Places of interest in Hampshire

Southampton

Visit the prestigious Southampton Football Club, otherwise known as the Saints.

www.saintsfc.co.uk

Or try flying into Southampton , visit

www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/ southampton

The docks, "The Gateway To The World", as British emigrants left from here, and tourists, on the cruise ships starting with the steam liners.. It was also the port of departure of the SS Titanic .

Every modern shop is here in the town, yet despite rebuilding after the Second World War, it has managed to preserve the medieval walls. From Bargate, with its turrets and museum, there are escorted walking tours. Some nice churches survived the bombing, including St Mary's, 19th century, the Norman St Michael's, and Holy Wood has a 14th century tower.

Southampton has been an important port for centuries, situated on England 's south coast and is a fascinating place to visit. Today Southampton is one of the premier venues for sailing and watersports, with some of the best marina facilities on the south coast. An interesting mix of old and new, with superb shops, beautiful parks and gardens, an ideal base for exploring the south coast, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight .   Southampton harbour has been in use since Roman times, witness to many historic events. Legend tells that in 1016 the Viking King Canute commanded the waves to retreat at Southampton . Armies embarked from here during the Hundred Years War to win the Battles of Crecy and Agincourt . In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set out from here in the Mayflower, bound for America . The Titanic sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton on 15th April 1912 . A memorial to the ensuing tragedy can be seen in East Park .

Southampton is one of the world's natural harbours, with double tides. The first high tide flooding into the bay from the west followed, in two to three hours by a second high tide from the east - a phenomenon, which makes the harbour suitable for large vessels. The harbour is the home port to some of the world's most famous cruise liners, including QE2, Oriana, Aurora and Arcadia . Visit the Maritime Museum to discover more of Southampton 's heritage.

Parts of the City Walls remain and can be walked by following the Walk the Walls' signs. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth century towers have been restored, and God's House Tower is now home to a museum of local archeology. Several city gates can still be seen, Bargate, built by the Normans is a fine example. St. Michael's Church the oldest in the city, dates back to Norman times, it contains a rare font of black marble imported from Tourni. The nearby Tudor House (now a museum) is a magnificent example of 16th century architecture, with a banqueting hall and reconstructed Tudor garden. The Civic Centre with its distinctive clock tower, is home to the excellent City Arts Gallery. The Hall of Aviation tells the story of the Spitfire, designed by the local aviation pioneer R.J. Mitchell.
Southampton has so much to offer its visitors, Heritage, lots of shopping centres, great sports and recreational facilities. Choose to eat al fresco on the waterfront, or sample cuisine from around the world in the city's restaurants, and enjoy an evenings entertainment in one Southampton 's wide choice of theatres and clubs.

Winchester

Winchester Castle The Great Hall is the only remaining part of the 13th Century Winchester Castle that remains above ground. Built in 1232-1240, by Henry III, of flint with stone dressings it originally had lower walls and a roof with dormer windows. The dormers were later removed, the building remodelled and the tall 2-light windows with the early plate tracery added. The entrance was altered in the 19th Century to its present position, and the porch added.

The roof was renewed in 1873. The Great Hall houses the Bronze statue of Queen Victoria , 1897, which once stood in Abbey Gardens , and is also the home of the World famous Mediaeval Round Table.

The remains of the round tower with it's sally ports and Guardrobe, and the original City Wall can be seen exposed in the excavated area close by.

Sarsen Stones , often called simply Sarsens', are natural Sandstone blocks left after the last Glaciation. Many have the characteristic angularity of stone that has been ground smooth, though some surprising shapes are possible. Because of their durability, smooth surfaces and their relative rarity, they are much sought after as markers, as bollards' to protect buildings, and foundation stones. They are also commonly built it to the walls or foundations of Churches. Because of their usefulness, it is reasonably certain that not many of them remain in the same position as when they were deposited from the ice. The records show that at least 90 of the 111 recorded stones were placed in Baring Road up St Giles Hill, the site of the famous Mediaeval Fair. Most, if not all, of these would have had to have been collected, transported and placed there for a reason, though this will likely never be determined.

Hampshire County Council has a catalogue of most of the known stones in Winchester and the surrounding District. For the sake of continuity we have used the same index numbers assigned to them in this catalogue, though there do seem to be some duplicate references, and there are apparent gaps in the records. The Grid references given for each group of stones refer to their position as originally catalogued, and not necessarily to their current position

The Abbey Gardens and Mill are part of the site of St Mary's Abbey, once one of the largest religious houses in England . In November 1539 the Abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and most of the monastic buildings were demolished. The site was subsequently gifted to the City by Queen Mary Tudor to celebrate her marriage to Philip of Spain in the Cathedral in July 1554. The land was later divided into two, the eastern part was occupied by a fine town house and formal gardens that survive today as the Mayor of Winchester's official residence and public gardens. The western part of the site was cleared for the City's Guildhall in 1873. Remains of St Mary's Abbey can be seen at the back of the Guildhall.

Basingstoke

The early settlement of Basingstoke is indicated by a number of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages. The largest site is Winklebury Camp, an Iron Age hill fort with complex defences dating from the fourth to the first century B.C. The Roman occupation of Basingstoke is demonstrated by the site of a villa on the north bank of the River Loddon, and several other places where pottery and coins have been found. Many of the archaeological finds have been deposited at the Willis Museum .

The documented history of Basingstoke begins with the Domesday Book, which lists the area as a royal manor: until the reign of John the kings of England held Basingstoke as a demesne manor. The Domesday Book also records a market in the eleventh century and mentions an important pre-Conquest church. Three mills were listed, of which two are recalled in the names of the Kingsmill and Houndsmill areas of Basingstoke .

A charter of Henry III, granted in 1265 to the men of Basingstoke and their heirs, made their tenure of the manor and hundred perpetual at a fixed rent of 80. By this charter Basingstoke became a self-governing community. The first grant of a fair to Basingstoke was made by Henry VI in 1449, when an annual fair was to be held around the Chapel of the Holy Ghost from the Wednesday in Whitsun week to the following Friday. In 1551 Sir William Paulet, into whose hands the rent had just come, was elected Lord High Steward of the town; successive generations of the influential Paulet family held this office until the nineteenth century. A charter of James 1, dated 1622, gave Basingstoke a new administrative and judicial system, and a further charter of 1641 was to remain in force until the reorganization of the borough system in 1835.

The manufacture of woollen goods was carried on in Basingstoke from an early date, and is mentioned by Daniel Defoe in his writings on his tour of Britain . In the eighteenth century Basing stoke was an important staging post on the turnpike road from London to Andover , and the coming of the railway in 1840 brought even more trade to the town. In 1961 Basingstoke was designated a London overspill area, and the population rose from 26,000 to 60,000 by 1973. The appearance of the town has undergone drastic alteration, with major demolition operations sweeping away old-fashioned buildings and an entirely new town centre being built with pedestrian precincts and multi-storey car parks

The Basingstoke Canal Towpath Trail

The Basingstoke Canal Towpath Trail is a permissive footpath which stretches 33½ miles from Penny Bridge to its junction with the River Wey at Woodham.

It is a wonderfully scenic route, passing through a wide range of habitats from woodland and heathland to wetland and pasture, each supporting a different community of plants and animals. Wildlife has flourished in the canal's clear water, creating Britain 's best site for water plants and dragonflies. And there are many sights along the way, including Odiham Castle , the Deepcut flight of locks, aqueducts, scenic villages and historic buildings.

The towpath is level and well maintained, providing a safe and interesting route with plenty of access points. It is clearly marked and there are information points and picnic areas along the way. The canal acts as a green corridor linking the waterway with the wider countryside and connecting with many other trails, creating exciting possibilities for long distance walks.

The Towpath Trail is highly accessible. There are several railway stations near the canal giving walkers the option of walking one way and returning by train. There are excellent road connections and several car parks along the length of the canal.