Eastleigh
Encyclopedia
Eastleigh is a railway town
in Hampshire
, England
, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough
which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton
and Winchester
, and is part of the South Hampshire
conurbation. Eastleigh borough stretches from Netley
on the banks of Southampton Water
, the historic river villages of Hamble-le-Rice
, Bursledon
and Botley
, the developing areas of Hedge End
, West End
, Fair Oak
& Bishopstoke
and the green residential belt of Chandler's Ford
and Boyatt Wood
. Eastleigh is home to many businesses, including a manufacturing plant
owned by Prysmian Cables & Systems
(formerly the cables division of Pirelli
).
The town lies on the River Itchen
, one of England's premier chalk stream
s for fly fishing
, a designated site of Special Scientific Interest
due to its high quality habitats supporting a wide range of protected species including the threatened water vole, otter
, brook lamprey
and white-clawed crayfish
.
The modern town of Eastleigh lies on the old Roman
road, built in A.D.79 between Winchester
(Venta Belgarum
) and Bitterne
(Clausentum
). Roman
remains discovered in the Eastleigh area, including a Roman lead
coffin
excavated in 1908, indicate that a settlement probably existed here in Roman times.
A Saxon
village called ‘East Leah’ has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. (‘Leah’ is an ancient Anglo-Saxon
word meaning ‘a clearing in a forest’). There is additional evidence of this settlement in a survey from the time which details land in North Stoneham being granted by King Æthelstan
to his military aid, Alfred in 932 AD. The prefix ‘Est’ or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of Baddesley
.
The Domesday Book
of 1086 gives a more detailed account of the settlement, which is referred to as ‘Estleie’.
In 1838 the London and SouthWestern Railway Company
(L&SWR) built a railway from Southampton
to Winchester
. It was decided to build a station near the little village of Barton. This railway station
was originally named Bishopstoke
Junction. In 1868 the villages of Barton and Eastley were combined into one parish. A parish church, the Church of the Resurrection, was built in the same year, at a cost of £2,300. A local noted authoress of many novels, Charlotte Yonge, donated £500 towards the building of the church. She was rewarded by being given the privilege to choose a name for the 'new' parish; either Barton or Eastly. She chose Eastly, but with a new modern spelling; Eastleigh. In 1891 the L&SWR Carriage and Wagon Works from Nine Elms
in London
were transferred to Eastleigh. This was followed by the Nine Elms Locomotive Works
which were moved there in 1909.
These Railway Works were closed in 2006 but have since reopened, albeit on a smaller scale.
Eastleigh has seen a rapid and controlled expansion in residential, industrial and commercial development
over recent years. The borough of Eastleigh
was ranked the "9th best place to live in the UK 2006" by a Channel 4
programme.
Perhaps Eastleigh's most well known 'resident' is the Spitfire
aeroplane which was built in Southampton and first flown from Eastleigh Aerodrome (now Southampton International Airport
). A replica has recently been placed on the roundabout
at the entrance to the airport.
The most famous people
linked to Eastleigh are probably Christabel Leighton-Porter
, the model for the World War II
cartoon character
Jane
, and Benny Hill
who both lived in the town. Benny's first job was in Woolworths
in Leigh Road, Eastleigh. He then moved on to be a milkman for Hanns Dairies, in Factory Road, now Wells Place. His time working in Eastleigh on a horse-drawn milk-float gave him his inspiration for his hit record, ‘Ernie,the fastest milkman in the West’. In Benny's honour a plaque has been put up close to the site of the now demolished Hanns Dairies building and a new road has been named Benny Hill Close, though many of the people who had bought the new homes were not happy with the decision.
Sir Arthur Young, the eminent police chief
, was born at 55 Chamberlayne Road in 1907. Sporting notables include Tommy Green who won an Olympic Gold Medal
at the 1932 Los Angeles Games
in the 50K walk, and Vince Hawkins who was briefly British Middleweight Boxing Champion in the late 1940s.
Eastleigh Museum, which is to be found in the High Street holds information about the town and the surrounding villages, including Bishopstoke which had been the largest residential area
.
colleges, Barton Peveril College
(the alma mater
of Colin Firth
) and Eastleigh College
. It also holds many other schools including The Toynbee Community Sports College, Crestwood College, Quilley School of Engineering
, Cherbourg Primary School, Norwood Primary School, The Crescent Primary School and Shakespeare Primary School
are the town's sole senior football team playing in the Blue Square South league (2 divisions below the football league) as well as entering the FA cup and the FA Trophy.
Eastleigh Ladies Hockey Club is based in South Hampshire. It fields 2 teams in the Hampshire Women's League (playing Saturdays), as well as playing floodlit and indoor league games (playing on weekdays).
Eastleigh is also home to Eastleigh Rugby club and Trojans Rugby club.
Chris Huhne
was elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Eastleigh constituency after the previous MP (David Chidgey
, also Liberal Democrat) retired. Eastleigh has a tradition of close contests, and Huhne narrowly beat the Conservative candidate Conor Burns
with the second lowest swing against the Liberal Democrats of any seat with a retiring MP (2.6%). David Chidgey had succeeded the Conservative
MP Stephen Milligan
after his high profile death. Chris Huhne was recently appointed as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
following the 2010 general election.
head office is in the Portswood House in Eastleigh. The town was formerly home to a Mr Kipling
bakery.
, the 20th largest airport
in the UK
, is located in Eastleigh. Southampton Airport is served by a dedicated mainline railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway, which is the next station stop (5 minutes) from Eastleigh railway station
.
, a mainline station on the South Western Main Line
from London Waterloo
(just 66 minutes away) and Winchester
to Southampton
, Bournemouth
and Poole
, with a fast and frequent service to those places. It is also the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line
and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line
.
, Bluestar
, Brijan Tours
, First Group Hampshire, Wilts & Dorset
or Velvet
.
, giving easy road access to Southampton, Winchester, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and places between.
and a new library (replacing the recently demolished Town Hall library) in the High Street atrium.
The Centre originally contained a large shop unit which was reserved for a major fashion retailer (rumoured to be Dunnes
), however this never came to fruition and in the late 1990s, significant modifications were made to the 'Octogan' (the Market Street atrium), including removal of the glass lift, replacement stairs and closure/in-filling of the mall that led to the southern part of Market Street (the shop units in this part were never let). These modifications were partly paid for by Littlewoods
, who moved into the new enlarged shop unit. Following the demise of Littlewoods' retail business, the unit is now occupied by T.K. Maxx
. Anchor store
s at the Swan Centre include Tesco Metro
, W H Smith
, New Look, Next, McDonald's
, Argos
and Boots.
The Swan Centre has been largely successful commercially, with most of the ground floor units being occupied, however the retail units on the first floor have never been let. The High Street atrium used to have a crèche
but now only has the library and centre management offices. In 2008, a project to extend the Swan Centre was started. The extension, at the eastern side of the centre saw a new structure constructed above the Tesco car park
. This extension completed in March/April 2009 with the opening of a Vue cinema
, AMF bowling alley
and several restaurants.
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England 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...
, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough
Eastleigh (borough)
The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, bordering the unitary authority of Southampton, Test Valley, the City of Winchester and the borough of Fareham. Eastleigh is separated from the New Forest by Southampton Water...
which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton
Southampton
Southampton 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...
and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, and is part of the South Hampshire
South Hampshire
South Hampshire or Solent City is a term used mainly to refer to the metropolitan area formed by the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and their suburbs and commuter towns, in southern Hampshire, England. The area has population of around 1 million based on the 2001 census...
conurbation. Eastleigh borough stretches from Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
on the banks of Southampton Water
Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point. Along its salt marsh-fringed western shores lie the New Forest villages of Hythe and "the waterside", Dibden Bay, and the Esso oil refinery at Fawley...
, the historic river villages of Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
, Bursledon
Bursledon
Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...
and Botley
Botley, Hampshire
Botley is a historic village in Hampshire, England that obtained a charter for a market from Henry III in 1267. The area has been settled since at least the 10th century....
, the developing areas of Hedge End
Hedge End
Hedge End is a town and civil parish located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, adjoining the districts of West End and Botley. Hedge End lies within the Borough of Eastleigh and is part of the Southampton Urban Area.It is sometimes mistakenly claimed...
, West End
West End, Hampshire
The Parish of West End in Hampshire is situated within the borough of Eastleigh, and to the north east of the city of Southampton. As well as the village itself, the parish contains the Chartwell Green suburb of Southampton....
, Fair Oak
Fair Oak
Fair Oak, Hampshire is a small village on the outskirts of Eastleigh, and near Southampton and Winchester. Its parish incorporates the neighbouring village of Horton Heath, which lies to the south.-History:...
& Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke, a village recorded in the Domesday Book, is a civil parish in the borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD. The village is about a mile east of...
and the green residential belt of Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford is a largely residential area and civil parish in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, with a population of 20,071 in the 2001 UK Census....
and Boyatt Wood
Boyatt Wood
Boyatt Wood is a small residential area north of Eastleigh in Hampshire.Famously Craig David used to practice trumpet here.Boyatt Wood Church, is an Anglican parish church in the area. Boyatt Wood Allotment Site contains 61 gardening plots.Boyatt Wood contains a pub and some local shops, but it...
. Eastleigh is home to many businesses, including a manufacturing plant
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
owned by Prysmian Cables & Systems
Prysmian
Prysmian is an Italian-based multinational corporation headquartered in Milan and listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, manufacturing and laying cables for the energy and telecommunications sectors, it's the market leader, also thanks to the acquisition of Draka Holding...
(formerly the cables division of Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
).
The town lies on the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The 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,...
, one of England's premier chalk stream
Chalk stream
Chalk streams have characteristics which set them apart from watercourses associated with other rock types.Aside from those with an interest in the geological and ecological disciplines, the term chalk stream is most widely used among a small group of fly fishermen ,...
s for fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
, a designated site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
due to its high quality habitats supporting a wide range of protected species including the threatened water vole, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, brook lamprey
Brook lamprey
The European brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater...
and white-clawed crayfish
Austropotamobius pallipes
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only species of crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish.-Distribution and ecology:...
.
History
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
road, built in A.D.79 between Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
(Venta Belgarum
Venta Belgarum
Venta Belgarum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia Superior. Today it is known as Winchester and is situated in the English county of Hampshire.-Development:...
) and Bitterne
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England.Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the Bittern but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor...
(Clausentum
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne 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....
). Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains discovered in the Eastleigh area, including a Roman lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
excavated in 1908, indicate that a settlement probably existed here in Roman times.
A Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
village called ‘East Leah’ has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. (‘Leah’ is an ancient Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
word meaning ‘a clearing in a forest’). There is additional evidence of this settlement in a survey from the time which details land in North Stoneham being granted by King Æthelstan
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
to his military aid, Alfred in 932 AD. The prefix ‘Est’ or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of Baddesley
North Baddesley
North Baddesley is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated 3 miles east of the town of Romsey and 6 miles north of Southampton. It occupies an area of approximately 9.15 square kilometres, and is home to a population of just over 10,000 people. It is located in the...
.
The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 gives a more detailed account of the settlement, which is referred to as ‘Estleie’.
In 1838 the London and SouthWestern Railway Company
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(L&SWR) built a railway from Southampton
Southampton
Southampton 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...
to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
. It was decided to build a station near the little village of Barton. This railway station
Eastleigh railway station
Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South Western Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line...
was originally named Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke
Bishopstoke, a village recorded in the Domesday Book, is a civil parish in the borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 AD. The village is about a mile east of...
Junction. In 1868 the villages of Barton and Eastley were combined into one parish. A parish church, the Church of the Resurrection, was built in the same year, at a cost of £2,300. A local noted authoress of many novels, Charlotte Yonge, donated £500 towards the building of the church. She was rewarded by being given the privilege to choose a name for the 'new' parish; either Barton or Eastly. She chose Eastly, but with a new modern spelling; Eastleigh. In 1891 the L&SWR Carriage and Wagon Works from Nine Elms
Nine Elms
Nine Elms is a suburb of London, situated in the far north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Wandsworth between Battersea and Vauxhall.It is primarily an industrial area, dominated by Battersea Power Station, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, railway lines, a major Royal Mail sorting office and...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
were transferred to Eastleigh. This was followed by the Nine Elms Locomotive Works
Nine Elms Locomotive Works
Nine Elms locomotive works were built in 1839 by the London and South Western Railway adjoining their passenger terminus near the Vauxhall end of Nine Elms Lane, in the district of Nine Elms in the London Borough of Battersea. They were rebuilt in 1841 and remained the principal locomotive...
which were moved there in 1909.
These Railway Works were closed in 2006 but have since reopened, albeit on a smaller scale.
Eastleigh has seen a rapid and controlled expansion in residential, industrial and commercial development
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
over recent years. The borough of Eastleigh
Eastleigh (borough)
The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, bordering the unitary authority of Southampton, Test Valley, the City of Winchester and the borough of Fareham. Eastleigh is separated from the New Forest by Southampton Water...
was ranked the "9th best place to live in the UK 2006" by a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
programme.
Perhaps Eastleigh's most well known 'resident' is the Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
aeroplane which was built in Southampton and first flown from Eastleigh Aerodrome (now Southampton International Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
). A replica has recently been placed on the roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at the entrance to the airport.
The most famous people
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
linked to Eastleigh are probably Christabel Leighton-Porter
Chrystabel Leighton-Porter
Chrystabel Leighton-Porter was the model for the Second World War Daily Mirror newspaper cartoon heroine Jane which boosted morale during the Blitz. Prime Minister Winston Churchill suggested that Jane was "Britain's secret weapon"...
, the model for the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cartoon character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Jane
Jane (comic strip)
Jane was a comic strip created and drawn by Norman Pett exclusively for the British tabloid The Daily Mirror from 5 December 1932 to 10 October 1959.-Characters and story:...
, and Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
who both lived in the town. Benny's first job was in Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
in Leigh Road, Eastleigh. He then moved on to be a milkman for Hanns Dairies, in Factory Road, now Wells Place. His time working in Eastleigh on a horse-drawn milk-float gave him his inspiration for his hit record, ‘Ernie,the fastest milkman in the West’. In Benny's honour a plaque has been put up close to the site of the now demolished Hanns Dairies building and a new road has been named Benny Hill Close, though many of the people who had bought the new homes were not happy with the decision.
Sir Arthur Young, the eminent police chief
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
, was born at 55 Chamberlayne Road in 1907. Sporting notables include Tommy Green who won an Olympic Gold Medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1932 Los Angeles Games
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in the 50K walk, and Vince Hawkins who was briefly British Middleweight Boxing Champion in the late 1940s.
Eastleigh Museum, which is to be found in the High Street holds information about the town and the surrounding villages, including Bishopstoke which had been the largest residential area
Residential area
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single family housing, multi-family residential, or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit...
.
Education
Eastleigh has two further educationFurther education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
colleges, Barton Peveril College
Barton Peveril College
Barton Peveril Sixth Form College is the seventh largest sixth form college in the UK, located in Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK with approximately 2600 students. It is part of the Wessex Group of Sixth Form Colleges.-Admissions:...
(the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
) and Eastleigh College
Eastleigh College
Eastleigh College in Eastleigh, Hampshire is a community college of further education, providing education and training to school leavers and students returning to education....
. It also holds many other schools including The Toynbee Community Sports College, Crestwood College, Quilley School of Engineering
Quilley School of Engineering
Alderman Quilley, now called Quilley School of Engineering, is a secondary school in Eastleigh, Hampshire, England. The school is a specialist Engineering College...
, Cherbourg Primary School, Norwood Primary School, The Crescent Primary School and Shakespeare Primary School
Sport
Eastleigh F.C.Eastleigh F.C.
Eastleigh Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Silverlake Stadium.-History:...
are the town's sole senior football team playing in the Blue Square South league (2 divisions below the football league) as well as entering the FA cup and the FA Trophy.
Eastleigh Ladies Hockey Club is based in South Hampshire. It fields 2 teams in the Hampshire Women's League (playing Saturdays), as well as playing floodlit and indoor league games (playing on weekdays).
Eastleigh is also home to Eastleigh Rugby club and Trojans Rugby club.
Politics
In 2005United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
Chris Huhne
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne, generally known as Chris Huhne is a British politician and cabinet minister, who is the current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire...
was elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Eastleigh constituency after the previous MP (David Chidgey
David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey
David Chidgey, Baron Chidgey is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. A former Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, he now sits in the House of Lords.-Early life:...
, also Liberal Democrat) retired. Eastleigh has a tradition of close contests, and Huhne narrowly beat the Conservative candidate Conor Burns
Conor Burns
Conor Burns is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
with the second lowest swing against the Liberal Democrats of any seat with a retiring MP (2.6%). David Chidgey had succeeded the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Stephen Milligan
Stephen Milligan
Stephen David Wyatt Milligan was a British Conservative politician and journalist. He held a number of senior journalistic posts until his election to serve as Member of Parliament for Eastleigh in 1992...
after his high profile death. Chris Huhne was recently appointed as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is a British government cabinet position currently held by Chris Huhne. The government department was created on 3 October 2008 when former Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his cabinet....
following the 2010 general election.
Economy
The B&QB&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
head office is in the Portswood House in Eastleigh. The town was formerly home to a Mr Kipling
Mr Kipling
Mr Kipling is a brand of cakes, pies and baked goods widely marketed in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was introducedin 1967, at a time when cakes were more often bought from local bakers to sell cakes of a local baker's standard to supermarkets....
bakery.
Transport
Air
Southampton AirportSouthampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
, the 20th largest airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is located in Eastleigh. Southampton Airport is served by a dedicated mainline railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway, which is the next station stop (5 minutes) from Eastleigh railway station
Eastleigh railway station
Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South Western Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line...
.
Rail
Eastleigh is served by Eastleigh railway stationEastleigh railway station
Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South Western Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line...
, a mainline station on the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
(just 66 minutes away) and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton 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...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, with a fast and frequent service to those places. It is also the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line
Eastleigh to Fareham Line
The Eastleigh-Fareham Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Fareham in the United Kingdom. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line for onward travel to Basingstoke, Reading or to London Waterloo. At Fareham trains join the West Coastway line for onward travel to Portsmouth or...
and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line
Eastleigh to Romsey Line
The Eastleigh-Romsey Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Romsey in Hampshire, England. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line for onward travel to Southampton and Totton...
.
Bus
Eastleigh has 17 bus routes, served by 6 different companies: Stagecoach SouthStagecoach in Hampshire
Hampshire Bus Company Ltd. trading as Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its main bases of operation are Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.-Local:...
, Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
, Brijan Tours
Brijan Tours
Brijan Tours is a bus and coach company based in Curdridge, Hampshire, England, It operates a number of local bus services , as well as providing a range of vehicles for private hire services that extend as far as Europe....
, First Group Hampshire, Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
or Velvet
Velvet (bus company)
Velvet is a bus company located in Eastleigh, owned by Phil Stockley, the former manager of Solent Blue Line. The company was set up on 3rd November 2007, and its first operational contract was started in January 2008, running a temporary shuttle for Tesco staff.On 25 February 2008, Velvet took...
.
Road
Eastleigh is also located close to the junction between the M3 motorway and M27 motorwayM27 motorway
The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is long and runs west-east from Cadnam to Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983. It is however unfinished as an extension to the east was planned...
, giving easy road access to Southampton, Winchester, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and places between.
The Swan Centre
The Swan Shopping Centre opened in 1989, and was built in the heart of the town's Victorian 'grid iron' road layout and blocked off Market Street and High Street - although through access was possible for pedestrians while the centre was open. The Swan Centre included a French-style caféCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and a new library (replacing the recently demolished Town Hall library) in the High Street atrium.
The Centre originally contained a large shop unit which was reserved for a major fashion retailer (rumoured to be Dunnes
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...
), however this never came to fruition and in the late 1990s, significant modifications were made to the 'Octogan' (the Market Street atrium), including removal of the glass lift, replacement stairs and closure/in-filling of the mall that led to the southern part of Market Street (the shop units in this part were never let). These modifications were partly paid for by Littlewoods
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
, who moved into the new enlarged shop unit. Following the demise of Littlewoods' retail business, the unit is now occupied by T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx is a retailer with stores throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Poland. The company is part of the TJX Companies which also owns other 'off-price' retail chains such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls in the United States and Winners in Canada...
. Anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s at the Swan Centre include Tesco Metro
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
, New Look, Next, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
and Boots.
The Swan Centre has been largely successful commercially, with most of the ground floor units being occupied, however the retail units on the first floor have never been let. The High Street atrium used to have a crèche
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
but now only has the library and centre management offices. In 2008, a project to extend the Swan Centre was started. The extension, at the eastern side of the centre saw a new structure constructed above the Tesco car park
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
. This extension completed in March/April 2009 with the opening of a Vue cinema
Vue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
, AMF bowling alley
AMF Bowling Center
AMF Bowling Centers, Inc. is the world's largest owner and operator of bowling centers, employing more than 10,000 people. The centers offer multi-lane Ten-pin bowling for all ages, support league play, and local events such as Dollar Mania and Late Night College Fest as well as Xtreme Bowling...
and several restaurants.
Notable people
Notable residents of Eastleigh include:
|
Benny Hill Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:... (1924–1992) (comedian/actor) Heinz (singer) Heinz was a bassist and singer.-Life:Heinz was born in Detmold, but from the age of seven was brought up in Eastleigh, Hampshire, England, where a road is named after him. His biggest solo hit was "Just Like Eddie", a tribute to Eddie Cochran... (1942–2000) (pop-musician) Colin Firth SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice... (1960–present) (film, television and stage actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... ) |
Scott Mills Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1... (1974–present) (Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... DJ) Stephen Gough Stephen Gough , also known as Steve Gough and the Naked Rambler, is a British former Royal Marine turned activist from Eastleigh, Hampshire, famous for walking the length of Great Britain from Land's End to John o' Groats in 2003–2004 with nothing on except boots, socks, rucksack and sometimes a... (the 'Naked Rambler') Giz Watson -Biography:Watson was born in 1957 in Eastleigh, a town in Hampshire, England, and emigrated to Western Australia in September 1967, travelling extensively through the state. She studied environmental science at Murdoch University and, after leaving university to do voluntary work for a couple of... (Australian politician) |
See also
- Eastleigh (borough)Eastleigh (borough)The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, bordering the unitary authority of Southampton, Test Valley, the City of Winchester and the borough of Fareham. Eastleigh is separated from the New Forest by Southampton Water...
- Eastleigh constituency
External links
- Eastleigh Borough Council
- Eastleigh College
- Eastleigh News
- Eastleigh Town Centre web site
- Eastleigh Football Club unofficial site
- Eastleigh TownTalk - Local Information for Eastleigh
- Local Rail Information
- Photos from the Borough of Eastleigh
- The Eastleigh Photograph Archive
- The Point, Eastleigh
- The Swan Centre