History of the Port of Southampton

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. The port has been owned and operated by Associated British Ports since 1982, and is the busiest cruise terminal and second largest container port in the UK. The volume of port traffic categorises Southampton as a Medium-Port City globally.The port is ten miles (16 km) inland, between the confluence of the rivers Test and Itchen and the head of the mile-wide drowned valley known as Southampton Water. The mouth of the inlet is protected from the effects of foul weather by the mass of the Isle of Wight, which gives the port a sheltered location. Additional advantages include a densely populated hinterland and close proximity to London, and excellent rail and road links to the rest of Britain which bypass the congestion of London. The average tidal range is approximately 5 feet (1.5 metres), with 17 hours per day of rising water thanks to the port's "double tides". These allow the largest container and cruise ships access to the port for up to 80 per cent of the time, according to the container terminal operator DP World Southampton. The effect is a result of tidal flow through the English Channel: high tide at one end of the Channel (Dover) occurs at the same time as low tide at the other end (Land's End). Points near the centre have one high water as the tidal swell goes from left to right, another as it then goes from right to left. Neither is as high as the one at each end.The principal berths are divided into three areas, The Old Dock at the junction of the Rivers Test and Itchen consisting of berths 20–49; The New Dock, known as the Western Dock, built by the Southern Railway consisting of Berths 101–110; and the Container Terminal consisting of berths 201–207. The container terminal was constructed entirely on reclaimed land, with berth 201 opening in 1968. The berths at the container terminal have since been renamed. Berths 207 to 204 are now berths SCT 1 to 4 respectively and the reconstructed berths 201/202 now SCT 5.

Southampton Terminus railway station served the Port of Southampton and Southampton City Centre, England from 1839 until 1966. The station was authorised on 25 July 1834 and built as the terminus of the London and Southampton Railway, which later changed its name to the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). The station opened as "Southampton" on 10 June 1839, although it was not officially operational until 11 May 1840, due to the track not being fully linked between Winchester and Basingstoke. The station building was constructed in 1839–40 to the design of Sir William Tite. The LSWR added the much larger South Western Hotel building, designed by John Norton, in 1872. The line was extended into the Ocean Dock Terminal to allow boat trains to terminate on the quayside.

LV 78 Calshot Spit is a former Trinity House lightvessel that was anchored off Calshot Spit and is now a museum ship in Southampton. LV 78 was built in 1914 by John I. Thornycroft & Company shipyard in Southampton and decommissioned in 1987. She was stationed at the entrance to the Port of Southampton to act as a floating lighthouse to guide ships and flying boats entering Southampton Water. After decommissioning in 1987 she became a static attraction at the Ocean Village marina in Southampton from 1988 to 2010. In November 2010 she was moved a short distance to the Trafalgar dock where, after renovation, she was to be displayed at the "Aeronautica" attraction, due to open in 2015. The plans for "Aeronautica" came to a halt in January 2012. In December 2019 the ship was relocated to the Solent Sky museum under plans for it to be converted into part of the museum's café. The vessel remains on dry land outside Solent Sky museum awaiting developments. LV 78 is on the National Historic Ships UK register.

Solent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation. It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous products, the Supermarine S.6 seaplane and the Supermarine Spitfire, designed by R. J. Mitchell. There is also coverage of the Schneider Trophy seaplane races, twice held at Calshot Spit, and the flying boat services which operated from the Solent. In December 2019 the Calshot Spit lightship was relocated next to the museum in order to be converted into part of the museum's cafe. In September 2020, 3 of Southampton's former trams were moved to the museum site where it is planned they will undergo restoration before going on public display.Construction of the current building began in 1983 and was designed by Barry Eaton, then the City Architect. It opened in 1984.

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is a marine science research and technology institution based on two sites in Southampton and Liverpool, United Kingdom. It is the UK’s largest institution for integrated sea level science, coastal and deep ocean research and technology development.From 1 November 2019 the NOC began operating as an independent self-governing organisation – a charitable company limited by guarantee. The centre was set up to work in close partnership with institutions across the UK marine science community to address key science challenges, including sea level change, the oceans’ role in climate change, predicting and simulating the behaviour of the oceans through computer modelling, the future of the Arctic Ocean and long-term monitoring technologies.

The Southampton University Man Powered Aircraft (or SUMPAC) on 9 November 1961 became the first human-powered aeroplane to make an officially authenticated take-off and flight. It was designed and built by Southampton university students between 1960 and 1961 for an attempt at the Kremer prize, but it was never able to complete the 'figure-of-eight' course specified to claim the prize money.

The National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS) is a centre for research, teaching, and technology development in Ocean and Earth science. NOCS was created in 1995 jointly between the University of Southampton and the UK Natural Environment Research Council and is located within the port of Southampton at a purpose-built dockside campus with modern facilities. In 2010 the university and NERC components demerged, and the NERC-managed component became the National Oceanography Centre (NOC – with the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory in Liverpool). The two components of NOCS continue close collaboration through the jointly run Graduate School, shared research facilities and laboratories, complementary research groups, and many joint research grants and publications. The university component “Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton” (OES) is part of the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, (FELS). It was ranked 46th in the world for Earth and Marine Sciences by the QS World University Rankings in 2019.In November 2019, NOC became formally independent from the NERC and now operates as a company limited by guarantee with charitable status.

Bargate is an electoral ward in Southampton, England. It covers Southampton City Centre, and stretches as far as Ocean Village and St Mary's to the east, and West Quay and The Polygon to the west. Bargate Ward had 18,762 residents in the 2011 Census, which had risen to an estimated 20,926 in mid 2015.The ward takes its name from the Bargate, the northern gate of the old City Walls which still stands today, and is bounded by (clockwise from West) Freemantle Ward, Bevois Ward, Peartree Ward and Woolston Ward.

The Holyrood estate is a housing estate in Southampton, England. It was constructed as a new city district to replace a slum bombed in World War II, and designed by Lyons Israel Ellis, who later designed Wyndham Court. Owen Hatherley describes the estate as a "straightforward scattering of low and medium-rise Modernist blocks, using the soft-Brutalist vernacular of stock-brick and concrete." Hatherley praises the estate's layout over its aesthetic. The estate is situated between Queensway to the west and Threefield Lane to the east, and Bernard Street to the south and Lime Street to the north. In 2009, a series of metal sculptures were erected around the estate in tribute to the area's role in the history of Southampton. Holyrood Church, which was damaged in World War II, now serves as a memorial to the Merchant Navy. In 2012 seven tiled murals depicting scenes from Southampton's history were installed on the estate's blocks, to be visible from main roads.R&B musician Craig David, who was born in 1981, grew up in the Holyrood estate.

Southampton Old Bowling Green, situated on the corner of Lower Canal Walk and Platform Road, Southampton, England, is the world's oldest surviving bowling green. It was first used in 1299; Chesterfield Bowling Club in Derbyshire is believed to date back to 1294.

God's House Tower is a late 13th century gatehouse into the old town of Southampton, England. It stands at the south-east corner of the town walls and permitted access to the town from the Platform and Town Quay. It is now an arts and heritage venue, and has previously served as the town gaol and housed the Museum of Archaeology. The building is Grade I listed and a scheduled ancient monument.

God's House Hospital, also known as the Hospital of St. Julian or Domus Dei (Latin for "God's House") is a refuge for poor travellers in Southampton, England. Much of the complex has now been destroyed, with only four buildings remaining: the gatehouse, God's House Tower, a grade I listed scheduled ancient monument; and the chapel, St. Julien's Church, a grade I listed building; and two accommodation blocks dating from the 19th century. The hospital was founded in the 12th century by Gervase le Riche, burgess and portreeve of Southampton, and in the 14th century it was granted to The Queen's College, Oxford on condition that the College continued to maintain the hospital and meet its original objectives. The College replaced the original buildings in the 19th century and still own the hospital buildings and the chapel.