Bursledon
Encyclopedia
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 Green
.
The village has close ties to the sea. The Elephant Boatyard located in Old Bursledon dates back centuries and is where Henry VIII
's fleet was built. Submerged remnants of the fleet can be found in the River Hamble. The village, particularly the Jolly Sailor Pub and the Elephant Boatyard, were used as the primary filming venue for the 1980s BBC
TV soap opera "Howards' Way
". One of the more prominent family names responsible for building modern day Bursledon is the Hills of Springfield Manor.
personal name
meaning 'bright victory' and dun meaning "hill, modern down
". It is unlikely the Beohrtsige is the same individual who gave his name to Brixton
in South London
.
across the River Hamble was made of wood in 1783, and was a toll bridge
. Bursledon's waterside position and woodland surroundings made it a natural location for building wooden ships. Numerous vessels were built for the Royal Navy
at private shipyards at Bursledon, although a claim that two eighty-gun ships were constructed at Bursledon during the reign of William IV
is untrue. The yard owned by Philemon Ewer
in the 18th century was responsible for the building of the 50-gun HMS Falkland and the sloop HMS Lizard in 1744, the 50-gun HMS Ruby
in 1745, the 24-gun HMS Fox in 1746, and the 60-gun HMS Anson
in 1747 among other vessels. There is a monument to Ewer, who died in 1750, featuring a model of the Anson in the parish church
. George Parsons's Bursledon shipyard built a number of naval ships from 1778 to 1807, when he moved to Warsash
at the mouth of the River Hamble
; this included HMS Elephant
launched in 1786, which carried Nelson
to the Battle of Copenhagen
. Although most of the construction of these ships was carried out in Bursledon, they were sailed after their launchings to Portsmouth
to be sheathed
in copper
there.
By the 1870s, the shipbuilding trade had disappeared from Bursledon and the main industry was arable
agriculture
, particularly the growing of strawberries
.
The Bursledon Brickworks, now in the Borough of Fareham
, was founded in 1897 and produced the famous Fareham red brick. Today it is the last surviving example of a Victorian steam powered
brickworks in the country. The brickworks were sold to Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust http://www.hampshirebuildings.org.uk, and can be visited as the Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum.http://www.bursledonbrickworks.co.uk
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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 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
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 is located within the borough of Eastleigh
Eastleigh (borough)
The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, bordering the unitary authority of Southampton, Test Valley, the City of Winchester and the borough of Fareham. Eastleigh is separated from the New Forest by Southampton Water...
. Close to the city of 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...
, Bursledon has a railway station
Bursledon railway station
Bursledon railway station serves the village of Bursledon in Hampshire, England. It is on the West Coastway Line. The station is operated by South West Trains, who provide the majority of trains serving it .The station itself is located near a quay side on the River Hamble where a number of yachts...
, a 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....
, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill
Bursledon Windmill
Bursledon Windmill is a Grade II* listed windmill at Bursledon, Hampshire England which has been restored to working order.-History:Bursledon Windmill was built in 1814, replacing an earlier tower mill which was built in 1766. The machinery of the earlier mill was incorporated into the new mill....
. Nearby villages include 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...
, 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...
, Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
and Sarisbury Green
Sarisbury Green
Sarisbury Green is a suburb of Fareham in Hampshire, England. Nearby villages include Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice and Swanwick.A village with two traditional cricket greens, Sarisbury Green is also the home of Holly Hill Woodland Park. The aforementioned cricket greens are used by Sarisbury Athletic...
.
The village has close ties to the sea. The Elephant Boatyard located in Old Bursledon dates back centuries and is where Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's fleet was built. Submerged remnants of the fleet can be found in the River Hamble. The village, particularly the Jolly Sailor Pub and the Elephant Boatyard, were used as the primary filming venue for the 1980s BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV soap opera "Howards' Way
Howards' Way
Howards' Way is a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted on BBC One between 1 September 1985 and 25 November 1990. The series deals with the personal and professional lives of the yachting and business communities in the fictional town of Tarrant on the South Coast of...
". One of the more prominent family names responsible for building modern day Bursledon is the Hills of Springfield Manor.
Etymology
The village was known as Brixendona or Brixenden in the 12th century, Burstlesden in the 14th century, and Bristelden in the 16th century. The name probably means "Hill associated with a man called Beorhtsige", from Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
meaning 'bright victory' and dun meaning "hill, modern down
Down
Down may refer to:* Relative direction, where down is the direction towards the centre of gravity of a celestial object.* Railroad directions, where down and up have locally significant meanings...
". It is unlikely the Beohrtsige is the same individual who gave his name to Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
.
History
The original bridge carrying what is now the A27 roadA27 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...
across the River Hamble was made of wood in 1783, and was a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
. Bursledon's waterside position and woodland surroundings made it a natural location for building wooden ships. Numerous vessels were built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at private shipyards at Bursledon, although a claim that two eighty-gun ships were constructed at Bursledon during the reign of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
is untrue. The yard owned by Philemon Ewer
Philemon Ewer
There were a number of shipbuilders and shipwrights called Philemon Ewerin the villages of Bursledon and Hamble in the River Hamble area of Hampshire, England during the 18th century.- The Master Shipbuilder :...
in the 18th century was responsible for the building of the 50-gun HMS Falkland and the sloop HMS Lizard in 1744, the 50-gun HMS Ruby
HMS Ruby (1745)
HMS Ruby was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Bursledon in Hampshire to the dimensions specified in the 1741 proposals of the 1719 Establishment, and launched on 3 August 1745.Ruby was broken up in 1765....
in 1745, the 24-gun HMS Fox in 1746, and the 60-gun HMS Anson
HMS Anson (1747)
HMS Anson was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Bursledon by Philemon Ewer to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 10 October 1747....
in 1747 among other vessels. There is a monument to Ewer, who died in 1750, featuring a model of the Anson in the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. George Parsons's Bursledon shipyard built a number of naval ships from 1778 to 1807, when he moved to 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...
at the mouth of 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....
; this included HMS Elephant
HMS Elephant (1786)
HMS Elephant was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by George Parsons in Bursledon, Hampshire, and launched on 24 August 1786....
launched in 1786, which carried Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
to the Battle of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1801)
The Battle of Copenhagen was an engagement which saw a British fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker fight and strategically defeat a Danish-Norwegian fleet anchored just off Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the main attack. He famously disobeyed Parker's...
. Although most of the construction of these ships was carried out in Bursledon, they were sailed after their launchings 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...
to be sheathed
Copper sheathing
Copper sheathing was the practice of protecting the under-water hull of a ship or boat through the use of copper plates affixed to the outside of the hull. It was pioneered and developed by the Royal Navy during the 18th century.-Development:...
in copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
there.
By the 1870s, the shipbuilding trade had disappeared from Bursledon and the main industry was arable
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, particularly the growing of strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
.
The Bursledon Brickworks, now in the Borough of Fareham
Fareham (borough)
Fareham is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Fareham. Other places within the Borough include Portchester, Stubbington, Hill Head, Titchfield, Warsash, Locks Heath, Sarisbury and half of Whiteley...
, was founded in 1897 and produced the famous Fareham red brick. Today it is the last surviving example of a Victorian steam powered
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
brickworks in the country. The brickworks were sold to Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust http://www.hampshirebuildings.org.uk, and can be visited as the Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum.http://www.bursledonbrickworks.co.uk
People
Notable people from Bursledon include- Claude Grahame WhiteClaude Grahame WhiteClaude Grahame White was an English pioneer of aviation, and the first to make a night flight, during the Daily Mail sponsored 1910 London to Manchester air race.-Early life:...
, aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer.