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For other uses, see Southampton (disambiguation).
| City of Southampton | |
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| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South East England |
| Ceremonial county | Hampshire |
| Admin HQ | Southampton |
| Settled | Circa AD43 |
| City Status | 1964 |
| Unitary Authority | 1997 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Unitary authority, City |
| - Governing body | Southampton City Council |
| - Leadership | Leader & Cabinet |
| - Executive | Labour / Liberal Democrat |
| - MPs | John Denham (L) Sandra Gidley (LD) Alan Whitehead (L) |
| Area | |
| - Unitary & City | 19.9 sq mi (51.47 km²) |
| Population (2007 est) | |
| - Unitary & City | 228,600 (Ranked 48) |
| - Density | 11,535.8/sq mi (4,454/km²) |
| - Urban | 304,400 (Southampton Urban Area) |
| - Metro | 1,000,000 |
| - County | 1,691,000 (Hampshire) |
| - Ethnicity (2001 Census) | 58.2% White 10.3% S. Asian 28.7% Afro-Carib. 1.3% Chinese or other 1.5% mixed |
| Time zone | Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) |
| - Summer (DST) | British Summer Time (UTC+1) |
| Postcode span | SO14-SO19 |
| Area code(s) | 023 |
| Grid Ref. | SU 42 11 |
| ONS code | 00MS |
| Website: www.southampton.gov.uk/ | |
Southampton (pronunciation ; IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/) is the largest city on the south coast of England. Southampton City Council. Research, information and statistics. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. It is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest. The city lies roughly in the centre of the coast, at the northern-most point of Southampton Water where it is joined by the River Test and River Itchen,Britannica. Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city is situated approximately halfway between Bournemouth and Portsmouth.
The local authority is Southampton City Council, which is a unitary authority. The city is part of the ceremonial county of Hampshire.
Significant employers in Southampton include the University of Southampton, a Ford Transit factory and one of the largest commercial ports in Europe.
The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region, with a population of 228,600. Southampton City Council. Research, information and statistics. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. The city\'s name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to "So\'ton" or "Soton", and a resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.wiktionary. Sotonian. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
Southampton is noted for being the home of the RMS Titanic, Southampton City Council. Titanic - A Southampton Story. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. the Spitfire Solent Sky Museum. Home of the Spitfire. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. and more recently a number of the largest cruise liners in the world. Visit Southampton. Southampton - Cruise Capital of Northern Europe. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. Ship Spotting (2007-06-08). BBC Online. Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
Contents |
Part of The Medieval Walls
Although Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements are known to have existed in the area,Prehistoric Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. the first permanent settlement was established by the Romans shortly after their invasion of Britain in AD43.Roman Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. Known as Clausentum, it was an important trading port for the large Roman towns of Winchester and Salisbury. The Romans abandoned the settlement circa AD410Roman Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09., and the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons eventually saw the formation of a new settlement circa AD700 across the Itchen centred around what is now the St Mary\'s area. The settlement was known as Hamwic,Saxon Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. which evolved into Hamtun and then Hampton.British Archaeology Magazine (August 2002). Great Sites: Hamwic. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. “Hamwic, which is described as a commercial port (mercimonium). Hamwic (also known as Hamtun) must have possessed considerable administrative importance,”
The Viking King Canute the Great is supposed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready here in 1014 and been crowned here, and his fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton.About Britain. Southampton Tourist Information. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. Excavations have uncovered one of the best collections of Saxon artifacts in Europe.Saxon Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
Hamwic fell into decline in the 9th century,Saxon Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. but there is evidence that by the 10th century, a new settlement, which became Medieval Southampton had already been establishedMedieval Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Southampton became the major port of transit between Winchester (then the capital of England) and Normandy. By the 13th century, Southampton had become a leading port, and was particularly involved in the trade of French WineMedieval Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. in exchange for English cloth and wool.British Archaeology Magazine (August 2002). Great Sites: Hamwic. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. “larger-scale trade in relatively low value commodities such as wool, timber and quernstones..” The Wool House was built in 1417 as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders and Italy, the building surviving today as the Maritime Museum. During the Middle Ages, shipbuilding became an increasingly important industry, which was to remain for centuries to come.
The town was sacked in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco.OAG Travel Information: Southampton Tours. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. “these western walls were constructed after the French Raid of 1338, when invading pirates (led by Grimaldi, who founded Monaco with Southampton\'s silver) murdered anyone they saw - man, woman or child.” After this attack, the city\'s walls - part of which dates from 1175Recommended Southampton Tours. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. - were extensively added to and reinforced.God\'s House Tower: A History of the Museum. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. A large part of the town\'s walls remain today.Medieveal Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. Lacking proper finance for the construction of a full defensive wall, the townsfolk reached a compromise solution, which involved joining the existing exterior walls of existing merchant houses together to form part of the defensive structure. The city walls include God\'s House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England.24 hour museum: God\'s House Tower Museum of Archaeology, Southampton Accessed 1st August 2007 Over the years it has been used as home to the city\'s gunner, the Town Gaol and even as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board.God\'s House Tower: A History of the Museum. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology. The walls were finally completed in the 15th century.Medieveal Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street, within the old walls, is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England\'s departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt, the ringleaders of the "Southampton Plot", Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate.
The port was the original point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower in 1620.Recommended Southampton Tours. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. A memorial can be found on Town Quay. Since that time it has been the last port of call for millions of emigrants who left the Old World to start a new life in the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and other parts of the world.
The memorial to the engineers of the RMS Titanic.
In 1838, the docks were rebuilt and Southampton became known as The Gateway to the Empire.Post-Medieval Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. As was common with most of the luxury liners of the time,Post-Medieval Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. in 1912 the RMS Titanic sailed from here.Recommended Southampton Tours. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. The city contains several memorials and museum exhibitions related to the Titanic, most of crew having come from Southampton; 549 Sotonians died in the sinking.
Pockets of Georgian architecture survived the war, but much of the city was levelled. The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey\'s maps did not go unrecognised by the Luftwaffe: the German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton.Webnet Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. One notable building to survive the bombings was Southampton\'s oldest, St. Michaels Church. Thought to have been commenced in 1070,http://www.hants.org.uk/sotoncitycentreparish/stmichael.htm - Retrieved 2004-04-08 the building has been added to many times over the centuries but its central tower dates from Norman times. The spire was an important navigation aid for the German pilots and consequently they were ordered to avoid bombing it.http://www.wcities.com/en/record/,120885/206/record.html?event_name=&display=1 - Retrieved 2004-04-08
Southampton became a county corporate in 1447. It was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. The town became a county borough under the Local Government Act 1888, being expanded by the addition of several parishes in 1894, 1920, 1925 and 1967. Southampton was awarded city status in 1964 by Letters Patent.City Status for Southampton. The Times. February 12, 1964. The boundaries have been largely unchanged since then, despite the loss of county borough status in 1974, and subsequent regaining of unitary authority status in 1996.
Southampton City Council consists of 48 councillors elected by thirds. After the 2007 local council elections on 3 May 2007 the Council is split with 18 seats each to the Labour and the Conservative Party, each having gained two, and 12 to the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives took control in May 2007, after a Liberal Democrat resigned from her group to become an independent and voted for the Conservative leader Alec Samuels. During the budget setting meeting on 20th February 2008, a no confidence motion was passed and Labour and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition.
There are three members of parliament for the city: Rt Hon John Denham (Labour) for Southampton Itchen, the constituency for the east of the city, Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour) for Southampton Test which covers the west of the city, and Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) for Romsey, which includes a northern portion of the city. The Boundary Commission for England has created the new constituency of Romsey and Southampton North, by enlarging the current Romsey one. The new boundaries encompass the unitary authority wards of Bassett and Swaythling. It will be in place in time for the 2009 or 2010 General Election.
Southampton\'s police service is provided by Hampshire Constabulary, its fire service by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the ambulance service by the South Central Ambulance Service. Police stations within the city boundaries can be found in Portswood, Bitterne, and Shirley, as well as at the Civic Centre in the city centre. Fire stations are located in St Mary\'s, Sholing and Redbridge.
The geography of Southampton is very much influenced by the sea and rivers. The city sits at the northern tip of the Southampton Water, a deepwater estuary, which is a ria formed at the end of the last Ice Age. Here, the rivers Test and Itchen converge.The Port of Southampton L. E. Tavener Economic Geography, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct., 1950), pp. 260-273 The Test - which has saltmarsh that make it ideal for Salmon fishing Environment Agency. The River Test. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. - runs along the Western edge of the city, while the Itchen splits Southampton in two - east and west. The city centre is located on the peninsula between the two rivers.
Much of the Waterfront has been reclaimed over the years, mainly for use as the Western Docks. The Solent Forum. Western Solent and Southampton Water Shoreline Management Plan. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. Most of the land used for reclamation came from dredging of Southampton Water, eGovernment Monitor (5005-07-08). Web Maps Out The Past. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. to ensure that the port can continue to handle some of the largest ships in the world. The shape of the coastline gives rise to a natural phenomena in Southampton, known as the double tide. Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory. Tides. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. This gives the port a much longer high tide period than other ports, making the movement of large ships easier. Associated British Ports. Southampton VTS - ABP Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. Solent FORUM. Navigation Dredging in Southampton Water. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
The city itself lies in the Hampshire Basin, which sits atop large amounts of chalk beds.The Port of Southampton L. E. Tavener Economic Geography, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct., 1950), pp. 260-273
| Weather averages for Southampton, England, UK | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8 (46) | 8 (46) | 10 (50) | 13 (55) | 16 (61) | 19 (67) | 22 (71) | 21 (70) | 19 (66) | 15 (59) | 11 (51) | 9 (48) | |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1 (34) | 1 (34) | 2 (36) | 3 (38) | 7 (44) | 9 (49) | 11 (52) | 11 (52) | 9 (48) | 7 (44) | 3 (38) | 2 (35) | |
| Precipitation mm (inch) | 88.9 (3.50) | 61 (2.40) | 66 (2.60) | 48.3 (1.90) | 55.9 (2.20) | 53.3 (2.10) | 40.6 (1.60) | 55.9 (2.20) | 66 (2.60) | 78.7 (3.10) | 83.8 (3.30) | 88.9 (3.50) | |
| Source: Weather.com Average Weather for Southampton, ENG. Retrieved on Aug 3, 2007. 3 Aug 2007 | |||||||||||||
As is the case with most large towns in the UK, Southampton has a diverse range of cultures and ethnic groups, which make up the estimated 228,600 people living within the city boundary. There is a large Polish population in the city, with estimates as high as 20,000, or 1 in every 10 of the total population.South: Polish immigration. BBC News Online (2006-06-16). Retrieved on 2007-04-08. Southampton also has large Asian and Irish communities. At the 2001 Census, 92.4 per cent of the city\'s populace were white - including one per cent white Irish, 3.8 per cent were South Asian, 1.0 per cent Black, 1.3 per cent Chinese or other ethnic groups, and 1.5 per cent were of mixed race.Office for National Statistics, Neighbourhood statistics: Ethnic group - percentages, accessed 8 April 2007
In total, there are 112,400 males within the city and 109,500 females.Southampton City Council - Population Numbers[1], accessed June 2007 The 20-24 age range is the most populous, with an estimated 28,100 people falling in this age range. Next largest is the 25-29 range with 20,500 people and then 30-34 years with 17,000.Southampton City Council - Population Numbers[2], accessed June 2007 By population, Southampton is the largest monocentric city in the South East England region and the second largest on the South Coast after Plymouth.
Between 1996 and 2004, the population of the city increased by 4.9 per cent - the tenth biggest increase in England. Institute for Public Policy Research. Two Track Cities. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. In 2005 the Government Statistics stated that Southampton was the third most densely populated city in the country after London and Portsmouth respectively. National Statistics Online. South East Profile. Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Hampshire County Council expects the city\'s population to grow by around a further two per cent between 2006 and 2013, adding around another 4,200 to the total number of residents.Southampton Statistics and Research. Southampton City Council. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. The highest increases are expected among the elderly.Southampton Statistics and Research. Southampton City Council. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
There are currently 120,305 jobs in Southampton, and 3,570 people claiming job seekers allowance, approximately 2.4 per cent of the city\'s population, as of March 2007. Southampton City Council. Southampton Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. This compares with an average of 2.5 per cent for England as a whole.
As of June 2006, 74.7 per cent of the city\'s population are classed as economically active. Southampton City Council. Southampton Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
Just over a quarter of the jobs available in the city are in the health and education sector. A further 19 per cent are property and other business and the third largest sector is wholesale and retail, which accounts for 16.2 per cent. Southampton City Council. Southampton Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Between 1995 and 2004, the number of jobs in Southampton has increased by 18.5 per cent. Institure for Public Policy Research. Two Track Cities. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
As of January 2007, the average annual salary in the city was £22,267. This was £1,700 lower than the national average and £3,800 less than the average for the South East. Southampton City Council. Southampton Statistics and Research, January 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
Southampton has always been strongly connected with maritime history and developments, and the docks have long been a major employer in the city. In particular, it is a primary port for cruise ships, its heyday being the first half of the 20th century, and in particular the inter-war years, when it handled almost half the passenger traffic of the UK. Today it remains home to many luxury liners, as well as being the largest freight port on the Channel coast, with several container terminals. Unlike many other ports, such as Liverpool, London, and Bristol, where industry and docks have largely moved out of the city centres leaving room for redevelopment, Southampton retains much of its inner-city industry. Part of the docks have been redeveloped, however as the Ocean Village development, a local marina and entertainment complex.
During the latter half of the 20th century, a more diverse range of industry also came to the city, including aircraft and automobile manufacture, cables, electrical-engineering products, and petrochemicals. These now sit alongside the city\'s traditional industries of the docks, grain milling, and tobacco processing. Britannica. Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the city\'s largest employers. It provides local hospital services to half a million people in the Southampton area and specialist regional services to more than three million people across the South of England. The Trust owns and manages Southampton General Hospital, the Princess Anne Hospital and a palliative care service at Countess Mountbatten House.
Other major employers in the city include Ordnance Survey, the UK\'s national mapping agency, whose headquarters are in the city. The Lloyd\'s Register Group has announced plans to move its London marine operations to a specially developed site at the University of Southampton.Lloyd\'s Register (2006-04-21). Lloyd\'s Register announces plans to move Marine operations to Southampton. Retrieved on 2004-04-08. The area of Swaythling is home to Ford\'s Southampton Assembly Plant, where the majority of their Transit models are manufactured.
West Quay Shopping Centre
Southampton\'s largest retail centre is the West Quay Shopping Centre. Opened in September 2000 and hosting major High Street brands it is one of the largest in the country. The centre itself was phase two of the West Quay development. The first was the West Quay Retail park, while the third phase has been planned for a number of years with the latest target of work starting being 2007. The plans include building more shops, housing, offices including the headquarters for Carnival Cruises and additional leisure facilities. A decision as to what leisure facilities is still to be decided, however Southampton has been granted a large casino licenceSouthampton City Council (2007-03). City Awarded large Casino Licence. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. and so can now add to its collection of casinos in the city.Swedish low-cost home products retailer IKEA has been given permission to open a store in the city centreIKEA (2007-05). IKEA Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.BBC Online (2007-11-07). Ikea\'s City Store Plans Approved. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. near to West Quay. Other major shopping areas in the city centre include The Mall Marlands, The Bargate Centre and the East Street area, which has been designated for speciality shopping, with the aim of promoting smaller retailers. Overall, Southampton is ranked 13th for shopping in the UK. Southampton City Council (2007-05). City Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
The dockyards on the River Test
Like many cities in the UK, Southampton\'s strong economy is promoting redevelopment, and major projects are proposed, including the city\'s first skyscrapers on the waterfront. The three towers proposed will each stand 23 stories high and will be surrounded by smaller apartment blocks, office blocks and shops. There are also plans for a 15 storey Hotel at the Ocean Village marina,Daily Echo (2007-05). Grand Designs for New Hotel. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. and a 21 storey hotel on the north eastern corner of the city centre, as part of a £100m development.Daily Echo (2007-05). Four Star Hotel for City Centre. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.Another project would have been the permanent docking of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Southampton (her home port since 1969) as a floating hotel and tourist attraction when she is retired;Daily Echo (2007-05). Whyt Couldn\'t QE2 Have Remained in Her Home Port?. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. however, Cunard Line announced on June 18, 2007, that the ship will be sold to Dubai for those purposes.BBC News (2007-05). QE2 to become floating hotel. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
Southampton is unique in being the only city in the UK with a geothermal power station. The station provides hot water to a city centre district heating scheme. In a recent survey of carbon emissions in major UK cities conducted by British Gas, Southampton was ranked as being one of the lowest carbon emitting cities in the United Kingdom.British Gas News (2006-05-22). Reading named as the UK\'s highest CO2 hot spot. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
According to figures from 2004, Southampton contributes around £4.2bn to the regional economy annually. The vast majority of this is from the service sector, with the remainder coming from industry in the city. This figure has almost doubled since 1995. Office for National Statistics. Regional Gross Value Added Report. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
Tudor House, Southampton
The city is home to the second longest medieval walls in England that are still standing,999 Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. “Southampton has England\'s second-longest stretch of surviving Medieval wall, the longest being in York” as well as a number of museums such as Tudor House, The Maritime Museum and Solent Sky, which focuses on aviation. The annual Southampton Boat Show is held in September each year, with over 600 exhibitors present.Southampton Boat Show. Southampton City Council (2007-05-16). Retrieved on 2007-07-28. It runs for just over a week at Mayflower Park on the city\'s waterfront, where it has been held since 1968.Southampton Boat Show. Southampton Boat Show Official Website. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. The Boat Show itself is the climax of Sea City, which runs from April to September each year to celebrate Southampton\'s links with the sea.Sea City 2007. Celebrating Southampton\'s Connection With The Sea. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. Southampton has a vibrant nightlife, and has been voted one of the best places to live in the UK for single people aged 18 to 30, owing to its low cost of living, wide array of bars and club and cheap transport. Women voted it second best behind London, while men rated it as seventh.Southampton Is Among Top Cities For Singles. Southern Daily Echo (2007-07-26). Retrieved on 2007-07-26. Music is an important aspect of the city and there are several music venues. The city is home to R\'n\'B soulstar Craig David, Coldplay drummer Will Champion, and was the birthplace of comedian Benny Hill.
The main theatre in the city is the 2,300 capacity Mayflower Theatre, which hosts a number of West End shows, such as Les Miserables, The Rocky Horror Show and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The city is home to several art galleries, including the council run gallery at the Civic Centre.
Local media include the Southern Daily Echo newspaper based in Redbridge and BBC South, which has its regional headquarters in the city centre. From there the BBC broadcasts South Today, the local television news bulletin and BBC Radio Solent. The local ITV franchise is Meridian, which has its headquarters in Whiteley, around nine miles (14 km) from the city. Until recently, the station\'s studios were located in the Northam area of the city. Commercial radio stations include Radio Hampshire - which until 2007 was run by Southampton F.C.Saint Sold On. Southampton Football Club (2007-07-25). Retrieved on 2007-07-25. and known as The Saint - Power FM, Ocean FM and Original 106.
Southampton is home to Southampton Football Club - nicknamed "The Saints" - who play in the Football League Championship at St Mary\'s Stadium. At grass roots level, the two local Sunday Leagues in the Southampton area are the City of Southampton Sunday Football League and the Southampton and District Sunday Football League. Hampshire County Cricket Club play close to the city, at the Rose Bowl in West End, after previously playing at the County Cricket Ground, near to the city centre.
The city is famous for yachting and water sports, with a number of marinas dotted around. From 1977 to 2001 the Whitbread Around the World Yacht Race, which is now known as the Volvo Ocean Race was based in Southampton.
The city also boasts the Southampton Sports Centre which is the focal point for the public\'s sporting and outdoor activities and includes an Alpine Centre, theme park and athletics centre which is used by professional athletes. Southampton City Council. Outdoor Sports Centre. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
Southampton was named "fittest city in the UK" in 2006 by Men\'s Fitness magazine. The results were based on the incidence of heart disease, the amount of junk food and alcohol consumed, and the level of gym membership.Bradford named UK\'s fattest city. Guardian Unlimited (2006-02-01). Retrieved on 2007-07-26. In 2007, it had slipped one place behind London, but was still ranked first when it came to the parks and green spaces available for exercise and the amount of television watched by Sotonians was the lowest in the country. Southampton Still Amongst The Fittest. JCI Southampton (2007-03-24). Retrieved on 2007-07-26. Speedway racing took place at Bannister Court Stadium in the pre-war era. It returned the 1940s after WW2 and the Saints operated until the stadium closed down at the end of 1963. A training track operated in the 1950s in the Hamble area. Southampton is also home to one of the most successful College American Football teams in the U.K the Southampton Stags, a joint team between Southampton Solent and Southampton University, that boasts 3 college bowl wins and access to some of the best facilities in the sport at the Wide Lane Sports Facility.
According to government figures Southampton has a higher crime rate than the national average. Home Office. Local Authority Crime Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-09-10. In the Violence against the person category, the national average is 16.7 per 1000 population while Southampton is 38.4 per 1000 population and in the Theft from a vehicle category, the national average is 7.6 per 1000 compared to Southampton\'s 17.4 per 1000. Overall, for every 1,000 people in the city, 102 crimes are recorded, meaning that around 10 per cent of the population have been victims of crime in the last 12 months. Home Office. Local Authority Crime Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
Part of Southampton University
The city has a strong higher education sector. The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University together have a student population of almost 40,000. Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2005/06. Higher Education Statistics Agency online statistics. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.The University of Southampton - which was founded in 1862 Britannica. Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. - is one of the top 10 research-led universities in the UK, University of Southampton. About Us. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. HERO. University of Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. Guardian Unlimited (2007-05-01). University of Southampton. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. and caters for 20,000 students. University of Southampton. About Us. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. It is also considered to be one of the top 200 (141st) universities in the world. Wessex Scene. Southampton in world\'s top 200. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. It also provides a wide range of services for the business community. The university has a global reputation for leading-edge research into oceanography, cancer sciences, sound and vibration research, computer science and electronics, optoelectronics and textile conservation. It is also home to the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the focus of Natural Environment Research Council-funded marine research.
Southampton Solent University has 17,000 Guardian Unlimited (2007-05-01). Southampton Solent University. Retrieved on 2007-07-28. students and its strengths are in the training, consultancy, research and other services undertaken for business and industry. Southampton City Council. Southampton Solent University. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
Over 40 per cent of school pupils in the city that responded to a survey claimed to have been the victim of bullying. More than 2,000 took part and said that verbal bullying was the most common form, although physical bullying was a close second for boys. Southampton City Council. Statistics July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
As befits Southampton\'s role as a major port, the city has good transport links with the rest of the country. The M27 motorway, linking places along the south coast of England, runs just to the north of the city. The M3 motorway links the city to London and also, by linking to the A34 road at Winchester with the Midlands and North. The M271 motorway is a spur of the M27, linking it with the Western Docks and city centre.
Southampton is also well served by the rail network, which is used by both freight services to and from the docks and passenger services as part of the national rail system. The main station in the city is Southampton Central. Rail routes run east towards Portsmouth, north to Winchester, the Midlands and London, and westwards to Salisbury, Bristol and Bournemouth.
Local train services operate in the central, Southern and Eastern sections of the city, with stations at Swaythling, St Denys, Millbrook, Redbridge, Bitterne, Sholing and Woolston.
Southampton Coach Station, which is located near the West Quay Shopping Centre, was refurbished recently and the range and frequency of services offered by National Express services make use of the new facilities.
Southampton Airport Control Tower
Southampton Airport is a regional airport located in the town of Eastleigh, just north of Southampton. It hosts flights to UK and near European destinations, and is connected to the city by a frequent rail service from Southampton Airport (Parkway) railway station, and a number of bus services.
Whilst Southampton is no longer the base for any cross-channel ferries, it is the terminus for three internal ferry services, all of which operate from terminals at Town Quay. Two of these, a car ferry service and a fast catamaran passenger ferry service, provide links to East Cowes and Cowes respectively on the Isle of Wight and are operated by Red Funnel. The third ferry is the Hythe Ferry, providing a passenger service to the town of Hythe on the other side of Southampton Water.
Buses make up the majority of local public transport, with significant peak hour congestion in the city. The main bus operators are First Southampton, Uni-link and Bluestar. Other operators include Brijan Tours, Black Velvet, Stagecoach and Wilts and Dorset. Free buses are provided by City-link and City Loop.Southampton Local Transport Plan 2001/2 to 2005/6 Accessed 10th May 2007 City-link runs from town quay to Southampton Central Station and is operated by Uni-link.Uni-link routes Accessed 10th May 2007 The Uni-link bus service was commissioned by the University of Southampton to provide access to students who are studying at the university to all parts of the city. The buses run from early in the morning to midnight meeting demands of students who wish to get to the city during the day and leisure places in the evening. There is also a door to door minibus service called Southampton Dial a Ride, for residents who cannot access public transport. This is funded by the council and operated by SCA Support Services.
There are two main termini for bus services. As the biggest operator, First uses stops around Pound Tree Road, and occupy a lot of space there. This leaves the other terminal of West Quay available for other operators. Uni-link passes West Quay in both directions, and Wilts and Dorset drop passengers off and pick them up there, terminating at a series of bus stands along the road. Certain Bluestar services also do this, while others stop at Bargate and some loop round West Quay, stopping between Bargate and Pound tree Road. There was a tram system from 1879 to 1949.
Southampton used to be home to a number of ferry services to the continent, with destinations such as San Sebastian, Lisbon, Tangier and Casablanca. A ferry port was built during the 1960s.http://www.plimsoll.org/Southampton/TheDocks/EasternDocks/OuterDock3.asp The result appeared to be very successful] Accessed 2nd Jan 2008 However a number of these relocated to Portsmouth and by 1996, there were no longer any car ferries operating from Southampton with the exception of services to the Isle of Wight. The land used for Southampton Ferry Port was sold off and a retail and housing development was built on the site. The Princess Alexandra Dock was converted into a non-tidal Marina. Now new car reception areas now fill the Eastern Docks where passengers, dry docks and trains used to be.
