Woolston is believed to originate from Olafs tun[1] and it remained part of the Itchen Urban District Council,[1] a fortified tun on the East bank of the River Itchen established by the Viking leader Olaf I of Norway in the 10th century. The small hill in the area surrounding modern day Defender Road conveniently overlooks the Saxon port of Hamwic.[2] This area would thus have been a good strategic location for the Vikings in 994 AD, when they were known to have camped in the Itchen area.[1]
Toponymy
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the area is recorded as Olvestune.[1] Medieval trade in Southampton included the export of wool produced across a large part of Southern England.[3] The "Wool House" still survives in Southampton[3] and was very accessible via the crossing of the River Itchen, Hampshire from Itchen Ferry village. With the next available crossing of the River Itchen, Hampshire several miles upstream at Mansbridge,[3] the area now known as Woolston is certain to have received consignments of wool to be ferried across the River Itchen, Hampshire by the inhabitants of Itchen Ferry village. The evolution of Olvestune into "Woolston" is a result of that trade.
Occupants
In 1424, Richard Inkpen conveyed an estate on the east bank of the River Itchen, Hampshire to his daughter Alice, wife of Richard Chamberlayne.[1] At least part of that estate was to return to the Chamberlayne name in the late 18th century.[1]
In 1631, Sir George Rivers conveyed 340 acres (1.4km2) of land and the rights to the passage over the river Itchen to Nathaniel Mills.[1] This transaction appears to have been Woolston Manor. The rights to the passage over the River Itchen, was owned by the Lords of the Manors of Southampton and Woolston,[1] but those rights were exercised by the fishermen of Itchen Ferry village who paid for that privilege in cash,[1] providing a useful income for the Lord of the Manor.
In 1781, William Chamberlayne inherited the estates owned by Thomas Dummer, of Woolston House.[1] In 1802 his son, William Chamberlayne (MP) established the Weston Grove Estate[1] on land neighbouring Woolston.
The Dummer/Chamberlayne estate covered a large area, extending as far as Netley and including Netley Abbey. On 3 January 1856,[4] Thomas Chamberlayne sold land that was used to develop the Royal Victoria Military Hospital. Workers from Woolston were used to help with its construction.[5][6] The hospital was subsequently a significant customer for the traders of Woolston.[7]
Between 1876 and 1889 the yard launched over 100 ships.[3] Despite that success, the Woolston yard also experienced some financial difficulties. In 1881 an official receiver was appointed to manage the company.[3] Shipbuilding continued at the yard for a few years, but in 1889, Oswald Mordaunt and Company sought a new yard in South Wales and closed the yard in Woolston.[3][9]
In 1966 John I. Thornycroft & Company merged with Vosper & Co. to form Vosper Thornycroft. The various shipbuilding companies on this Victoria Road site were thus the major employer in Woolston until 31 March 2004 when Vosper Thorneycroft vacated the site having relocated its operations to Portsmouth.
The other major employer in Woolston, from 1913 to 1960, was Supermarine. This company built seaplanes on its Hazel Road site that were ultimately successful in the Schneider trophy. Those seaplanes were further developed by R. J. Mitchell to create the Supermarine Spitfire. Alongside its simpler and more numerous counterpart, the Hawker Hurricane, the Spitfire played an important part in World War II and the Battle of Britain. This made Woolston an important target for the Luftwaffe.
The Royal Navy also had a large building situated between Archery Road and the waterfront[12] which they used as stores. Originally built in 1917 by the Ministry of Munitions as Rolling Mills for the production of brass strip for shell cases, this building is often thought of and referred to as being within Woolston but it was actually in the neighbouring district of Weston.[1][3] It was built immediately behind Weston Grove House[1] on land that was originally part of the Weston Grove estate.[13]
Situated slightly to the north of Woolston railway station was a small goods yard,[14] accessible from Bridge Road. This yard was a busy place until it closed in November 1967.[14]
The Hazel Road area of modern Woolston still has some industrial activity, including Siva Group and GriffonHoverwork.[15][16][bettersourceneeded]
Wartime
With a major shipbuilding yard situated a short distance downstream from the Supermarine factory, Woolston attracted a lot of attention from the Luftwaffe during World War II. This bombing did significant damage in Woolston and completely destroyed the Supermarine factory and the neighbouring Itchen Ferry village on 26 September 1940,[17] but it did not stop production of the Spitfire which had been safely dispersed around the country.
In 1943, the Admiralty requisitioned the bombed-out remains of the Supermarine factory to provide a base for the planning of PLUTO,[18] an undersea pipeline which supplied the invasion forces after D-Day.[18] This base was known as HMSAbatos.[18]
On 17 August 1943 military restrictions were introduced to facilitate a "military exercise" prior to the invasion of Europe and D-Day in 1944.[19] The southern parts of Woolston were explicitly listed by the Chief Constable (6 August 1943) as one of the areas that would be affected by the exercise.[19] The exercise named Harlequin tested the port of Southampton's capacity for embarking troops and equipment.[19] For the next 9 months Woolston saw a great deal of military activity. It became part of the huge military camp that was established in Hampshire, known as Area C, specifically part of embarkation area C5.[18]
The ruins around Itchen Ferry village were used for training troops that would be fighting in similar conditions on mainland Europe.[19]
Woolston was also situated within Regulated Area (No 2) established 31 March 1944,[19] which placed restrictions on the movement of people in the final build-up to D-Day.[19]
Other history
The Obelisk in Mayfield Park
In 1762, Walter Taylor built a water-powered wood-working mill on the stream that runs through what is now Mayfield Park.[20]
Mayfield Park contains a monument to Whig politician Charles James Fox.[20] That Obelisk has given its name to a local street and a public house in Woolston.
Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic came ashore at Woolston on 19 June 1928.[21]
The world's first international flying boat service from Woolston to Le Havre was introduced by Supermarine in 1919.[17]
HMSWoolston, was a W-class escort destroyer, built towards the end of World War I,[22] which saw action on escort duties in World War II. It was scrapped in 1947.
In 1928, Oliver Simmonds formed the Simmonds Aircraft Co.Ltd and produced the Simmonds Spartan aircraft. The prototype was built in his house in Woolston, the first production model was assembled at the Royal Navy Rolling Mills building, off Archery Rd in Woolston.[23]
Late-19th-century maps show that on the southern side of Woolston railway station, in the area bounded by Manor Road, Portsmouth Road and Bridge Road, there were areas known as Woolston Lawn and Roselands.[14] An 1881 map shows that Roselands also extended to the east of Manor Road[14] but by 1897, the eastern portion of that estate had been developed, including a Masonic Hall.[14] The 1897 map also shows that there was a fountain[14] in Roselands. Whilst those maps do not explicitly describe Roselands as being the Manor House, the opulence of Roselands and the presence of the Masonic Hall indicate that it was an affluent area at the end of the 19th century. The name Manor Road also suggests that the Manor House was situated somewhere in this area. The 19th-century maps also show that Woolston Lawn adjoined a Vicarage,[14] literally within sight of another Vicarage located in neighbouring Itchen Ferry village.[14] Upper Vicarage Road and Lower Vicarage Road seem to have taken their names from those two buildings. Much of this area now lies beneath the Itchen Bridge, its toll booths and control room, though some were destroyed during World War II
Ordnance Survey map NC/0317894 of 1870 shows Woolston House at the top of what is now St. Annes Road, at its junction with Portsmouth Road.[1] The same map shows Woolston Coastguard Station in what is now Glen Road.[1]
Changes to street names
Current name
Previous name
Bishops Road
High Street
Florence Road
Alma Road
Glen Road
Grove Road
Hazel Road
Elm Road
Keswick Road
Albert Road
Laurel Road
Ivy Road
Poole Road
Brook Road
Radstock Road
Avenue Road
Sea Road
Hill Street
St Annes Road
Milton Road
Swift Road
Onslow Road
Tankerville Road
Britannia Road
Walpole Road
Avenue Road
Wharncliffe Road
Cliff Road
When Woolston was absorbed into Southampton in 1920,[17] there were some duplicated street names. Several street names in Woolston (and Itchen) were changed in 1924[1] to avoid the consequential confusion. These changes explain some local peculiarities, such as the naming of Milton House in St. Annes Road (previously Milton Road).
Related Research Articles
The River Itchen in Hampshire, England, rises to the south of New Alresford and flows 26 miles (42 km) to meet Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge. The Itchen Navigation was constructed in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to enable barges to reach Winchester from Southampton Docks, but ceased to operate in the mid-19th century and is largely abandoned today.
Netley, officially Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England. It is situated to the south-east of the city of Southampton, and flanked on one side by the ruins of Netley Abbey and on the other by the Royal Victoria Country Park.
John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft, was a British shipbuilding firm founded by John Isaac Thornycroft in Chiswick in 1866. It moved to Woolston, Southampton, in 1908, merging in 1966 with Vosper & Company to form one organisation called Vosper Thornycroft. From 2002 to 2010 the company acquired several international and US-based defence and services companies, and changed name to the VT Group. In 2008 VT's UK shipbuilding and support operations were merged with those of BAE Systems to create BVT Surface Fleet. In 2010 remaining parts of the company were absorbed by Babcock International who retained the UK and international operations, but sold the US based operations to the American Jordan Company, who took the name VT Group.
Weston is a small suburb on the south-eastern side of Southampton, UK, predominantly built on the Weston Grove Estate formerly owned by the Chamberlayne family. It also includes the area that was previously the Barnfield Estate. Weston includes part of Mayfield Park, which was previously the Mayfield Estate. Weston is bounded by Woolston, Sholing, Netley and Southampton Water.
Northam is a suburb of Southampton in Hampshire. On the West bank of the River Itchen, it shares borders with St Mary's, Bitterne and Bevois Valley. Beside the border with St Mary's is the Chapel area, which has been home to some recent apartment building developments in Northam. The A3024 road runs through the suburb and crosses the Northam Bridge, which links Northam with Bitterne via Bitterne Manor. Although St Mary's Stadium takes its name from the neighbouring St Mary's, the stadium itself is in Northam, and home to Southampton F.C.
Woolston railway station is a grade II listed station serving the suburb of Woolston in the city of Southampton, England. The station is operated by South Western Railway. Just past Woolston station the line rounds the River Itchen giving a view across the city of Southampton, including Southampton FC's ground.
Sholing, previously Scholing, is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in Southern England. It is located between the districts of Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston.
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.
Southampton is a city in Hampshire, England. The area has been settled since the Stone Age. Its history has been affected by its geographical location, on a major estuary on the English Channel coast with an unusual double high-tide, and by its proximity to Winchester and London; the ancient and modern capitals of England. Having been an important regional centre for centuries, Southampton was awarded city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1964 .
The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. After the Port of Felixstowe, Southampton is the second largest container terminal in UK, with a handled traffic of 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It also handles cruise ships, roll-on roll-off, dry bulk, and liquid bulk.
The Woolston Floating Bridge was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between hards at Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977. It was taken out of service after the new Itchen Bridge was opened.
Itchen Ferry village was a small hamlet on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire. The village took its name from the small fishing boats that were also used to ferry foot passengers across the river. An Ordnance Survey map of 1911 (NC/03/17894) shows the village to be situated in the area roughly bounded by Sea Road, Oakbank Road, the River Itchen and the railway line in modern Woolston, but also extending along Sea Road towards Peartree Green on the other side of the railway, which cut the village in half in 1866. Neighbouring streets on that same map, Defender Road, Britannia Road and Shamrock Road have a more structured layout and are clearly part of the Victorian enlargement of Woolston. The same map clearly shows the housing in Itchen Ferry village to have a more random layout. An even older map, of 1842 pins Itchen Ferry village more tightly to the area between Sea Road and Vicarage Road.
Peartree Green is an open space on high ground on the east bank of the River Itchen in Southampton. A 16/17th century building, Peartree House, still stands, though is today concealed by private housing. The house and the green take their name from a pear tree that grew near the parish church. Some of the original open space has been built on, but a large proportion remains as a recreational area. It contains a church and the remains of a boarding school. It overlooks the River Itchen to St Mary's Church in Southampton.
Mayfield Park is a recreational area straddling Woolston and Weston in Southampton, England. The stream that runs through the park is the boundary between the two districts of modern Southampton.
The Antelope Ground, Southampton was a sports ground that was the first home of both Hampshire County Cricket Club, who played there prior to 1884, and of Southampton Football Club, who played there from 1887 to 1896 as "Southampton St. Mary's F.C."
Woolston Works Football Club is a defunct football club formerly based at Woolston, Hampshire which was active from the late-1870s until 1889. The club pre-dates Southampton Football Club in whose early years the two clubs vied for dominance in Southampton.
Tankerville Chamberlayne was a landowner in Hampshire and a member of parliament, serving the Southampton constituency three times, as an Independent and Conservative. He was deprived of his seat after the 1895 general election because of the indiscretion of one of his campaign workers and his having headed a procession which raised suspicion of having supplied beer to supporters. He subsequently raised the question of false electioneering statements in Parliament.
The Port of Southampton is a major passenger and cargo port located in the central part of the south coast of England. It has been an important port since the Roman occupation of Britain nearly two thousand years ago, and has a multifaceted history. From the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century, it was a centre for naval shipbuilding and a departure point for soldiers going to war. The port also played a role in the development of hovercraft, flying boat services, seaplanes and the Spitfire fighter plane. Before the advent of jet travel, Southampton was Britain's gateway to the world. The port also played a minor role in the history of Britain's canals.
1886–87 was the second year since St. Mary's Y.M.A., based in Southampton in Southern England, started playing association football. This was a year of consolidation before the club entered its first local cup tournament in the following season. All the matches played during the season were friendly matches.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Southampton, Hampshire, England.
↑ Croce, Paolo; Gane, Toby; Russel, Andy (1 November 2021). "The Hulks of a 19th-Century Cowes Ketch and a Lighter at Centenary Quay, Woolston, Southampton". Hampshire Studies. 76 (1). Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society: 165–178. doi:10.24202/hs2021010. ISSN1368-2709.
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