Formerly a County Borough within the county of Hampshire (to which it gave its name, the County of Southampton or Southamptonshire - this was officially changed to Hampshire in 1959 though the county had been commonly known as Hampshire or Hantshire for centuries), it became a non-metropolitan district in 1974. However, the city became independent administratively from that county as it was made into a unitary authority in a local government re-organisation on 1 April 1997. The district remains part of the Hampshire ceremonial county.

The Liberal Democrats control the City Council.

There are three members of parliament for the city: Rt Hon John Denham (Labour) for Southampton Itchen (constituency for the east of the city), Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour) for Southampton Test (the west of the city), and Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) for Romsey (which includes a portion of the north of the city).

Although Stone Age settlements are known to have existed in the area, the first permanent settlement was established by the Romans. Known as Clausentum, it was an important trading port for the large Roman towns of Winchester and Salisbury.

The Anglo-Saxons moved the centre of the town across the River Itchen to its present location, and it remained an important port. At the time, it was centred around what is now the St Mary’s area, and the settlement was known as Hamwic. This name was later to evolve into Hamtun, and later still to Hampton.

The Viking King Canute the Great is supposed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready here in 1014 and his fabled attempt to “command” the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton. However, its prosperity was assured following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it 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 wool trade. The Wool House is Southampton’s oldest surviving building, built in 1417, as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders and Italy. This building is today used as the Maritime Museum, and can be found near Town Quay. It includes an exhibition concerning the RMS Titanic.

Bowls was first played regularly on the Southampton Old Bowling Green adjacent to God’s House Hospital in 1299. It is the world’s oldest surviving bowling green.

The town was sacked in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco. After this attack, the city walls were built, some of which remain as ruins today. The city walls include God’s House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology.

The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate 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.

During the middle ages, shipbuilding became an increasingly important industry, which was to remain for centuries to come. The city became a county corporate in 1447. (more…)

Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. It is the closest city to the New Forest and lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water, approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth. The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region. A resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.

Southampton was founded approximately 2,000 years ago by the Romans who established it as a seaport. Its strategic maritime importance has played a significant part in how Southampton developed and even today, is integral to the city’s identity. Southampton staked its claim in the history books as the port from which the Mayflower set sail for the New World in 1620.

It was also from here that the Titanic began her ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. And still today, the city’s ports are important docks for the cruise industry; Cunard’s new luxury liner the Queen Mary II set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton in 2004. Whilst it’s difficult to overemphasise the city’s strong links with the ocean, there’s plenty to offer visitors on terra firma. As Southampton’s strategic importance grew, it became a target for foreign armies and marauding pirates.

The Normans built a castle and ringed the city with defensive walls and towers to protect themselves against attacks. Walking south from the Central Railway station down the Western Esplanade, it’s still possible to see some complete sections of these defenses. Still strategically important centuries later, Southampton was targeted by the Luftwaffe and was heavily bombed during the Second World War - large parts of the old city were destroyed as a result. Much of it has since been rebuilt and the heart of the modern city is now based around the Civic Center. The city’s growth is set to continue over the coming years with several development projects in the pipeline, including a £160 million project to create an Olympic-sized ice-rink and entertainment arena at West Quay.