 October 1908, Samuel Franklin Cody made the first powered flight of 400 yd (370 m) in the United Kingdom at Farnborough , then home to the Army Balloon Factory. Hampshire played a crucial role in both World Wars due to the large Royal Navy naval base at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot , and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to
8188-592: Was founded in 676AD and covers about two thirds of Hampshire and extends into Dorset. Smaller parts of Hampshire are covered by the dioceses of Portsmouth , Guildford and Oxford . The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth covers Hampshire as well as the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands . With the exceptions of the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, Hampshire is governed by Hampshire County Council based at Castle Hill in Winchester, with eleven non-metropolitan districts beneath it and, for
8280-530: 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
8372-505: Was recorded in the Domesday book as Hantescire , and it is from this spelling that the modern abbreviation "Hants" derives. From 1889 until 1959, the administrative county was named the County of Southampton . It has also been called Southamptonshire . Hampshire was a departure point for several groups of colonists who left England to settle on the east coast of North America during
8464-501: Was refurbished by Michael Pearson, 4th Viscount Cowdray from 1995. It is Grade II listed. Numerous other aspects of the estate are listed. In 2005 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £2.7m towards the cost of stabilising the ruins and they were opened to the public on 31 March 2007. In May 2009 Lord Cowdray sought to turn the house into a country house hotel, but the project was abandoned when Cowdray failed to find
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