Hampshire Hotels

Hampshire Hotels

Hotels in Hampshire are often required for tourists who require short term accommodation. Some tourists may want to see the culture of the county. Some tourists and other visitors may want to stay at cheap hotels or luxury hotels. Some may want to stay in hotels that have good reputation. Some may want to stay in large hotels or small hotels. Some may want to stay in hotels that are well known and have a good status.

Hotels in the county of Hampshire are often required for tourists who require short term accommodation. They may want to go to the county to see the landscapes and history of the county. Some may want stay in hotels that have good access to culture, entertainment, and sports. Some may want a hotel in the urban regions or rural regions of the county. Some may want to stay at a hotel that is large or small.

Hampshire is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders (clockwise from West), Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex. The county has an area of 1,455 square miles and at its widest points is approximately 55 miles east–west and 40 miles north–south. The county town is Winchester.

Hampshire is a popular holiday area, with tourist attractions including its many seaside resorts, the maritime area in Portsmouth, and the motor museum at Beaulieu. The New Forest National Park lies within the borders, as does a large area of the South Downs, which is also scheduled to become a National Park. Hampshire has a long maritime history and two of England's largest ports lie on its coast. The county is famed as home of writers Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and the birthplace of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain. One distinguishing feature is that Hampshire has a large free roaming herd of Red Deer, including more than 6500 stags during busy seasons. The stag population is protected by the government and hunting is prohibited.

Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. In the south, along the coast is the Hampshire Basin, an area of relatively non-resistant Eocene and Oligocene clays and gravels which are protected from sea erosion by the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. These low, flat lands support heathland and woodland habitats, a large area of which form part of the New Forest. The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland, coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife. The forest is protected as a national park, limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grassland plagioclimax by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of the weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large estuaries and rias, notably the 12 mile long Southampton Water and the large convoluted Portsmouth Harbour. The Isle of Wight lies off the coast of Hampshire where the non resistant rock has been eroded away forming the Solent.

In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the Southern England Chalk Formation of Salisbury Plain and the South Downs. These are high hills with steep slopes where they border the clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a scarp onto the Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest point in the county is Pilot Hill, which reaches the height of 286 m. The downland supports a calcareous grassland habitat, important for wild flowers and insects. In the past Hampshire had little agriculture, but in the early 20th century the demand for food led to the establishment of farms on the downs. A large area of the downs is now protected from further agricultural damage by the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Itchen and Test are trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Nestled in a valley on the downs is Selborne, and the countryside surrounding the village was the location of Gilbert White's pioneering observations on natural history. Hampshire's county flower is the Dog Rose.

The chalk downland of the South Downs and southern edges of Salisbury Plain were settled in the neolithic, and these settlers built hill forts such as Winklebury and may have farmed the valleys of Hampshire. Hampshire was part of an area named Gwent or Y Went by the Celts, which also covered areas of Somerset and Wiltshire. In the Roman invasion of Britain, Hampshire was one of the first areas to fall to the invading forces. The county was occupied by Jutish tribes until Saxon times. Hampshire was one of the first Saxon shires, recorded in 755 as Hamtunscir, but for two centuries represented the western end of Saxon England, as advances into Dorset and Somerset were fought off by the Britons. After the Saxons advanced west Hampshire became the centre of the Kingdom of Wessex, and many Saxon kings are buried at Winchester. A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful King Alfred, who stabilised the region in the 9th century.

After the Norman Conquest the county was favoured by Norman kings who established the New Forest as a hunting forest. The county was recorded in the Domesday Book divided into 44 hundreds. From the 12th century the ports grew in importance, fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture in the county, and the fishing industry, and a shipbuilding industry was established.

Over several centuries a series of castles and forts were constructed along the coast of the Solent to defend the harbours at Southampton and Portsmouth. These include the Roman Portchester Castle which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour, and a series of forts built by Henry VIII including Hurst Castle, situated on a sand spit at the mouth of the Solent, Calshot Castle on another spit at the mouth of Southampton Water, and Netley Castle. Southampton and Portsmouth remained important harbours when rivals, such as Poole and Bristol declined, as they are amongst the few locations that combine shelter with deep water. Southampton has been host to many famous ships, including the Mayflower and the Titanic, the latter being staffed largely by natives of Southampton.

Hampshire played a large role in World War II due to its large Royal Navy harbour at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to the army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and the Isle of Purbeck. Supermarine, the designers of the Spitfire and other military aircraft, were based in Southampton, which led to severe bombing of the city. Aldershot remains one of the British Army's main permanent camps. Farnborough is a major base of the Royal Air Force.
Southampton from Netley Hospital.

The county has in the past been called "Southamptonshire" and appears as such on some Victorian maps. The name of the administrative county was changed from 'County of Southampton' to 'County of Hampshire' on 1 April 1959. The short form of the name, often used in postal addresses, is Hants. This abbreviated form is derived from the Old English Hantum plus Scir (meaning a district governed from the settlement now known as Southampton) and the Anglo-Saxons called it Hamtunschire. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) this was compressed to Hantescire.

The Isle of Wight has traditionally been treated as part of Hampshire for some purposes, but has been administratively independent for over a century, obtaining a county council of its own in 1890.

The districts of Hampshire are ; Basingstoke and Deane, City of Winchester, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, New Forest, Portsmouth (Unitary), Rushmoor Southampton (Unitary), Test Valley

Cities of the county include ; Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester

Towns in Hampshire ; ,Aldershot, Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Bishop's Waltham, Bordon, Eastleigh, Emsworth, Fareham, Farnborough, Fleet, , Fordingbridge, Gosport, Havant, Hedge End, Lee-on-the-Solent, Lymington, New Alresford, New Milton, Odiham, Petersfield, Portchester, Portsmouth, , Ringwood, Romsey, Southampton, Southsea, Tadley, Thruxton, Totton and Eling, , Waterlooville, Whitchurch, Wickham, Yateley

Villages in Hampshire ; ,Abbots Worthy, Abbotstone, Abbotswood, Abbotts Ann, Abbotts Ann Down, Abshot, Aldermaston Soke, Allbrook, Alverstoke, Ampfield, Amport, Andover Down, Andwell, Ansty, Anthill Common, Applemore, Appleshaw, Arford, Ashansworth, Ashe, Ashfield, Ashford Hill, Ashford Hill with Headley, Ashlett, Ashley Clinton, Ashley, Ashmansworth, Ashton, Ashurst, Avington, Awbridge, Axmansford, Badger Farm, Bagmore, Bailey Green, Balmerlawn, Bar End, Bartley, Barton Stacey, Barton on Sea, Bashley, Battramsley, Baughurst, Baybridge, Beaulieu, Beauworth, Beckley, Bedhampton, Beech, Bentley, Bentworth, Bickton, Bidden, Bighton, Binsted, Bishop's Green, Bishops Sutton, Bishopstoke, Blackmoor, Blackwater and Hawley, Blackwater, Blendworth, Boarhunt, Boldre, Bossington, Botley, Bowyer's Common, Boyatt Wood, Braishfield, Brambridge, Bramdean, Bramley Corner, Bramley Green, Bramley, Bramshaw, Bramshott, Bransbury, Bransgore, Breamore, Bridgemary, Brimpton Common, Brockenhurst, Brook, Brook, New Forest, Broughton, Brown Candover, Buckholt, Bucklers Hard, Bullington, Burghclere, Buriton, Burley, Bursledon, Cadnam, Calshot, Catherington, Catisfield, Chalton, Chandler's Ford, Charlton, Charter Alley, Chawton, Cheriton, Chilbolton, Chilcomb, Chilworth, Church Crookham, Clanfield, Cliddesden, Colden Common, Colemore, Compton and Shawford, Conford, Coombe, Copythorne, Corhampton, Cove, Cowplain, Crockerhill, Crondall, Crookham Village, Crux Easton, Curbridge, Damerham, Darby Green, Deane, Denmead, Dibden, Dibden Purlieu, Dogmersfield, Downton, Droxford, Dummer, , East Boldre, East Meon, East Stratton, East Tisted, East Tytherley, East Woodhay, East Worldham, Easton, Ecchinswell, Ellingham, Ellisfield, Empshott, Enham Alamein, Eversley, Everton, Ewhurst, Ewshot, Exbury, Exton, Fair Oak, Farleigh Wallop, Farringdon, Fawley, Ferry Point, England, Finchdean, Four Marks, Freefolk, Fritham, Frogmore, Froxfield Green, Froxfield, Froyle, Funtley, Fyfield, Godshill, Golden Pot, Goodworth Clatford, Grateley, Grayshott, Greatham, Greywell, Griggs Green, Hale, Hamble-le-Rice, Hambledon, Hannington, Harbridge, Hart Plain, Hartley Mauditt, Hartley Wintney, Hawkley, Hawley, Headley Down, Headley, Basingstoke and Deane, Headley, , Heath End, Heckfield, Herriard, High Cross, Highclere, Hill Head, Hinton Daubney, Holbury, Holybourne, Hook, Hart, Hook, South Hampshire, Hordle, Horndean, Keydell House, Horton Heath, Houghton, Hound, Hursley, Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hythe, Ibsley, Ibthorpe, Ibworth, Idsworth, Inhurst, Isington, Itchen Abbas, Itchen Stoke, Itchen Valley, Keyhaven, King's Somborne, Kings Worthy, Kingsclere, Kingsley, Knightwood, Langley, Langrish, Langstone, Lasham, Laverstoke, Leckford, Lindford, Liphook, Liss, Litchfield, Little Ann, Little London, Tadley, Little London, Andover, Little Posbrook, Long Sutton, Longparish, Longstock, Lovedean, Lower Bordean, Lower Swanwick, Lower Upham, Lower Wield, Lychpit, Lyndhurst, Marchwood, Martin, Medstead, Mengham, Meon, Meonstoke, Micheldever, Michelmersh, Milford on Sea, Minstead, Monk Sherborne, Monkwood, Mortimer West End, Netherton, Netley, Newnham, Newton Valance, Newton Valence, Newtown, North Baddesley, North Charford, North Stoneham, North Waltham, North Warnborough, Nursling, Nursted, Oakhanger, Oakley, Oakridge, Oakshott, Ogdens, Old Alresford, Old Basing, Old Burghclere, Olivers Battery, Otterbourne, Overton, Owslebury, Pamber, Pamber End, Pamber Green, Pamber Heath, Pennington, Penton Mewsey, Pilley, Plastow Green, Preston Candover, Priors Dean, Privett, Purbrook, Quarley, Ramsdean, Ramsdell, Red Rice, Rockbourne, Ropley, Ropley Dean, Rotherwick, Rowhill, Rowland's Castle, Rowner, St Mary Bourne, Sandleheath, Sarisbury Green, Selborne, Shalden, Shedfield, Sheet, Sherborne St John, Sherfield on Loddon, Shipton Bellinger, Shirrell Heath, Silchester, Snoddington, Soberton, Soldridge, South Charford, South Warnborough, Southwick, Spanish Green, Sparsholt, Standford, Steep, Steventon, Stockbridge, Stratfield Saye, Stratfield Turgis, Stroud, Stubbington, Sutton Scotney, Swanmore, Swanwick, Sway, Tangley, Thruxton, Tichborne, Timsbury, Titchfield, Tourner Bury, Turgis Green, Twyford, Upham, Upper Burgate, Upper Canterton, Upper Clatford, Upper Wield, Upton Grey, Upton, Vernhams Dean, Wallington, Waltham Chase, Warnford, Warsash, Wecock Farm, Well, Wellow, West End, West Heath, West Meon, West Tisted, West Worldham, Weston, , Wheatley, Wherwell, Whitehill, Whiteley, Whitsbury, Wield, Winchfield, Winsor, Wintershill, Wolverton Common, Wolverton, Woodgreen, Woolmer, Woolmer Hill, Wyck

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