Bitterne Park is a suburb and
Electoral WardA ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of
SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on the Eastern bank of the
River ItchenThe River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
, built on sloping parkland which once formed part of
Bitterne ManorBitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
.
Bitterne Park Ward includes the suburbs of Bitterne Park,
Bitterne ManorBitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
,
MidanburyMidanbury is a small suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Bitterne, Bitterne Park and Townhill Park.-History:It is named after the country house "Midanbury Lodge" which was situated on the summit of a hill to the east of Southampton. The house no longer stands, and the land was used for...
and
Townhill ParkTownhill Park is a suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Swaythling, Bitterne Park and West End. It is built on land which once belonged to the house which carries the same name.- History :...
, and had a population of 13,276 as of the
2001 CensusA nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. The ward is bounded by
BevoisBevois is an Electoral Ward in the Unitary Authority of Southampton, England comprising the suburbs Bevois Valley, Nicholstown and Northam, with a population of 13,621....
,
PortswoodPortswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
and
SwaythlingSwaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
wards across the
River ItchenThe River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
to the west, and
HarefieldHarefield is a suburb and Electoral Ward near Bitterne in Southampton, England. The entire suburb consists of a council housing estate built around 1960 on the estate of Harefield House....
and
PeartreePeartree Ward is an Electoral Ward in the Unitary Authority of Southampton, England.It covers the suburbs of Merry Oak, Peartree Green and Itchen, and is bordered by Bargate Ward, Bevois Ward, Bitterne Park Ward, Harefield Ward, Sholing Ward, and Woolston Ward....
wards to the east.
History
The National Liberal Land Company purchased the land that is now Bitterne Park in 1882, and began developing it for residential purposes. An iron bridge was constructed across the Itchen to St Denys, thus improving access and vastly increasing the value of the land.
Local Area
The area is largely residential, with Bitterne Park Triangle (sometimes shortened to 'Bitterne Triangle' or simply 'The Triangle') as its focal point. A number of shops cluster around The Triangle.
There have been no banking facilities since the closure of NatWest's Triangle branch in the 1990s and later the
Post OfficeA post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
branch, in 2005; however, there are three cash machines. There has been a recent boom in take-away restaurants in Bitterne Triangle, including a fish and chip shop, a
kebabKebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
house,
Chinese restaurantsChinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, an American
pizzaPizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
house, Thai restaurants and an
Indian restaurantIndian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
.
Bitterne Park is also home to several schools, a local library, and a Buddhist Centre. Since 2008 the
Church of the Ascension-England:*The Ascension, Lavender Hill*Church of the Ascension, Hall Green*Church of the Ascension, Hulme-Israel:*Chapel of the Ascension , claimed to the early tradition...
has contained the lightest ring of twelve bells in the world.
Bitterne Park is at the Eastern edge of the
Cobden BridgeCobden Bridge is a major road bridge in Southampton, UK. It crosses the River Itchen joining the suburbs of St Denys and Bitterne Park. It forms part of the A3035...
, which links the area to
St. DenysSt Denys is a district of Southampton, England, approximately 3 miles north of the city centre, opposite Bitterne Park on the River Itchen, to which it is linked by Cobden Bridge. It is now bounded by the river, and by the railway and A335 bypass, which divided part of the original parish from the...
on the Western bank of the
River ItchenThe River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
. The Southern section of Southampton's Riverside Park is located in Bitterne Park.