History of the Port of Southampton
Encyclopedia
The Port of Southampton
is a major passenger and cargo
port
located in the central part of the south coast of England
. It has been an important port since the Roman
occupation of Britain
nearly two thousand years ago, and has a multifaceted history. From the mediæval period to the end of the 20th century, it was of major importance as a centre for Naval shipbuilding and a departure point for soldiers going to war. It also
played a central role in the development of hovercraft
, flying boat
services, seaplanes and the Spitfire fighter. Before the advent of jet travel it was Britain's gateway to the world, and it has a little-known place in the history of Britain's canals.
See also:
, but no real evidence of boating or port activity. The Romans settled in the site that they called Clausentum, now the Bitterne Manor
area of Southampton, around 70 AD. They operated a busy port serving the large towns of Winchester
and Salisbury
. The settlement was abandoned when the Romans left Britain in 407 AD. The Saxons
founded a new town known as Hamwick, later Hamtun, across the river Itchen
from the Roman site, around 700 AD. The population reached about 5000, which made it a large town. The port traded with France
, Greece
and the Middle East
, exporting wool and importing wines and fine pottery.
Legend has it that while in Southampton (though Bosham
, W Sussex, claims it happened there) the Viking
King, Cnut the Great, (also known as King Canute) sat on the shore in his throne and commanded the incoming tide to stop, and not wet his robes. The tide ignored him and did wet his robes. He was not, though, foolishly trying to prove he was all-powerful; rather he was demonstrating to his courtiers that even he was not all-powerful, and advised that they worship God instead. In 1016 he was crowned King of England in Southampton; though he had come to this land as a fearsome invader, his twenty year reign was peaceful and un-newsworthy. The port's huge 200 ton (tonne) floating crane HLV Canute was named after him.
The Saxon town suffered a decline from the 10th century, associated with Viking raids and the silting of the river Itchen, but a mediæval town, also known as Hamtun, grew up close by. A large number of Norman immigrants came to live here after the conquest; English and French quarters developed in the town. The most important imports and exports were still wines and wool respectively. The port was also an important departure point for English armies on their way to France
.
Also, a shipbuilding industry started, constructing naval ships for the Hundred Years' War
of the 14th and 15th centuries. The most notable construction of the era was HMS Grace Dieu
, the flagship of King Henry V. She was built in 1418 by William Soper, a burgess of Southampton and Clerk of the King's Ships, in a dock constructed for the purpose near Watergate Quay. This quay, dating from 1411, and standing on the site now occupied by Town Quay, was the centre of the town's port activities. She was more than two hundred feet (25.6m) long, with a displacement of around 2750 tons (tonnes), making her similar in size to, though different in appearance from, HMS Victory
. She was destroyed by fire on the river Hamble
in 1439.
A new trade with Genoa
and Venice
in northern Italy
started and soon flourished, the traders bringing in luxuries such as perfumes, spices and silk, as well as bulk cargoes of alum
and "woad
," which is used in the dyeing of wool. They returned to Italy with English wool and cloth.
Southampton had become one of the country's most important ports, after London
and Bristol
. The name "Southampton" came into use partly to eliminate confusion between this Hampton (as the spelling had become) in the Kingdom of Wessex
and another Hamtun/Hampton, in the Kingdom of Mercia
. The latter became known as Northampton
.
In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers, also referred to as the Pilgrims or the English Separatists, departed from Southampton for America in their ships Mayflower
and Speedwell
. Speedwell had come from Holland to meet Mayflower, prior to crossing together. However she was proving to be leaky, and put into first Dartmouth
then Plymouth
for repairs. There are some reports that crew members who did not want to make the voyage sabotaged her. In any event she was deemed too unreliable to attempt the crossing; personnel and stores were transferred to Mayflower, and this ship then completed the passage alone.
The 16th and 17th centuries were another period of decline for Southampton, as other ports such as London competed for the available business. The Italian trade diminished and eventually ceased, and the port was generally quiet until the second half of the 18th century. There was a period during which the place was better known as a fashionable spa town and sea bathing resort than as a port.
and Portugal
, grain from Ireland
and Eastern England, woollen stockings from the Channel Islands
, slate and building stone from Scotland
, coal from Newcastle
and Scotland, and timber from the Baltics. Paddle steamer
s had begun operating passenger services to the Channel Islands
and Le Havre
in France from 1823. They berthed at Watergate Quay, but could only do so at high tide. The original wooden Royal Victoria Pier was opened in 1833, and provided berthing facilities at all states of the tide.
Drawing of Southampton before docks development started.
The opening of the railway to London in 1840 gave a big boost to the port. Ships started arriving in numbers that overwhelmed the town's quays and wharves, and the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. This became known as the "Outer Dock" when a second, "Inner Dock" came into use in 1851. Drawing Berths along the Itchen Quays, South Quay and Test Quays became available for use in stages between 1875 and 1902. In 1890 Queen Victoria opened the Empress Dock, larger and deeper than the earlier ones. Four dry docks for ship maintenance were constructed, opening in 1846, 1847, 1854 and 1879. Drawing
P&O
was the first of the famous deep sea shipping lines to start using the port; it commenced services in 1840. Others moved in as follows: the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
arrived in 1842, and developed services to South America
; the Union Line
started its services to South Africa
in 1857. As for trans-Atlantic companies, the American Line
was first in 1893; White Star
moved in from Liverpool
in 1907, followed by Cunard
in 1919. The number of lines that ever had an involvement with Southampton is far too large for discussion here, but here are listings of Wikipedia articles on UK and World shipping companies. One more large new dock was constructed, opening in 1911 and completing the 170 acre ( 69 hectare (ha)) Eastern Docks system. It was known as the White Star Dock, but the name was changed to Ocean Dock in 1922, when Cunard and Canadian Pacific also came to use it. In 1892 the Royal Pier reopened, now built of iron, rather than wood. Also in this year, the London and South Western Railway
, which had greater financial resources than the locally owned docks company, became the owner and operator of the docks. Drawing Plan
Many newly built ships were too big for the four dry docks so a fifth one, the largest in the world, was constructed in 1895. Then ships were built that were too big for that; so a sixth dock, larger still, was opened. The ships got bigger again; this time the sixth dock was extended; then it was extended again; then a notch was cut in the end, in the shape of a ship's bow. Then ships came into service that still wouldn't fit. A floating dry dock was ordered from Armstrong Whitworth
in Newcastle
. It arrived in 1924, and was based at Berth 50. It measured 960 ft (288m) by 134 ft (40m) - and was constructed so as to be extendable, though it was already the largest such structure in the world. To use this facility, seawater would be allowed into its internal tanks, to partially submerge it; a ship would sail in; the water would be pumped out. This raised the dock, taking the ship completely out of the water, for repairs and maintenance. It could accommodate large ships like RMS Aquitania
. But not very large ships, such as RMS Queen Mary
, which would soon arrive. The dock was moved to Portsmouth
for service there during the Second World War, and in 1959 sold to Rotterdam
. In 1983 it was sold on to Brazil
, but it sank and was lost on the way there.
The "New Docks" opened in 1934; this was in actuality a single quay 7542 ft (2.26 km) long, with associated land, at the western end of which was the seventh, gigantic, King George V dry dock. This one definitely could comfortably accommodate Queen Mary, or RMS Queen Elizabeth
, the biggest passenger ship that would be built for 56 years. The New Docks are now known as the Western Docks. Plan West of the dry dock, a container port was developed in stages from from 1969 to 1997, in response to the modern container revolution.
At the Ocean Dock, the art deco style Ocean Terminal opened in 1950, to provide shore facilities of a fitting standard for the Queens and other Atlantic liners. These included an interior finish in fine blond burr woods, sweeping waiting rooms, baggage areas, spectator galleries and press rooms for journalists. There were three pairs of power operated telescopic gangways. There were buffets, money exchange, railway booking offices, telephone kiosks, newspaper stands, shops for flowers, books and last-minute items. These made it a luxurious facility by the standards of the day. The media interest and hype surrounding celebrities on their travels all added to the glamour. Downstairs, or rather, down the exciting new-fangled lifts and escalators, there were trains to London, as well as top class facilities for handling luggage and ships' stores.
It was demolished in 1983. The more utilitarian Queen Elizabeth II passenger terminal was opened in 1966 to augment it, and later replace it, and this remains in regular use. It is now itself augmented by the new Ocean Terminal of 2009, across the dock from the old.
The inter-war period was a very busy time for the port, and it was often referred to as the 'Gateway to the Empire'. These facts and figures come from the 1938 "Handbook to Southampton Docks":
"In 1936, Southampton docks handled 46% of all the UK's ocean-going passenger traffic.
Passengers arriving or departing 560,000
Visitors to see the docks and liners 500,000
Cruise passengers 70,000
Passenger trains handled 2,500
Shipping using the docks 18.5 million tons
Shipping lines using the docks 32
Number of world ports served 160
Southampton also handled a large amount of cargo. Nearly 90% of South Africa's fruit exports to the UK was handled at Southampton. Express freight trains enabled produce landed at Southampton in the morning to be on sale in London fruit markets in the afternoon.
Fruit handled over 7 million packages
including 1.5 million bunches of bananas
Wagons handled 160,000
Freight trains handled 4,200
The facilities provided by the dock owners were impressive.
Total length of quay space 29,000 ft (8.7 km)
Dry docks 7
The King George (No 7) dry dock was the largest in the world and could accommodate liners of up to 100,000 tons.
Number of cranes 140
Number of electric platform trucks for moving cargo 61"
that was built in 1417 to store wool for export. Other exhibits there include a scale model of Queen Mary that is 26 feet (8m) long, and an exhibition dedicated to the short though eventful career of RMS Titanic. Although the story of this ship has captured and held on to the imagination of the world for 99 years so far, it is not always remembered that most of the crew lived in Southampton, and that 549 people from the town, nearly all of them breadwinners, were lost with the ship. At the nearby Northam primary school, in the area where many crew members had homes, there was not one child who hadn't lost a father, mother, aunt, uncle, brother or sister with Titanic.
To mark the centenary of the voyage, a much bigger exhibition, to be known as Southampton’s Titanic Story, is being prepared for a new £15m museum that is being developed in the city centre. Due to be open by April 2012, the Sea City Museum will also house another permanent exhibition entitled Gateway to the World.
A second, complementary, new museum celebrating Southampton's maritime and aviation history is also planned. The proposed £8m Aeronautica attraction will be based at the Trafalgar Dock – the sixth dry dock, the one with the notch, and is expected to open in 2015 or later. The “aero” part will replace the current aviation museum Solent Sky
. This was actually built new in 1984, but in a low budget building that was always thought of as temporary.
The “nautica” section is to include a full-size replica of the rear end of Titanics sister: Olympic. Also to be displayed here will be the old Calshot Spit lightship, which has in fact been moved from Ocean Village to the site already, in November 2010. (We're not talking about a ten minute tow here – look at the picture closely). Other historic vessels to be based here include tug/tender Calshot, HMS Medusa, SS Shieldhall
and steam tug Challenge.
Both proposals are seen as ways of putting to good use major city buildings that are “listed” as of important historical significance; they may not be demolished, even though they are no longer needed for their original purposes. The former museum will use the old Magistrates' Courts in the Civic Centre
. The Trafalgar Dock is listed, even though it is partially filled in already.
Southampton's archeology museum was built into the city wall on the south shore in 1417, as a military fortification. The firing platform was on the roof, with storage of guns and ammunition below. Later it would be used as the town's gaol. It was named Gods House Tower after the neighbouring Gods House hospital, founded in 1196. Today the Roman, Saxon and Mediæval periods each receive a gallery in the museum. Next to it is the Southampton old bowling green
the world's oldest, dating from 1299.
To the west of the city wall, where the originals would have been moored, there is a replica of one of the rather wide-beamed cargo boats that were used for shipping wine and wool in the fourteenth century. It is set into the pavement (the entirety of Southampton Docks is on reclaimed land) and may be viewed at any time. Google maps There is also a replica of a similar boat in the early stages of being built, which illustrates the construction techniques that were used.
A short walk inland, in French Street, there stands a house that was built in 1290 as the home and business premises of a prosperous wine merchant named John Fortin. This is now open as another museum, the Mediæval Merchant's House
. It has been equipped with replica period furnishings, and gives today's visitors an insight into the life and times of a mediæval wine merchant.
Tudor House Museum and Garden is considered the city's most important historic building. It is a large and striking 15th century timber-framed house that tells the story of people of that era. It is to re-open after major renovation in summer 2011.
The first services in 1919 flew from the Royal Pier, and ran only as far as Bournemouth
, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight
. In the 1920s, flights operated from Woolston to Northern France. Aircraft technology improved, and from 1937 Imperial Airways
began services to East
and South Africa
, and then the USA. Later there would be additional regular services to destinations such as Australia
, Tokyo
, Karachi
, Singapore
and Hong Kong
.
In 1937, aircraft were maintained at the Hythe
flying boat base, and the terminal was at Berth 101 in the western docks. In 1938, passenger operations were conducted from Berth 108 in the new docks. In September 1939, aircraft and services were transferred to Poole Harbour
, where they were operated under the direction of National Air Communications
by BOAC
, that evolved from the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. Post-war, services were operated from Berth 50 in the old docks. In 1950, BOAC ceased all flying boat operations, but Aquila Airways
continued services until 1958
A Short Sandringham
flying boat is on display at Solent Sky.
The Supermarine
Aviation Ltd. works in Woolston became famous for its successes in the Schneider Trophy
races for seaplanes, especially the three wins in a row of 1927, 1929 and 1931. From his experiences with these, chief designer Reginald J. Mitchell went on to design the Supermarine Spitfire
fighter, which played such a prominent role in World War II. A Spitfire and a Supermarine S.6A
are on display at Solent Sky.
's departure for Agincourt
in 1415. It has been heavily involved in most of the wars in which Britain has fought.
Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre - better known locally as Marchwood Military Port
- was built in 1943. It is the base of 17 Port & Maritime Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, and the home port for several Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. It is the country's only facility equipped to accept all types of military vehicles arriving from army bases by rail or road, and load them onto ships which then proceed to the war zone. It played
a major role despatching ships laden with vehicles and equipment in the Falklands conflict
of 1982, and it received eighty war dead at its conclusion. In October 2010, it was announced that ownership will be transferred from the Ministry of Defence
to a private contractor, to save money for the MoD.
Two of Southampton's most famous liners: Cunard's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 and P&O's SS Canberra
played major roles in the Falklands war effort; the latter in particular received the most rapturous welcome ever given by the city to any ship upon her return.
The Watergate Quay area was a major centre for the building of naval warships in the mediæval period, while naval and merchant ships were built in the Redbridge area in the 18th century. In the period 1904 - 2004, the John I Thornycroft shipyard occupied a large site at the mouth of the Itchen, on the Eastern side at Woolston. It built warships in large numbers for the Royal Navy, and other navies abroad. It was extremely busy in the periods before and during the two world wars. During other periods, business was sometimes slacker than it would have liked. A merger with Vosper & Company
of Portsmouth took place in 1966, and the closure of the Woolston yard occurred in 2003. Shipyard activities continue at a newly built facility in Portsmouth.
These are a few of the major classes of ship that were built in Woolston:
This is a list of the 92 ships built in Southampton - nearly all by Vosper Thorneycroft - which have their own individual Wikipedia articles.
There were smaller shipyards in Southampton, such as those of Husband, and Day Summers & Co. These also played their parts in the war effort.
In the 1960s, the port operators and shipping lines could sense change in the air. They realised that passengers now wanted to arrive in their cars and take these with them on their travels. The old services ceased in 1964, and the first drive on at the bow, drive off at the stern car ferry services started in the same year. The Viking I and Viking II vessels of Thoresen Car Ferries
ran to Le Havre and Cherbourg. Viking III soon joined them. Three years later, Normandy Ferries started a rival service to Le Havre with their vessels Dragon and Leopard. Other routes followed, including Swedish Lloyd's crossing to Bilbao
in Spain, using MS Patricia, and Southern Ferries' "cruiseferry" service, operated by their MV Eagle. This linked Southampton with Lisbon
in Portugal
and Tangier
in Morocco
.
Structural changes to the docks were made, in preparation for this switchover. In 1963 the entrance to the Outer Dock was widened; the Inner Dock and the oldest dry dock, by now too small for the latest ships, were filled in to provide car storage areas for the new services. Facilities for loading the cars onto the new ferries were installed; a distinctive timber-arched passenger reception hall was built. The new-look dock was opened by Princess Alexandra
in July 1967 and named after her.
However, by 1984 all these ferry services had either closed or moved to Portsmouth. In 1991 Stena Sealink
made an attempt at restarting a service to Cherbourg. The vessel used was Stena Normandy
- formerly St Nicholas. For six months during 1992 the smaller Stena Traveller provided additional freight capacity. The service was always under-used, and it ceased in 1996.
Today there are no cross-channel ferries operating from Southampton; most services in the region run from Portsmouth
, 20 miles (32 km) to the east, which has become the nation's second most important ferry port after Dover
. The operators' reason for their move is that the shorter journey times and lower fuel bills matter, on this type of voyage. Poole
, 30 miles (48 km) along the coast to the west, hosts the remaining services.
What would now be done with the vacated dock? It was the oldest dock, and by now the least suitable for modern mainstream port purposes. Having immediate access to the city centre outside the port, it could easily be given its own entrances and exits, separate from those for the remainder of the docks. In the end it became the Ocean Village
development. This included an extravagantly deep marina for 375 yachts, residential apartments with moorings, and a new home for the Royal Southampton Yacht Club
. It also proved very suitable as a venue for hosting major yacht races. The starts of seven and finishes of four competitions of the Whitbread (now Volvo) round the world race took place here between 1977 and 2001; also the Global Challenge
started from here in 1992, 1996 and 2000.
There are shops, homes, offices, bars, restaurants and a multiplex cinema. There is also a smaller arthouse cinema which, according to its architect, resembles a liner, and thus blends perfectly into its surroundings.
picture
The National Oceanography Centre
opened in the south of the vacated area in 1996. This huge building is the hub of national marine science activity and capabilities, and home to related departments of the University of Southampton. It houses the UK's collection of subsea sediment cores, and serves as the base for the oceanographic research ships RRS Discovery
and RRS James Cook
.
In July 1966, British Rail Hovercraft Ltd. started their first Seaspeed
hovercraft service between Cowes and Southampton using two SR.N6 craft. The Cowes terminal was located at Medina Road; the Southampton terminal was at Crosshouse Road. This was next to the ramps of the Floating Bridge chain ferry to Woolston; now the site is underneath the western end of the Itchen Bridge
. During the winter of 1971-72, both craft were stretched by 10 ft (3m) and given names: Sea Hawk and Sea Eagle. Passenger capacity of each was increased from 36 to 58. The service transferred to Hovertravel
of Ryde
in 1976, who continued to operate it until the end of 1980.
In 1981 Red Funnel acquired two Hovermarine HM2 Mk III SES craft from Hovertravel
. They usually worked on charter to Vosper Thornycroft, transporting workers living in the Isle of Wight to and from the Woolston shipyard. These crossings were not available to the public, but the craft occasionally appeared on the Fast Passenger Ferry Service, normally operated at the time by Shearwater hydrofoils. The hovercraft were gone by 1982, made redundant by the arrival of Shearwater 6.
In May 1990 the Cowes Express company started operating from Southampton Town Quay to Cowes with their craft Sant' Agata. After a few weeks it suffered serious mechanical problems, and services ceased. A year passed, then the company returned. The craft was now named Wight King, and had a running mate Wight Queen. They were Sidewall Hovercraft, also known as Surface Effect Ships, built in Norway by Brødrene Aa Båtbyggeri. The model name of them was Cirrus 120P, and they carried up to 330 passengers at a 50 knot service speed (55 knots achieved on trials). A smaller back-up craft - Wight Prince - was also leased. This was a Dutch-built Seaswift 23: 99 passengers at 36 knots. These machines (and the HM2s) were catamarans, having twin rigid hulls, which also had flexible skirts fore and aft. They had the lift fans of a conventional hovercraft, but were propelled by waterscrews or waterjets, rather than airscrews. They were quieter than pure hovercraft, and more resistant to being pushed sideways by wind or seas. The drawback was that they were not amphibious - they could not leave the water.
The services were now reliable, and proved very popular. In a way the success of this operator led to its demise. It was in the vulnerable position that it had to rent its Southampton terminal from ABP
, which at the time also happened to be the owner of long established rival Red Funnel
. Attractive fares, together with services running late into the evening, fairly quickly brought Cowes Express a higher share of the foot-passenger market than Red Funnel, whereupon its rent bill went up dramatically, and it went bust, ceasing operations in Spring 1992.
, Stockbridge
and Andover
from 1790 to 1859. It was then filled in and a railway, which became known as the Sprat and Winkle Line
, was built on top of it, for much of its length; this lasted until 1967. The railway came in very handy during the Second World War. Otherwise, both canal and railway were rather quiet throughout their periods of existence; some remains of both survive.
The original plan of the Canal
. It used the Andover canal for nine miles (14 km) from Redbridge to a new junction at a point between Kimbridge
and Mottisfont
. From there it went west towards Salisbury; in the event it terminated at Alderbury
Common. Here, a horse-drawn railway was constructed to take goods to the existing road, and the last few miles of the journey were completed by wagon.
The 4½ mile (7 km) eastern section of the canal started in Redbridge from a junction close to the end of the Andover canal. It followed the shore of the Test to the town, map then went through a tunnel very close to the present day railway tunnel
(It is one foot (300mm) below it, where the tunnels obliquely cross). It divided after emerging; one branch went south to the shore near the Gods House Tower museum (which was a gaol at the time); the other went north east to the coal depots of the Itchen near Northam bridge, thus providing a link to the Itchen Navigation. map
Some readers will be thinking: "umm, why would they want to dig a canal on the shore of a wide river already being used for navigation?" This question was asked at the time, actually; the chortling and guffawing caught the attention of the poet laureate
, who duly composed a humorous verse:
But they did have their reasons:
The canal was not a success; in fact there was never a moment when all parts of it were open at the same time. Its story is a story of serious engineering problems and even more serious financial problems, including debts and bankruptcies all round. After a very few years it started to become derelict; between 1820 and 1851 it was filled in and grassed over. Today, many residents of Southampton are totally unaware that their city ever had canals, the remaining clues being a few street names such as "Canal Walk". Even on the rural section between Kimbridge and Alderbury there are very few structural remains, though there are some locations where the canal bed can be identified.
Port of Southampton
The Port of Southampton is a major passenger and cargo port located in the central part of the south coast of England. It benefits from shelter provided by the Isle of Wight and Southampton Water, unique "double tides" and close proximity to the motorway and rail networks...
is a major passenger and cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
located in the central part of the south coast of 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...
. It has been an important port since the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
occupation of Britain
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...
nearly two thousand years ago, and has a multifaceted history. From the mediæval period to the end of the 20th century, it was of major importance as a centre for Naval shipbuilding and a departure point for soldiers going to war. It also
played a central role in the development of hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
, flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
services, seaplanes and the Spitfire fighter. Before the advent of jet travel it was Britain's gateway to the world, and it has a little-known place in the history of Britain's canals.
See also:
- Port of SouthamptonPort of SouthamptonThe Port of Southampton is a major passenger and cargo port located in the central part of the south coast of England. It benefits from shelter provided by the Isle of Wight and Southampton Water, unique "double tides" and close proximity to the motorway and rail networks...
- discussion of the port as it is today; - SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton 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...
- the main article about the city; - History of SouthamptonHistory of SouthamptonSouthampton is a city in Hampshire, England. The area has been settled since the stone age. Its history has been affected by its geographical location, on a major estuary on the English Channel coast with an unusual double high-tide, and by its proximity to Winchester and London; the ancient and...
- history of the city in more detail.
History in brief
There is evidence of settlement in the area now known as Southampton as far back as the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, but no real evidence of boating or port activity. The Romans settled in the site that they called Clausentum, now the Bitterne Manor
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....
area of Southampton, around 70 AD. They operated a busy port serving the large towns of 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 Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. The settlement was abandoned when the Romans left Britain in 407 AD. The Saxons
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...
founded a new town known as Hamwick, later Hamtun, across 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,...
from the Roman site, around 700 AD. The population reached about 5000, which made it a large town. The port traded with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, exporting wool and importing wines and fine pottery.
Legend has it that while in Southampton (though Bosham
Bosham
Bosham is a small coastal village and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England, about ) west of Chichester on an inlet of Chichester Harbour....
, W Sussex, claims it happened there) the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
King, Cnut the Great, (also known as King Canute) sat on the shore in his throne and commanded the incoming tide to stop, and not wet his robes. The tide ignored him and did wet his robes. He was not, though, foolishly trying to prove he was all-powerful; rather he was demonstrating to his courtiers that even he was not all-powerful, and advised that they worship God instead. In 1016 he was crowned King of England in Southampton; though he had come to this land as a fearsome invader, his twenty year reign was peaceful and un-newsworthy. The port's huge 200 ton (tonne) floating crane HLV Canute was named after him.
The Saxon town suffered a decline from the 10th century, associated with Viking raids and the silting of the river Itchen, but a mediæval town, also known as Hamtun, grew up close by. A large number of Norman immigrants came to live here after the conquest; English and French quarters developed in the town. The most important imports and exports were still wines and wool respectively. The port was also an important departure point for English armies on their way to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
of the 14th and 15th centuries. The most notable construction of the era was HMS Grace Dieu
Grace Dieu (ship)
Grace Dieu was launched in 1418 as the flagship of Henry V of England and was one of the largest ships of her time. She sailed on only one voyage, and spent most of her life laid up in the River Hamble, where in 1439 she was struck by a bolt of lightning and burnt.-Construction:She was built to a...
, the flagship of King Henry V. She was built in 1418 by William Soper, a burgess of Southampton and Clerk of the King's Ships, in a dock constructed for the purpose near Watergate Quay. This quay, dating from 1411, and standing on the site now occupied by Town Quay, was the centre of the town's port activities. She was more than two hundred feet (25.6m) long, with a displacement of around 2750 tons (tonnes), making her similar in size to, though different in appearance from, HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
. She was destroyed by fire on the river Hamble
River Hamble
The River Hamble is a river in Hampshire, England. It rises near Bishop's Waltham and flows for some 7.5 miles through Botley, Bursledon and Swanwick before entering Southampton Water near Hamble-le-Rice and Warsash....
in 1439.
A new trade with Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
started and soon flourished, the traders bringing in luxuries such as perfumes, spices and silk, as well as bulk cargoes of alum
Alum
Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as alums have the related empirical formula, AB2.12H2O.-Chemical properties:Alums are...
and "woad
Woad
Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...
," which is used in the dyeing of wool. They returned to Italy with English wool and cloth.
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...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The name "Southampton" came into use partly to eliminate confusion between this Hampton (as the spelling had become) in the Kingdom of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and another Hamtun/Hampton, in the Kingdom of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. The latter became known as Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
.
In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers, also referred to as the Pilgrims or the English Separatists, departed from Southampton for America in their ships Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
and Speedwell
Speedwell (ship)
The Speedwell was a 60-ton ship, the smaller of the two ships intended to carry the Pilgrim Fathers to North America...
. Speedwell had come from Holland to meet Mayflower, prior to crossing together. However she was proving to be leaky, and put into first Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
then Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
for repairs. There are some reports that crew members who did not want to make the voyage sabotaged her. In any event she was deemed too unreliable to attempt the crossing; personnel and stores were transferred to Mayflower, and this ship then completed the passage alone.
The 16th and 17th centuries were another period of decline for Southampton, as other ports such as London competed for the available business. The Italian trade diminished and eventually ceased, and the port was generally quiet until the second half of the 18th century. There was a period during which the place was better known as a fashionable spa town and sea bathing resort than as a port.
Modern era
From this time, trade gradually picked up, and soon the port was handling wine and fruit from SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, grain from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Eastern England, woollen stockings from the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
, slate and building stone from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, coal from Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and Scotland, and timber from the Baltics. Paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s had begun operating passenger services to the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
in France from 1823. They berthed at Watergate Quay, but could only do so at high tide. The original wooden Royal Victoria Pier was opened in 1833, and provided berthing facilities at all states of the tide.
Drawing of Southampton before docks development started.
The opening of the railway to London in 1840 gave a big boost to the port. Ships started arriving in numbers that overwhelmed the town's quays and wharves, and the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. This became known as the "Outer Dock" when a second, "Inner Dock" came into use in 1851. Drawing Berths along the Itchen Quays, South Quay and Test Quays became available for use in stages between 1875 and 1902. In 1890 Queen Victoria opened the Empress Dock, larger and deeper than the earlier ones. Four dry docks for ship maintenance were constructed, opening in 1846, 1847, 1854 and 1879. Drawing
P&O
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
was the first of the famous deep sea shipping lines to start using the port; it commenced services in 1840. Others moved in as follows: the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by Scot James Macqueen. After good and bad times it became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when it took over the White Star Line....
arrived in 1842, and developed services to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
; the Union Line
Union-Castle Line
The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
started its services to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1857. As for trans-Atlantic companies, the American Line
American Line
The American Line was a shipping company based in Philadelphia that was founded in 1871. It began as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, although the railroad got out of the shipping business soon after founding the company...
was first in 1893; White Star
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
moved in from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1907, followed by Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
in 1919. The number of lines that ever had an involvement with Southampton is far too large for discussion here, but here are listings of Wikipedia articles on UK and World shipping companies. One more large new dock was constructed, opening in 1911 and completing the 170 acre ( 69 hectare (ha)) Eastern Docks system. It was known as the White Star Dock, but the name was changed to Ocean Dock in 1922, when Cunard and Canadian Pacific also came to use it. In 1892 the Royal Pier reopened, now built of iron, rather than wood. Also in this year, the London and South Western Railway
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...
, which had greater financial resources than the locally owned docks company, became the owner and operator of the docks. Drawing Plan
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. It arrived in 1924, and was based at Berth 50. It measured 960 ft (288m) by 134 ft (40m) - and was constructed so as to be extendable, though it was already the largest such structure in the world. To use this facility, seawater would be allowed into its internal tanks, to partially submerge it; a ship would sail in; the water would be pumped out. This raised the dock, taking the ship completely out of the water, for repairs and maintenance. It could accommodate large ships like RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania was a Cunard Line ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 21 April 1913 and sailed on her maiden voyage to New York on 30 May 1914...
. But not very large ships, such as RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
, which would soon arrive. The dock was moved to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for service there during the Second World War, and in 1959 sold to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. In 1983 it was sold on to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but it sank and was lost on the way there.
The "New Docks" opened in 1934; this was in actuality a single quay 7542 ft (2.26 km) long, with associated land, at the western end of which was the seventh, gigantic, King George V dry dock. This one definitely could comfortably accommodate Queen Mary, or RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
, the biggest passenger ship that would be built for 56 years. The New Docks are now known as the Western Docks. Plan West of the dry dock, a container port was developed in stages from from 1969 to 1997, in response to the modern container revolution.
At the Ocean Dock, the art deco style Ocean Terminal opened in 1950, to provide shore facilities of a fitting standard for the Queens and other Atlantic liners. These included an interior finish in fine blond burr woods, sweeping waiting rooms, baggage areas, spectator galleries and press rooms for journalists. There were three pairs of power operated telescopic gangways. There were buffets, money exchange, railway booking offices, telephone kiosks, newspaper stands, shops for flowers, books and last-minute items. These made it a luxurious facility by the standards of the day. The media interest and hype surrounding celebrities on their travels all added to the glamour. Downstairs, or rather, down the exciting new-fangled lifts and escalators, there were trains to London, as well as top class facilities for handling luggage and ships' stores.
It was demolished in 1983. The more utilitarian Queen Elizabeth II passenger terminal was opened in 1966 to augment it, and later replace it, and this remains in regular use. It is now itself augmented by the new Ocean Terminal of 2009, across the dock from the old.
The inter-war period was a very busy time for the port, and it was often referred to as the 'Gateway to the Empire'. These facts and figures come from the 1938 "Handbook to Southampton Docks":
"In 1936, Southampton docks handled 46% of all the UK's ocean-going passenger traffic.
Passengers arriving or departing 560,000
Visitors to see the docks and liners 500,000
Cruise passengers 70,000
Passenger trains handled 2,500
Shipping using the docks 18.5 million tons
Shipping lines using the docks 32
Number of world ports served 160
Southampton also handled a large amount of cargo. Nearly 90% of South Africa's fruit exports to the UK was handled at Southampton. Express freight trains enabled produce landed at Southampton in the morning to be on sale in London fruit markets in the afternoon.
Fruit handled over 7 million packages
including 1.5 million bunches of bananas
Wagons handled 160,000
Freight trains handled 4,200
The facilities provided by the dock owners were impressive.
Total length of quay space 29,000 ft (8.7 km)
Dry docks 7
The King George (No 7) dry dock was the largest in the world and could accommodate liners of up to 100,000 tons.
Number of cranes 140
Number of electric platform trucks for moving cargo 61"
Museums of Southampton
A large model of the docks as they were in this period may be viewed in the Maritime Museum in Southampton. It is housed in a Wool HouseSouthampton Maritime Museum
Southampton Maritime Museum is housed at The Wool House, a medieval warehouse in Southampton, Hampshire.The museum documents the maritime heritage of Southampton and the Solent area, its history as a base for ocean liners and in particular its connections to RMS Titanic.Its mission statement is:...
that was built in 1417 to store wool for export. Other exhibits there include a scale model of Queen Mary that is 26 feet (8m) long, and an exhibition dedicated to the short though eventful career of RMS Titanic. Although the story of this ship has captured and held on to the imagination of the world for 99 years so far, it is not always remembered that most of the crew lived in Southampton, and that 549 people from the town, nearly all of them breadwinners, were lost with the ship. At the nearby Northam primary school, in the area where many crew members had homes, there was not one child who hadn't lost a father, mother, aunt, uncle, brother or sister with Titanic.
A second, complementary, new museum celebrating Southampton's maritime and aviation history is also planned. The proposed £8m Aeronautica attraction will be based at the Trafalgar Dock – the sixth dry dock, the one with the notch, and is expected to open in 2015 or later. The “aero” part will replace the current aviation museum Solent Sky
Solent Sky
Solent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation.It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous...
. This was actually built new in 1984, but in a low budget building that was always thought of as temporary.
The “nautica” section is to include a full-size replica of the rear end of Titanics sister: Olympic. Also to be displayed here will be the old Calshot Spit lightship, which has in fact been moved from Ocean Village to the site already, in November 2010. (We're not talking about a ten minute tow here – look at the picture closely). Other historic vessels to be based here include tug/tender Calshot, HMS Medusa, SS Shieldhall
SS Shieldhall
SS Shieldhall is a preserved steamship that operates from Southampton. She spent her working life as one of the "Clyde sludge boats", making regular trips from Shieldhall in Glasgow, Scotland, down the River Clyde and Firth of Clyde past the Isle of Arran, to dump treated sewage sludge at sea...
and steam tug Challenge.
Both proposals are seen as ways of putting to good use major city buildings that are “listed” as of important historical significance; they may not be demolished, even though they are no longer needed for their original purposes. The former museum will use the old Magistrates' Courts in the Civic Centre
Civic Centre, Southampton
The Civic Centre in Southampton is the home of Southampton City Council.It hosts a police station, council offices, the Guildhall venue, the well-endowed city art gallery, and the city library...
. The Trafalgar Dock is listed, even though it is partially filled in already.
Southampton's archeology museum was built into the city wall on the south shore in 1417, as a military fortification. The firing platform was on the roof, with storage of guns and ammunition below. Later it would be used as the town's gaol. It was named Gods House Tower after the neighbouring Gods House hospital, founded in 1196. Today the Roman, Saxon and Mediæval periods each receive a gallery in the museum. Next to it is the Southampton old bowling green
Southampton Old Bowling Green
Southampton Old Bowling Green, situated on the corner of Lower Canal Walk and Platform Road, Southampton, England is the world's oldest surviving bowling green having been first used in 1299.-History:...
the world's oldest, dating from 1299.
To the west of the city wall, where the originals would have been moored, there is a replica of one of the rather wide-beamed cargo boats that were used for shipping wine and wool in the fourteenth century. It is set into the pavement (the entirety of Southampton Docks is on reclaimed land) and may be viewed at any time. Google maps There is also a replica of a similar boat in the early stages of being built, which illustrates the construction techniques that were used.
A short walk inland, in French Street, there stands a house that was built in 1290 as the home and business premises of a prosperous wine merchant named John Fortin. This is now open as another museum, the Mediæval Merchant's House
Medieval Merchant's House
The Medieval Merchant's House is a restored late 13th-century building in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Built in about 1290 by John Fortin, a prosperous merchant, the house survived many centuries of domestic and commercial use largely intact...
. It has been equipped with replica period furnishings, and gives today's visitors an insight into the life and times of a mediæval wine merchant.
Tudor House Museum and Garden is considered the city's most important historic building. It is a large and striking 15th century timber-framed house that tells the story of people of that era. It is to re-open after major renovation in summer 2011.
Flying boats and seaplanes
Flying Boats operated passenger and mail services from Southampton between 1919 and 1958. At this time, runways suitable for large aircraft were scarce, and aero-engines did not have the reliability that we have come to expect of, and do in fact receive from, those of modern jets. In the event of engine trouble, passengers and crew felt happier in something with a marine hull travelling over water, than in something with wheels and a lightweight airframe travelling over anythingBournemouth
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...
, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. In the 1920s, flights operated from Woolston to Northern France. Aircraft technology improved, and from 1937 Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
began services to East
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and then the USA. Later there would be additional regular services to destinations such as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In 1937, aircraft were maintained at the Hythe
Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton...
flying boat base, and the terminal was at Berth 101 in the western docks. In 1938, passenger operations were conducted from Berth 108 in the new docks. In September 1939, aircraft and services were transferred to Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
, where they were operated under the direction of National Air Communications
National Air Communications
National Air Communications was a British government organisation that directed civilian flying operations from the outbreak of World War II until April 1940.-Pre-war preparations:...
by BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
, that evolved from the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. Post-war, services were operated from Berth 50 in the old docks. In 1950, BOAC ceased all flying boat operations, but Aquila Airways
Aquila Airways
Aquila Airways was a Southampton, Hampshire based British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, formed on 18 May 1948.-Early operations:...
continued services until 1958
A Short Sandringham
Short Sandringham
- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
flying boat is on display at Solent Sky.
The Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
Aviation Ltd. works in Woolston became famous for its successes in the Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
races for seaplanes, especially the three wins in a row of 1927, 1929 and 1931. From his experiences with these, chief designer Reginald J. Mitchell went on to design the Supermarine 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...
fighter, which played such a prominent role in World War II. A Spitfire and a Supermarine S.6A
Supermarine S.6
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3....
are on display at Solent Sky.
Military Southampton
Southampton has a long history as a major departure point for soldiers going to war, going back to Henry VHenry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
's departure for Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
in 1415. It has been heavily involved in most of the wars in which Britain has fought.
Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre - better known locally as Marchwood Military Port
Marchwood Military Port
Marchwood Military Port is a military port located in Marchwood, UK, and the base of 17 Port & Maritime Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The port was built in 1943 to aid in the D-Day assault on Normandy in 1944 and has since been used to support the Falklands War.Marchwood is also the base-port for...
- was built in 1943. It is the base of 17 Port & Maritime Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, and the home port for several Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. It is the country's only facility equipped to accept all types of military vehicles arriving from army bases by rail or road, and load them onto ships which then proceed to the war zone. It played
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
of 1982, and it received eighty war dead at its conclusion. In October 2010, it was announced that ownership will be transferred from the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to a private contractor, to save money for the MoD.
Two of Southampton's most famous liners: Cunard's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 and P&O's SS Canberra
SS Canberra
SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of £17,000,000. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra...
played major roles in the Falklands war effort; the latter in particular received the most rapturous welcome ever given by the city to any ship upon her return.
The Watergate Quay area was a major centre for the building of naval warships in the mediæval period, while naval and merchant ships were built in the Redbridge area in the 18th century. In the period 1904 - 2004, the John I Thornycroft shipyard occupied a large site at the mouth of the Itchen, on the Eastern side at Woolston. It built warships in large numbers for the Royal Navy, and other navies abroad. It was extremely busy in the periods before and during the two world wars. During other periods, business was sometimes slacker than it would have liked. A merger with Vosper & Company
Vosper & Company
Vosper & Company, often referred to simply as Vospers, was a British shipbuilding company based in Portsmouth, England.-History:The Company was established in 1871 by Herbert Edward Vosper, concentrating on ship repair and refitting work....
of Portsmouth took place in 1966, and the closure of the Woolston yard occurred in 2003. Shipyard activities continue at a newly built facility in Portsmouth.
These are a few of the major classes of ship that were built in Woolston:
- Coastal Motor Boats
- Thornycroft type leaderThornycroft type leaderThe Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class were a class of five destroyer leaders designed by John I. Thornycroft & Company and built by them at Woolston, Southampton for the Royal Navy towards the end of World War I. They were named after historical naval leaders. Only Shakespeare and...
- Thornycroft M class destroyerThornycroft M class destroyerThe Thornycroft M or Mastiff class were a class of six destroyers completed for the Royal Navy during 1914-16 for World War I service. They were quite different from the Admiralty-designed ships of the Admiralty M class class, although based on a basic sketch layout provided by the Admiralty from...
- Type IV Hunt class destroyer
- Landing Craft AssaultLanding Craft AssaultThe Landing Craft Assault was a British landing craft used extensively in World War II. Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. During the war it was manufactured throughout...
This is a list of the 92 ships built in Southampton - nearly all by Vosper Thorneycroft - which have their own individual Wikipedia articles.
There were smaller shipyards in Southampton, such as those of Husband, and Day Summers & Co. These also played their parts in the war effort.
Cross-channel ferries
Cross-channel passenger steamers had moved from the Royal Pier to the Outer and Inner Docks when they opened. Their destinations included Le Havre, Cherbourg, St Malo and the Channel Islands. Most passengers arrived at the docks by train.In the 1960s, the port operators and shipping lines could sense change in the air. They realised that passengers now wanted to arrive in their cars and take these with them on their travels. The old services ceased in 1964, and the first drive on at the bow, drive off at the stern car ferry services started in the same year. The Viking I and Viking II vessels of Thoresen Car Ferries
European Ferries
European Ferries Group Plc was a company that operated in passenger and freight ferries, harbour operation and property management in the United Kingdom and the United States...
ran to Le Havre and Cherbourg. Viking III soon joined them. Three years later, Normandy Ferries started a rival service to Le Havre with their vessels Dragon and Leopard. Other routes followed, including Swedish Lloyd's crossing to Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
in Spain, using MS Patricia, and Southern Ferries' "cruiseferry" service, operated by their MV Eagle. This linked Southampton with Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Structural changes to the docks were made, in preparation for this switchover. In 1963 the entrance to the Outer Dock was widened; the Inner Dock and the oldest dry dock, by now too small for the latest ships, were filled in to provide car storage areas for the new services. Facilities for loading the cars onto the new ferries were installed; a distinctive timber-arched passenger reception hall was built. The new-look dock was opened by Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
in July 1967 and named after her.
Sealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
made an attempt at restarting a service to Cherbourg. The vessel used was Stena Normandy
MS Normandy
MS Normandy is a ferry owned by the Singapore-based oil service company Equinox Offshore Accommodation, under charter the Morocco-based ferry operator Ferrimaroc. She was built in 1981 by Götaverken, Gothenburg, Sweden, and first entered service in 1982 as MS Prinsessan Birgitta for Stena Sessan Line...
- formerly St Nicholas. For six months during 1992 the smaller Stena Traveller provided additional freight capacity. The service was always under-used, and it ceased in 1996.
Today there are no cross-channel ferries operating from Southampton; most services in the region run from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, 20 miles (32 km) to the east, which has become the nation's second most important ferry port after Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. The operators' reason for their move is that the shorter journey times and lower fuel bills matter, on this type of voyage. 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...
, 30 miles (48 km) along the coast to the west, hosts the remaining services.
What would now be done with the vacated dock? It was the oldest dock, and by now the least suitable for modern mainstream port purposes. Having immediate access to the city centre outside the port, it could easily be given its own entrances and exits, separate from those for the remainder of the docks. In the end it became the Ocean Village
Ocean Village (marina)
Ocean Village is a large, mixed-use marina, residential, business and leisure development on the mouth of the River Itchen in Southampton, on the south coast of England. Ocean Village is currently undergoing a major £70m re-development project and is set to become one of the main leisure...
development. This included an extravagantly deep marina for 375 yachts, residential apartments with moorings, and a new home for the Royal Southampton Yacht Club
Royal Southampton Yacht Club
Royal Southampton Yacht Club is located in Southampton, England. It received its Royal Charter in 1875 making it one of the oldest Yacht clubs in the UK.- Principal Officers :* Admiral of the RSYC - HRH Prince Michael of Kent* Commodore - Colin Lewis...
. It also proved very suitable as a venue for hosting major yacht races. The starts of seven and finishes of four competitions of the Whitbread (now Volvo) round the world race took place here between 1977 and 2001; also the Global Challenge
Global Challenge
The Global Challenge was a round the world yacht race run by Challenge Business, the company started by Sir Chay Blyth in 1989...
started from here in 1992, 1996 and 2000.
There are shops, homes, offices, bars, restaurants and a multiplex cinema. There is also a smaller arthouse cinema which, according to its architect, resembles a liner, and thus blends perfectly into its surroundings.
picture
The National Oceanography Centre
National Oceanography Centre
- The National Oceanography Centre :The National Oceanography Centre is a marine science research and technology institution based on two sites in Southampton and Liverpool, United Kingdom...
opened in the south of the vacated area in 1996. This huge building is the hub of national marine science activity and capabilities, and home to related departments of the University of Southampton. It houses the UK's collection of subsea sediment cores, and serves as the base for the oceanographic research ships RRS Discovery
RRS Discovery (1962)
RRS Discovery is a British Royal Research Ship operated by NERC.RRS Discovery was built in Aberdeen in 1962 and named after Robert Falcon Scott's 1901 ship, RRS Discovery. Until 2006, she was the largest general purpose oceanographic research vessel in use in the United Kingdom...
and RRS James Cook
RRS James Cook
The RRS James Cook is a British Royal Research Ship operated by the Natural Environment Research Council . She was built in 2006 to replace the ageing RRS Charles Darwin with funds from Britain's NERC and the DTI's Large Scientific Facilities Fund...
.
Cross-Solent hovercraft
Seaspeed
Seaspeed was the joint hovercraft operations of British Rail in association with the French SNCF....
hovercraft service between Cowes and Southampton using two SR.N6 craft. The Cowes terminal was located at Medina Road; the Southampton terminal was at Crosshouse Road. This was next to the ramps of the Floating Bridge chain ferry to Woolston; now the site is underneath the western end of the Itchen Bridge
Itchen Bridge
The Itchen Bridge is a bridge over the River Itchen in Southampton, Hampshire. It is a high-level hollow box girder bridge. It is located approximately 1 km from the river mouth. The bridge spans , is at its highest point and weighs 62,000 tons. It was officially opened July 13, 1977. At the...
. During the winter of 1971-72, both craft were stretched by 10 ft (3m) and given names: Sea Hawk and Sea Eagle. Passenger capacity of each was increased from 36 to 58. The service transferred to Hovertravel
Hovertravel
Hovertravel is a ferry company operating from Southsea, Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK. They are the only company operating in Britain with passenger hovercraft, after Hoverspeed stopped using their craft in favour of catamarans...
of Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
in 1976, who continued to operate it until the end of 1980.
In 1981 Red Funnel acquired two Hovermarine HM2 Mk III SES craft from Hovertravel
Hovertravel
Hovertravel is a ferry company operating from Southsea, Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK. They are the only company operating in Britain with passenger hovercraft, after Hoverspeed stopped using their craft in favour of catamarans...
. They usually worked on charter to Vosper Thornycroft, transporting workers living in the Isle of Wight to and from the Woolston shipyard. These crossings were not available to the public, but the craft occasionally appeared on the Fast Passenger Ferry Service, normally operated at the time by Shearwater hydrofoils. The hovercraft were gone by 1982, made redundant by the arrival of Shearwater 6.
In May 1990 the Cowes Express company started operating from Southampton Town Quay to Cowes with their craft Sant' Agata. After a few weeks it suffered serious mechanical problems, and services ceased. A year passed, then the company returned. The craft was now named Wight King, and had a running mate Wight Queen. They were Sidewall Hovercraft, also known as Surface Effect Ships, built in Norway by Brødrene Aa Båtbyggeri. The model name of them was Cirrus 120P, and they carried up to 330 passengers at a 50 knot service speed (55 knots achieved on trials). A smaller back-up craft - Wight Prince - was also leased. This was a Dutch-built Seaswift 23: 99 passengers at 36 knots. These machines (and the HM2s) were catamarans, having twin rigid hulls, which also had flexible skirts fore and aft. They had the lift fans of a conventional hovercraft, but were propelled by waterscrews or waterjets, rather than airscrews. They were quieter than pure hovercraft, and more resistant to being pushed sideways by wind or seas. The drawback was that they were not amphibious - they could not leave the water.
The services were now reliable, and proved very popular. In a way the success of this operator led to its demise. It was in the vulnerable position that it had to rent its Southampton terminal from ABP
Associated British Ports Holdings
Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, managing around 25 per cent of the UK's sea-borne trade...
, which at the time also happened to be the owner of long established rival Red Funnel
Red Funnel
The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, which trades as Red Funnel, is a ferry company that carries passengers and vehicles on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight...
. Attractive fares, together with services running late into the evening, fairly quickly brought Cowes Express a higher share of the foot-passenger market than Red Funnel, whereupon its rent bill went up dramatically, and it went bust, ceasing operations in Spring 1992.
Andover Canal
A 22 mile (35 km) long canal linked Redbridge, at the western end of the port area, with RomseyRomsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
, Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Hampshire
Stockbridge is a small town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of and a population of little under 600 people according to the 2001 census in Hampshire, England. It lies on the River Test, in the Test Valley district and renowned for trout fishing. The A30 road goes through...
and Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
from 1790 to 1859. It was then filled in and a railway, which became known as the Sprat and Winkle Line
Sprat and Winkle Line
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the familiar name of a railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, UK. It was also known as the Andover to Redbridge Line....
, was built on top of it, for much of its length; this lasted until 1967. The railway came in very handy during the Second World War. Otherwise, both canal and railway were rather quiet throughout their periods of existence; some remains of both survive.
The original plan of the Canal
Salisbury and Southampton Canal
A second, less successful canal, was intended to link Southampton with SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. It used the Andover canal for nine miles (14 km) from Redbridge to a new junction at a point between Kimbridge
Kimbridge
Kimbridge is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Romsey, which lies approximately 4 miles south-east. Originally called "King's Bridge" in Civil War times. It consists mainly of a Farm Shop and Restaurant and a trout farm...
and Mottisfont
Mottisfont
Mottisfont is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, approximately 7km north west of Romsey. The village is best known as the location of Mottisfont Abbey...
. From there it went west towards Salisbury; in the event it terminated at Alderbury
Alderbury
Alderbury & Whaddon are two small adjacent villages three miles south-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England with a population of about 2,000. They are bypassed by the A36 road, which links them to Southampton and Salisbury.-External links:****...
Common. Here, a horse-drawn railway was constructed to take goods to the existing road, and the last few miles of the journey were completed by wagon.
The 4½ mile (7 km) eastern section of the canal started in Redbridge from a junction close to the end of the Andover canal. It followed the shore of the Test to the town, map then went through a tunnel very close to the present day railway tunnel
Southampton Civic Centre Tunnel
Southampton Civic Centre Tunnel is a railway tunnel beneath the Civic Centre in the centre of the Hampshire city of Southampton, in England. Opening in August 1847, its construction linked the stations of Southampton Terminus and Southampton West End...
(It is one foot (300mm) below it, where the tunnels obliquely cross). It divided after emerging; one branch went south to the shore near the Gods House Tower museum (which was a gaol at the time); the other went north east to the coal depots of the Itchen near Northam bridge, thus providing a link to the Itchen Navigation. map
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, who duly composed a humorous verse:
- "Southampton's wise sons found their river so large,
- Tho' 'Twould carry a Ship, 'twould not carry a barge.
- But soon this defect their sage noddles supply'd,
- For they cut a snug ditch to run close by its side.
- Like the man who, contriving a hole through his wall
- To admit his two cats, the one great, t'other small,
- Where a great hole was made for great puss to pass through,
- Had a little hole cut for his little cat, too."
But they did have their reasons:
- In the eighteenth century the Test estuary was shallow, marshy, silted, and difficult to navigate, with mud flats by the shore. It was only in the twentieth century, with the construction of the New Docks, that it would be dredged and drained to become the deep harbour we know.
- Different types of boat - seaworthy sailing vessels, and horse-drawn flat-bottomed shallow barges, respectively - were needed for marshy estuaries and canals.
- There was only one landing point on the route, at Millbrook; boats on the canal could load and unload at any point, which was considered important in this urban area. The canal itself would also provide better protection than the estuary against adverse weather and sea conditions.
- The promoters had dreams and visions that this navigation would become the centre of a network of canals in the future; it never happened.
The canal was not a success; in fact there was never a moment when all parts of it were open at the same time. Its story is a story of serious engineering problems and even more serious financial problems, including debts and bankruptcies all round. After a very few years it started to become derelict; between 1820 and 1851 it was filled in and grassed over. Today, many residents of Southampton are totally unaware that their city ever had canals, the remaining clues being a few street names such as "Canal Walk". Even on the rural section between Kimbridge and Alderbury there are very few structural remains, though there are some locations where the canal bed can be identified.