40 Facts About Southampton

1.

Southampton is one of the largest retail destinations in the South of England.

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2.

Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War during what was known as the Southampton Blitz.

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3.

Unitary authority area of Southampton had a population of 253, 651 at the 2011 census, making it one of the most populous cities in southern England.

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4.

Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and surviving remains of 12th-century merchants' houses such as King John's House and Canute's Palace are evidence of the wealth that existed in the town at this time.

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5.

The community of Southampton claimed that Robert Batail of Winchelsea and other men of the Cinque Ports came to Southampton under the pretence that they were a part of Thomas of Lancaster's rebellion against Edward II.

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6.

Southampton engineer Walter Taylor's 18th-century mechanisation of the block-making process was a significant step in the Industrial Revolution.

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7.

Southampton subsequently became known as The Gateway to the Empire.

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8.

From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton, building and repairing ships used in the two World Wars.

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9.

In 1938, Southampton docks became home to the flying boats of Imperial Airways.

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10.

Southampton was designated No 1 Military Embarkation port during the Great War and became a major centre for treating the returning wounded and POWs.

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11.

In 1964 Southampton acquired city status, becoming the City of Southampton, and because of the Local Government Act 1972 was turned into a non-metropolitan district within the Hampshire county in 1973.

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12.

The definition of the port of Southampton was apparently broader than today and embraced all of the area between Lymington and Langstone.

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13.

Under this regime, "The Town and County of the Town of Southampton" became a county borough with responsibility for all aspects of local government.

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14.

The city lies at the northern tip of the Southampton Water, a deep water estuary, which is a ria formed at the end of the last Ice Age.

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15.

Southampton Water has the benefit of a double high tide, with two high tide peaks, making the movement of large ships easier.

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16.

Southampton is divided into council wards, suburbs, constituencies, ecclesiastical parishes, and other less formal areas.

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17.

Settlements outside the city are sometimes considered suburbs of Southampton, including Chartwell Green, Chilworth, Nursling, Rownhams, Totton, Eastleigh and West End.

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18.

Centre of Southampton is located above a large hot water aquifer that provides geothermal power to some of the city's buildings.

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19.

In 2005 the Government Statistics stated that Southampton was the third most densely populated city in the country after London and Portsmouth, respectively.

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20.

Southampton has always been a port, and the docks have long been a major employer in the city.

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21.

Southampton is home to the headquarters of both the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport in addition to cruise operator Carnival UK.

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22.

Southampton currently has three major city centre regeneration schemes under way.

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23.

On 19 March 2022 it was announced that Southampton had made the short-list of four, alongside Bradford, County Durham, and Wrexham County Borough.

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24.

Several active rock and metal bands were formed in Southampton, including Band of Skulls, Bury Tomorrow, Creeper and The Delays.

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25.

Southampton had a prominent UK Garage scene, championed by the duo Artful Dodger who formed in the city in the late 1990s, as well as the UKG, grime and bassline producer, Royal-T, part of the TQD group formed with DJ Q and Flava D Notable bands who are now defunct include Thomas Tantrum, Kids Can't Fly (disbanded 2014) and Heart in Hand (disbanded 2015).

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26.

Southampton has four community FM radio stations, the Queens Award-winning Unity 101 Community Radio broadcasting full-time on 101.

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27.

Southampton is home to Southampton Football Club—nicknamed "The Saints"; the club plays in the Premier League at St Mary's Stadium, having relocated in 2001 from their 103-year-old former stadium, "The Dell".

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28.

Southampton was named "fittest city in the UK" in 2006 by Men's Fitness magazine.

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29.

Southampton is home to two American football teams, the Solent Thrashers, who play at the Test Park Sports Ground, and the Southampton Stags, who play at the Wide Lane Sports Facility in Eastleigh.

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30.

The main base of the Southampton operation is a new, eight-storey purpose-built building which cost £30 million to construct.

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31.

Previously, the central Southampton operation was located within the west wing of the Civic Centre; however, the ageing facilities and the plans of constructing a new museum in the old police station and magistrates court necessitated the move.

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32.

Southampton has two universities, namely the University of Southampton and Solent University.

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33.

University of Southampton, which was founded in 1862 and received its Royal Charter as a university in 1952, has over 22, 000 students.

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34.

Southampton is a major UK port which has good transport links with the rest of the country.

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35.

Southampton is served by the rail network, which is used both by freight services to and from the docks and passenger services as part of the national rail system.

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36.

Southampton Airport is a regional airport located in the town of Eastleigh, just north of the city.

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37.

Since September 2021, Port of Southampton has shore power installed at the Horizon Cruise Terminal at berth 102 and at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal at berth 106, both situated in the port's Western Docks.

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38.

Southampton used to be home to a number of ferry services to the continent, with destinations such as San Sebastian, Lisbon, Tangier and Casablanca.

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39.

Television personalities from Southampton include comedian Benny Hill and naturalist Chris Packham, and in recent years the city has produced a number of competitive reality television winners such as Matt Cardle and Shelina Permalloo (MasterChef, 2012), who operates a Mauritian restaurant named Lakaz Maman in Bedford Place.

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40.

Sports people born in Southampton include rugby union player Mike Brown, Australian tennis player Wally Masur and England Football Player Wayne Bridge.

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