Portal:Hampshire

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    The Hampshire Portal

    View over Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill
    View over Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill
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    Hampshire (/ˈhæmpʃər/, /-ʃɪər/ (listen); abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent strait to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The county town is the city of Winchester.

    The county has an area of 3,769 km2 (1,455 sq mi) and a population of 1,844,245, making it the 5th-most populous in England. The South Hampshire built-up area in the south-east of the county has a population of 855,569 and contains the cities of Southampton (269,781) and Portsmouth (208,100). In the north-east, the Farnborough/Aldershot conurbation extends into Berkshire and Surrey and has a population of 252,937. The next-largest settlements are Basingstoke (113,776), Andover (50,887), and Winchester (45,184). The centre and south-west of the county are rural. For administrative purposes Hampshire is divided into 13 non-metropolitan districts. Eleven are part of a two-tier metropolitan county governed by Hampshire County Council and eleven district councils, and the Portsmouth and Southampton districts are governed as a unitary authorities by Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council. The county historically contained the Isle of Wight and the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch, the latter of which are now part of Dorset.

    Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms the Hampshire Downs, to south-east, where it is part of the South Downs. The county's major rivers rise in these hills; the Loddon and Wey drain north, into the Thames, and the Itchen and Test flow south into Southampton Water, a large estuary. In the south-east are Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour, and the western edge of Chichester Harbour, three large rias. The south-west contains the New Forest, which includes pasture, heath, and forest and is of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England.

    Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain, when its chief town was Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in Domesday Book as divided into 44 hundreds. From the 12th century, the ports settlements grew due to increasing trade with the European mainland resulting from the wool and cloth, fishing, and shipbuilding industries. This meant by the 16th century, Southampton had become more populous than Winchester. In 20th century conflicts, including World War One and Two, Hampshire played a crucial military role due to its ports. (Full article...)

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    St Mary Magdalene's in the village centre

    Oakhanger is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Bordon, which lies 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east, of the B3004 road. The village is part of the parish of Selborne, which covers an area of 7,915 acres (3,203 ha). The nearest railway station is Alton, which is 3.8 miles (6.1 km) northwest of the village, although Oakhanger formerly had its own military railway station, Oakhanger Halt railway station on the Longmoor Military Railway, until its closure.

    A Roman road passed through Oakhanger although no traces of it remain today. The first mention of the village came from a charter dating to the early 10th century, and the lands of Oakhanger were passed on by numerous families up until the early 20th century. The village contains four Grade II listed buildings, including Oakhanger Farmhouse and its three outbuildings. Oakhanger also has one pub, The Red Lion. St Mary Magdalene's Church was built in 1873. The former Royal Air Force station, RAF Oakhanger, still retains its satellite domes, although the station is now privately run. (Full article...)

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    Statue of Saint Swithun
    in Stavanger Cathedral, Norway

    Swithun (or Swithin; Old English: Swīþhūn; Latin: Swithunus; died 863) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. According to tradition, if it rains on Saint Swithun's bridge (Winchester) on his feast day (15 July) it will continue for forty days. (Full article...)

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    More articles: Business in Hampshire | Geology of Hampshire | History of Hampshire | Portsmouth | Recreational walks in Hampshire | Southampton | Winchester

    Lists: List of churches in Hampshire | List of further education colleges in Hampshire | List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire | List of places in Hampshire

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