Swaythling
Encyclopedia
Swaythling was once a village
but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton
in Hampshire
, England
. The ward has a population of 13,394.
Today, Swaythling has a large student population thanks mainly to Wessex Lane Halls
, one of the largest halls of residence in Europe, and the proximity of the University of Southampton
. It borders (clockwise from South) Portswood
, Highfield, Bassett
, Eastleigh
, Mansbridge
and Townhill Park
.
Swaythling is home to Ford's
Southampton Assembly Plant, which produces the Transit
van.
; the Old English word swætheling is believed to mean "misty stream".
Swaythling originally formed part of the Parish
of South Stoneham, which encompassed Eastleigh
and almost all of the land between Swaythling and the Bargate
, in Southampton City Centre
. The parish church was St. Mary's
; the present building is one of Southampton's two medieval churches. It is accessible from Wessex Lane, down a short track between Connaught Hall and South Stoneham House (both now halls of residence serving the University of Southampton
).
South Stoneham House was built in 1708 for the Surveyor of the Navy
, Edmund Dummer
, and is attributed to Nicholas Hawksmoor
. The grounds were laid out after 1772 by Capability Brown
.
Woodmill is an ancient watermill
site located in Swaythling at the highest tidal point of the River Itchen
, where it is joined by the Itchen Navigation
. The industrialist Walter Taylor moved there after 1770, but his mill burned down in 1820 to be replaced by the present structure which is now used as an activity centre.
With the construction of the "Flower Roads" council estate, St. Alban's church was erected in 1933, and the parish maps were redrawn. The parish of Swaythling came into being, with both St. Alban's and St. Mary's church buildings being used for worship. In 1931 Connaught Hall was built, to accompany South Stoneham House as a hall of residence for the University. The University acquired South Stoneham House in 1921 and subsequently added the tower block that now dominates the Wessex Lane area.
Much of the Swaythling landscape and its architecture was captured in the 1950s and 1960s by local artist Eric Meadus
.
Swaythling is now very much urbanised, with much of the area used for residential housing. High Road, which was the village's high street
, has waned in popularity recently with several established businesses, such as Dunning's grocery store
, having shut down. The popularity of the shopping area in neighbouring Portswood
, out-of-town supermarket developments at Chandler's Ford
and Hedge End
, and the building of the Thomas Lewis Way bypass to the city centre
are all possible causes of this demise. High Road today is dominated by take-away food outlets and a couple of newsagents. The Old Black Cat (The Hampton Park Hotel) pub was turned into a McDonald's
restaurant in the late 1990s.
The stream
that gave the area its name is largely hidden from view as it runs through Swaythling, although it can still be seen next to the Fleming Arms pub (now owned by Gales Brewery
, the Fleming Arms used to be a Beefeater restaurant
until a fire led to the sale of the property). The Shell
petrol station serving Thomas Lewis Way stands on the site of a cinema
that fronted onto High Road.
, 22.7 per cent have no religion, 2.6 per cent are Muslim
and 1.3 per cent Buddhist. 70.5 per cent of Swaythling's population are in good health, a figure which is above the averages for Southampton
and England. A further 21.9 per cent are in fairly good health, while 7.56 per cent are classified as "not good".
There are 4,727 households in Swaythling, of which 17.9 per cent are owner occupied and owned outright, 25.1 per cent are owner occupied with a mortgage or similar loan, 1.6 per cent are shared ownership, 18.4 per cent are rented from the Council, 13.8 per cent are rented from a housing association
, 20.1 are rented from a private landlord or letting agency, and 3.1 per cent rented from elsewhere.
bought a 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) plot of land in Wide Lane on which to build the Southampton Assembly Plant, now the dominant industry in Swaythling. The plant started producing vehicles in 1961, and in 1985 underwent a £74 million investment programme, which resulted in one of the most modern vehicle manufacturing plants in Europe at the time. Three quarters of the welding is now carried out by computer controlled machines. The main product of the plant is the Transit Van
, with more than half of the UK's Transits being manufactured in Swaythling.
The very first branch of the DIY chain B&Q
was opened in Swaythling in 1969, near to where the current B&Q
store in Swaythling stands.
is on the main line between London and Bournemouth, and was opened in 1883. Originally Swathling Station, the "y" was added in 1895 at the request of the squire, Sir Samuel Montagu, who became the first Baron Swaythling in 1907.
On 24 August 1988, Swaythling was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the site of the largest street party in the world when the A335 Thomas Lewis Way, which allows traffic to bypass Swaythling and the neighbouring suburb of Portswood
when travelling from the M27
to Southampton
's city centre, was first opened. Around 3000 people were present at the event.
from 1957. In 1980 the club changed its name again to its current form, Eastleigh F.C.
.
The Swaythling Cup, an international table tennis competition, was set up in 1926 by Baroness Swaythling
's two sons, Ivor
and Ewen Montagu
.
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...
but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward 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...
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...
. The ward has a population of 13,394.
Today, Swaythling has a large student population thanks mainly to Wessex Lane Halls
Wessex Lane Halls
Wessex Lane Halls is a halls of residence complex owned by the University of Southampton. It is situated in the Swaythling district of Southampton, approximately one mile north-east of the University campus in Highfield....
, one of the largest halls of residence in Europe, and the proximity of the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
. It borders (clockwise from South) Portswood
Portswood
Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
, Highfield, Bassett
Bassett, Southampton
Bassett is a suburb and electoral ward of the City of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north of the city centre and is largely residential, including the University of Southampton's Glen Eyre Halls of residence complex, which houses around 2,100 students...
, Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
, Mansbridge
Mansbridge
Mansbridge is a suburb on the northern perimeter of Southampton, England. The area is named after the Mans Bridge which spans the River Itchen. For a considerable time, this was the southern-most crossing point of the river, before the construction of Woodmill in Swaythling...
and Townhill Park
Townhill Park
Townhill Park is a suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Swaythling, Bitterne Park and West End. It is built on land which once belonged to the house which carries the same name.- History :...
.
Swaythling is home to Ford's
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Southampton Assembly Plant, which produces the Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
van.
History
Recorded as Swæthelinge in 909 AD, the origins of the name Swaythling are uncertain. It is widely thought that the name originally referred to the stream that runs through the area, now known as Monks BrookMonks Brook
Monks Brook is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Itchen, which it joins at a medieval salmon pool in Swaythling. The brook is formed from seven streams that rise in the chalky South Downs, with the official source of Monks Brook being known as Bucket's...
; the Old English word swætheling is believed to mean "misty stream".
Swaythling originally formed part of the Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of South Stoneham, which encompassed Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
and almost all of the land between Swaythling and the Bargate
Bargate
The Bargate is a building in the city centre of Southampton, England. Constructed in Norman times as part of the fortified walled city, the Bargate was the main point of entry and exit to and from the north. Since Southampton is on the south coast, this made the Bargate the main gateway to the city...
, in Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton, and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity.The traditional heart...
. The parish church was St. Mary's
St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham
St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham is one of the two remaining medieval churches in the city of Southampton, England. Parts of the building date from the Norman period and the chancel arch is 12th century...
; the present building is one of Southampton's two medieval churches. It is accessible from Wessex Lane, down a short track between Connaught Hall and South Stoneham House (both now halls of residence serving the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
).
South Stoneham House was built in 1708 for the Surveyor of the Navy
Surveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...
, Edmund Dummer
Edmund Dummer (naval engineer)
Edmund Dummer was an English naval engineer and shipbuilder who, as Surveyor of the Navy, founded the Royal Navy dockyard at , Plymouth and extended that at Portsmouth. His survey of the Royal Navy Dockyards is a valuable and well-known historic document...
, and is attributed to Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
. The grounds were laid out after 1772 by Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
.
Woodmill is an ancient watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
site located in Swaythling at the highest tidal point of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
, where it is joined by the Itchen Navigation
Itchen Navigation
The Itchen Navigation is an approximately 10 mile long disused canal system in Hampshire, England, that provided an important trading route from Winchester to the sea at Southampton for about 150 years. The canal was opened in 1710 but had fallen into disuse by 1869...
. The industrialist Walter Taylor moved there after 1770, but his mill burned down in 1820 to be replaced by the present structure which is now used as an activity centre.
With the construction of the "Flower Roads" council estate, St. Alban's church was erected in 1933, and the parish maps were redrawn. The parish of Swaythling came into being, with both St. Alban's and St. Mary's church buildings being used for worship. In 1931 Connaught Hall was built, to accompany South Stoneham House as a hall of residence for the University. The University acquired South Stoneham House in 1921 and subsequently added the tower block that now dominates the Wessex Lane area.
Much of the Swaythling landscape and its architecture was captured in the 1950s and 1960s by local artist Eric Meadus
Eric Meadus
Eric Meadus was an English artist whose work was exhibited in the Royal Academy and Paris Salon.Meadus came from the 'Flower Roads' of Swaythling, a council estate. He was born in Rigby Road, Southampton, but his family soon moved to Lobelia Road. He first exhibited in a mixed show at the City Art...
.
Geography
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
, has waned in popularity recently with several established businesses, such as Dunning's grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
, having shut down. The popularity of the shopping area in neighbouring Portswood
Portswood
Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
, out-of-town supermarket developments at Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford is a largely residential area and civil parish in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, with a population of 20,071 in the 2001 UK Census....
and Hedge End
Hedge 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...
, and the building of the Thomas Lewis Way bypass to the city centre
Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton, and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity.The traditional heart...
are all possible causes of this demise. High Road today is dominated by take-away food outlets and a couple of newsagents. The Old Black Cat (The Hampton Park Hotel) pub was turned into a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant in the late 1990s.
The stream
Monks Brook
Monks Brook is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Itchen, which it joins at a medieval salmon pool in Swaythling. The brook is formed from seven streams that rise in the chalky South Downs, with the official source of Monks Brook being known as Bucket's...
that gave the area its name is largely hidden from view as it runs through Swaythling, although it can still be seen next to the Fleming Arms pub (now owned by Gales Brewery
Gales Brewery
Established in 1847 Gales Brewery was an old brewery situated in Horndean, on the edge of Waterlooville, near Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It made the nutty HSB and the newer Gales Bitter...
, the Fleming Arms used to be a Beefeater restaurant
Beefeater (restaurant)
Beefeater is a chain of pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. There are currently 131 Beefeater restaurants in the UK.- History :...
until a fire led to the sale of the property). The Shell
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
petrol station serving Thomas Lewis Way stands on the site of a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
that fronted onto High Road.
Demography
The ward has a population of 13,394, consisting of 6,835 males and 6,559 females. 63.4 per cent of the population of Swaythling are ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, 22.7 per cent have no religion, 2.6 per cent are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and 1.3 per cent Buddhist. 70.5 per cent of Swaythling's population are in good health, a figure which is above the averages for 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...
and England. A further 21.9 per cent are in fairly good health, while 7.56 per cent are classified as "not good".
There are 4,727 households in Swaythling, of which 17.9 per cent are owner occupied and owned outright, 25.1 per cent are owner occupied with a mortgage or similar loan, 1.6 per cent are shared ownership, 18.4 per cent are rented from the Council, 13.8 per cent are rented from a housing association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
, 20.1 are rented from a private landlord or letting agency, and 3.1 per cent rented from elsewhere.
Economy
In 1958, the Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
bought a 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) plot of land in Wide Lane on which to build the Southampton Assembly Plant, now the dominant industry in Swaythling. The plant started producing vehicles in 1961, and in 1985 underwent a £74 million investment programme, which resulted in one of the most modern vehicle manufacturing plants in Europe at the time. Three quarters of the welding is now carried out by computer controlled machines. The main product of the plant is the Transit Van
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
, with more than half of the UK's Transits being manufactured in Swaythling.
The very first branch of the DIY chain B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
was opened in Swaythling in 1969, near to where the current B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
store in Swaythling stands.
Transport
Swaythling railway stationSwaythling railway station
Swaythling railway station is a railway station in the northern edge of Southampton in Hampshire, England, serving the area of Swaythling.The station was built in 1883 and is a grade II listed building. It is currently operated by South West Trains and is served by the hourly Salisbury to Romsey...
is on the main line between London and Bournemouth, and was opened in 1883. Originally Swathling Station, the "y" was added in 1895 at the request of the squire, Sir Samuel Montagu, who became the first Baron Swaythling in 1907.
On 24 August 1988, Swaythling was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the site of the largest street party in the world when the A335 Thomas Lewis Way, which allows traffic to bypass Swaythling and the neighbouring suburb of Portswood
Portswood
Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
when travelling from the M27
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...
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...
's city centre, was first opened. Around 3000 people were present at the event.
Sport
Swaythling Athletic Football Club was established in 1946, and changed its name to Swaythling FC shortly afterwards, playing at Ten Acres in North StonehamNorth Stoneham
North Stoneham is a settlement and ecclesiastical parish in south Hampshire, England. It was formerly an ancient estate and manor. Until the nineteenth century, it was a rural community comprising a number of scattered hamlets, including Middle Stoneham, North End, and Bassett Green, and...
from 1957. In 1980 the club changed its name again to its current form, Eastleigh F.C.
Eastleigh F.C.
Eastleigh Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Silverlake Stadium.-History:...
.
The Swaythling Cup, an international table tennis competition, was set up in 1926 by Baroness Swaythling
Louis Montagu, 2nd Baron Swaythling
Louis Samuel Montagu, 2nd Baron Swaythling was a prominent British Jew, financier, and political activist. He was the son and heir of Samuel Montagu, 1st Baron Swaythling....
's two sons, Ivor
Ivor Montagu
The Honorable Ivor Goldsmid Samuel Montagu was a British filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, film critic, writer, table tennis player and apparent Soviet spy...
and Ewen Montagu
Ewen Montagu
Captain The Hon. Ewen Edward Samuel Montagu, CBE, QC, DL, RNR was a British judge, writer and Naval intelligence officer....
.
See also
- Swaythling and Bassett Covenant of ChurchesSwaythling and Bassett Covenant of ChurchesThe Swaythling and Bassett Covenant of Churches is an ecumenical group made up of the following churches:* All Saints' Church, Bassett* Church of the Immaculate Conception* Swaythling Baptist Church* Swaythling Methodist Church, Burgess Road...