Hampshire (pop. 1,400,899) is a county in southern England. It faces the English Channel about halfway along England’s southern coast. Gently rounded hills, fertile valleys, pleasant villages, and woodlands make the county one of the most beautiful in Britain. Hampshire covers an area of 1,420 square miles (3,679 square kilometers). Wincester is its administrative center.
Traditionally an agricultural county, Hampshire has several growing centers of industry. Winchester College, one of Britain’s most famous independent schools, was founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester. The college was opened in 1394.
The Isle of Wight, England’s largest offshore island, is separated from Hampshire by a stretch of water called the Solent. Until the early 1970’s, this island was part of Hampshire, but it is now a separate administrative area. In 1997, Portsmouth and Southampton became separate unitary authorities.
People and government
Customs.
The Tichborne Dole is presented each year on March 25. The villagers at Tichborne, near Alresford, receive flour that has been blessed at a special service. The custom arose in 1150, when the dying wife of Sir Roger de Tichborne wished to provide a dole (something given in charity) for the village. He agreed to give as much land as she could crawl around while carrying a burning torch. She managed to encircle more than 20 acres (8 hectares). Today this piece of land is still called The Crawl.
Recreation.
A famous cricket club developed at Hambledon during the 1700’s. Cricket is still popular in the county, which has a first-class county team. Aldershot has a soccer team in the Football League. Fishing facilities are good both in Hampshire’s streams and rivers and along the coast. Sailing conditions are good, especially on the Solent, and the county has many yachting clubs and schools. Gliding, particularly in northern Hampshire, golf, and horse riding are other popular pastimes.
Local government.
Hampshire has 11 local government districts: Basingstoke and Deane; East Hampshire, which includes Alton and Petersfield; Eastleigh; Fareham; Gosport; Hart; Havant; New Forest; Rushmoor, which includes Aldershot and Farnborough; Test Valley, which includes Andover and Romsey; and Winchester.
The Hampshire Constabulary has its headquarters at Winchester. The crown court meets at Winchester.
Economy
Manufacturing.
The oil refinery at Fawley, near the south coast, is the largest in the United Kingdom. Nearby chemical and synthetic rubber factories use the refinery’s products. Other industries in the Southampton area include engineering, flour milling, shipbuilding and repairing, and the production of carpets, cigarettes, hydrofoil boats, and plastics.
Fareham has light industries, with products including aircraft and motorcar accessories, baskets, fertilizer, and flower pots. Products of the Havant area include computer and electrical equipment. Basingstoke is a road and rail center with a large engineering works. It has attracted new industries, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and security printing.
Agriculture.
Sheep farming, traditionally important in Hampshire, has declined in recent years. It has been replaced in many areas by growing cereals, especially barley. Dairy farming is important in some areas. Farmers rear pigs and poultry on a large scale. Hampshire’s climate favors the growing of soft fruit, such as strawberries. Market gardening is an important industry. Specialized crops include watercress in the Winchester area, and hops near Alton.
Tourism
is an important part of Hampshire’s economy. There are many hotels and guesthouses and several holiday camps. Some farmhouses provide overnight accommodation. Tourist attractions include the tranquil countryside of the New Forest. Visitors can see wild ponies and other wildlife. The county has many beautiful historic buildings, such as Winchester Cathedral, the building of which was begun in the 1070’s. With a length of 557 feet (170 meters), it is the longest church in England and one of the longest in Europe.
Transportation and communication.
The M3 motorway from Southampton crosses Hampshire towards London. The M27 runs across the southeast of the county and connects with the M3. Other major roads include the A31, in southwest Hampshire, the A303, towards the West Country, and the A34, which runs north towards the Midlands.
Main railroad routes link Hampshire with London to the northeast and with Sussex coastal towns to the east. To the northwest a line goes to Bristol, and to the west, one goes to Bournemouth and Weymouth. Ferry services connect Lymington to the Isle of Wight.
Radio Solent, a local radio station of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), serves Hampshire, and independent local radio stations broadcast from Fareham and Alton. Most towns publish weekly newspapers.
Land and climate
Location and size.
Hampshire borders Surrey and West Sussex on the east, Dorset and Wiltshire Unitary Authority on the west, and the unitary authorities of West Berkshire, Wokingham, and Bracknell Forest in the north. The English Channel, the Solent, and the Southampton Water inlet form Hampshire’s coastline in the south. The unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton also lie to the south. The county is roughly square, projecting in the southwest to include the New Forest. The county measures about 40 miles (64 kilometers) both from north to south and from east to west.
Land regions.
The flat coastal area around the port of Southampton is part of a geological formation known as the Hampshire Basin. The curve of the basin runs under the sea and rises again to form the Isle of Wight. Southampton Water lies near the center of the basin. It links Southampton to the open sea through the east and west channels of the Solent. In the western half of the basin is the New Forest.
In the eastern half of the Hampshire Basin are the wide harbors of Gosport, Portsmouth, and Hayling Island. The South Downs, a range of chalk hills, crosses the border from Sussex into southern Hampshire. Another line of hills forms the Hampshire Downs in the northern part of the county. The highest point in the county is at Butser Hill, 889 feet (271 meters) above sea level in the southeast.
Rivers.
Hampshire has many rivers, but none of them are large. The Avon flows southward through western Hampshire and enters the sea at Christchurch in Dorset. In its estuary, the Avon is joined by the River Stour which flows into Hampshire from Dorset. The Beaulieu and Lymington rivers, each of which is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) long, flow through the New Forest.
The Test is Hampshire’s longest river. It rises in the north, flows southward for nearly 40 miles (64 kilometers), and flows to the sea west of Southampton. The Test is known as one of England’s finest trout-fishing rivers. The Itchen, the river on which Southampton lies, flows for about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from near the center of the county. Other rivers in Hampshire include the Meon, Rother, and Wey.
Climate.
The coast of Hampshire is one of the driest areas in the United Kingdom. The county has more sunshine than most other parts of the region. Rainfall averages 28 inches (71 centimeters) a year along the coast, 35 inches (89 centimeters) on the high ground in the southeast, and about 37 inches (94 centiimeters) on the Hampshire Downs. Winters are generally mild, with little snow compared with most other parts of the United Kingdom. The county’s average temperature in January, the coldest month, is about 39 °F (4 °C). The average temperature for July, the warmest month, is about 63 °F (17 °C).
History
People have lived in the area now known as Hampshire for thousands of years. About 4,000 years ago, they constructed long barrows (burial mounds) around the chalk hills where they grazed their cattle. One long barrow is at Old Winchester Hill, near Winchester.
The Romans occupied the area of the county in about A.D. 43. They built many villas (large country houses) and roads. Their road networks spread out from their main cities at Winchester and Silchester. At Silchester, remains have been found of a Christian church built during the Roman occupation.
Some years later, the Jutes, and then the Saxons, invaded the county. The Saxons founded the kingdom of Wessex and established Winchester as its capital. Birinus, a missionary from Italy, landed on the coast of Hampshire in 634. He baptized Cynegils, king of Wessex, in the following year. During the 800’s, Danes plundered the area and fought many battles against the West Saxons.
Winchester became an important religious center in the late 600’s, and remained a royal residence until the late 1200’s. Monarchs sometimes used Winchester Cathedral for royal occasions till the late 1500’s. The city dwindled in size and importance after the plague of the 1660’s had killed many of its people.
Many kings lived at Winchester. King Alfred died at Winchester and Henry III was born there. Lord Palmerston, who was twice Prime Minister, was born at Romsey.
Many well-known British writers lived in Hampshire. Jane Austen lived at Chawton and died at Winchester. Gilbert White, the naturalist and author of the classic book Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne lived at Selborne, near Alton. Charles Kingsley, a famous clergyman and author of The Water Babies, lived and died at Eversley, near Fleet.
