River Hamble
Encyclopedia
The River Hamble is a river
in Hampshire
, England. It rises near Bishop's Waltham
and flows for some 7.5 miles (12 km)
through Botley
, Bursledon
and Swanwick
before entering Southampton Water
near Hamble-le-Rice
and Warsash
.
The Hamble is tidal for approximately half its length and is navigable in its lower reaches, which have facilitated shipbuilding activities since medieval times. Leisure craft are still built there today.
One of these builders was Luke & co
, later Luke Bros
, a reputed yard at Hamble from around 1890 to 1945.
The river, and its shipbuilding yards, have also been used for military purposes, particularly during World War II
.
Its lower reaches are now very popular for boating, being known throughout the sailing
world as The Heart of British Yachting
From its source near Bishop's Waltham, the river flows in a generally southerly direction picking up several small tributary streams before reaching Botley
, the site of an ancient watermill.
, Curdridge
, Shedfield
and Burridge
.
This section has been extensively used for medieval shipbuilding, using timber grown locally in the neighbouring woods. Nearby Kings Copse, formerley Kings Forest, indicates the former importance of this area.
The river's west bank can be accessed from Manor Farm Country Park
, where it is possible to walk through Dock Copse and Fosters Copse. At extreme low tide, it is just possible to see the remains of the wreck of Henry V's 15 century warship HMS Grace Dieu. This section of the river was also home to HMS Cricket
during World War II
.
Some 2 miles (3 km)
south of Botley
, the river passes between the villages of Bursledon
and Lower Swanwick
and is crossed by the M27 motorway
, the Portsmouth
to Southampton
railway line and the A27 road
on three substantial bridges.
south of Bursledon, the river flows between the villages of Hamble-le-Rice
and Warsash
before entering Southampton Water.
A passenger ferry crosses the river between Hamble-le-Rice and Warsash, forming an important link in the Solent Way
and E9 European Coastal Path. The river is also the location for several large marina
s, the largest being the Port Hamble Marina and boat yards, situated on both banks as far upstream as Bursledon.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
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. It rises near Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
and flows for some 7.5 miles (12 km)
1 E4 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 kilometres . The myriametre is a deprecated unit name; the prefix myria- is obsolete, not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.Distances shorter than 10...
through 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....
, 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 Swanwick
Swanwick, Hampshire
Swanwick is a village in Hampshire, England, east of the River Hamble and north of the M27 motorway.The village is located within the borough of Fareham and is the site of the London Area Control Centre and the London Terminal Control Centre part of National Air Traffic Services Air Traffic...
before entering 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...
near 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...
and Warsash
Warsash
Warsash is a village in southern Hampshire, England, situated at the mouth of the River Hamble, west of the area known as Locks Heath. Boating plays an important part in the village's economy, and the village has a sailing club...
.
The Hamble is tidal for approximately half its length and is navigable in its lower reaches, which have facilitated shipbuilding activities since medieval times. Leisure craft are still built there today.
One of these builders was Luke & co
Luke & co
Luke & co was a boatbuilding firm, established in 1829 in Limehouse near London. They moved to Oakbank at Itchen Ferry in 1868 and in the late 1880s settled at Hamble...
, later Luke Bros
Luke & co
Luke & co was a boatbuilding firm, established in 1829 in Limehouse near London. They moved to Oakbank at Itchen Ferry in 1868 and in the late 1880s settled at Hamble...
, a reputed yard at Hamble from around 1890 to 1945.
The river, and its shipbuilding yards, have also been used for military purposes, particularly during 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...
.
Its lower reaches are now very popular for boating, being known throughout the sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
world as The Heart of British Yachting
Bishops Waltham to Botley (non-tidal)
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 site of an ancient watermill.
Botley to Bursledon (tidal) - Historic sites
Below Botley, the river becomes tidal and navigable. It gains strength from adjoining streams, draining the surrounding areas of Hedge EndHedge 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...
, Curdridge
Curdridge
Curdridge is a village and civil parish within the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. Also located within the parish is the similarly named village of Curbridge. The village houses a small school...
, Shedfield
Shedfield
Shedfield is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. In the 2001 UK Census, Shedfield had a population of 3,914.-History:...
and Burridge
Burridge
Burridge is a small village in the borough of Fareham, in the south of Hampshire, England. It lies approximately 14 miles south of Winchester on the A3051 between Botley and Park Gate, to the north east of Sarisbury and to the west of Whiteley...
.
This section has been extensively used for medieval shipbuilding, using timber grown locally in the neighbouring woods. Nearby Kings Copse, formerley Kings Forest, indicates the former importance of this area.
The river's west bank can be accessed from Manor Farm Country Park
Manor Farm Country Park
Manor Farm Country Park, formerly Upper Hamble Country Park, runs along the west bank of the River Hamble between the villages of Botley and Bursledon in Hampshire at ....
, where it is possible to walk through Dock Copse and Fosters Copse. At extreme low tide, it is just possible to see the remains of the wreck of Henry V's 15 century warship HMS Grace Dieu. This section of the river was also home to HMS Cricket
HMS Cricket (shore establishment)
HMS Cricket was the name given to a Royal Navy shore establishment on the River Hamble from 1943 to 1946. This name was previously used by the Insect class gunboat, HMS Cricket that was scrapped in 1942....
during 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...
.
Some 2 miles (3 km)
1 E3 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 1 kilometre and 10 kilometres .Distances shorter than 1 kilometre-Conversions:1 kilometre is equal to:* 1,000 metres...
south of 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 river passes between the villages of 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 Lower Swanwick
Lower Swanwick
Lower Swanwick is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Fareham at the eastern end of Bursledon Bridge, which carries the A27 across the River.-Location:...
and is crossed by the M27 motorway
M27 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...
, the 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...
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...
railway line and the A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
on three substantial bridges.
Bursledon to Hamble (tidal) - Modern playground
A further 2 miles (3 km)1 E3 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 1 kilometre and 10 kilometres .Distances shorter than 1 kilometre-Conversions:1 kilometre is equal to:* 1,000 metres...
south of Bursledon, the river flows between the 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...
and Warsash
Warsash
Warsash is a village in southern Hampshire, England, situated at the mouth of the River Hamble, west of the area known as Locks Heath. Boating plays an important part in the village's economy, and the village has a sailing club...
before entering Southampton Water.
A passenger ferry crosses the river between Hamble-le-Rice and Warsash, forming an important link in the Solent Way
Solent Way
The Solent Way is a 60 mile long-distance footpath in Hampshire, southern England. With the exception of a few inland diversions, the path follows the coast of the Solent, the sea strait that separates the mainland England from the Isle of Wight...
and E9 European Coastal Path. The river is also the location for several large marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
s, the largest being the Port Hamble Marina and boat yards, situated on both banks as far upstream as Bursledon.
External links
- Walks in the Hamble Valley for the source of the River Hamble. for the mouth of the River Hamble.
- The River Hamble Harbour Authority