Hampshire is a historic county situated in the region of South East England. It forms part of the area close to London colloquially called the ‘Home Counties’.
Until 1890, the Isle of Wight was part of Hampshire. Since then, the island has been its own ceremonial county. Bournemouth and the surrounding communities left Hampshire much more recently, in 1974, and are now part of the county of Dorset.
Page Contents:
- What Is Hampshire Famous For?
- How Big Is Hampshire?
- Is Hampshire Posh?
- The Cities, Towns And Villages Of Hampshire
- Local History Videos Of Hampshire
- Hampshire’s Local History Facebook Groups And Pages
- Local History Societies And Groups In Hampshire
- Other Local History Resources
What Is Hampshire Famous For?
Hampshire is famous for the medieval Cathedral at Winchester, the ancient landscapes and wild ponies of the New Forest, extensive countryside which inspired the novel Watership Down, and a dramatic coastline home to naval cities.
The stabilising effect of the sea combined with the county’s southern position means Hampshire has a milder climate and more sunshine than generally enjoyed in other counties.
How Big Is Hampshire?
Hampshire has a territory of 3,769 km², making it the largest county in South East England and the UK’s third-largest shire county. It’s almost three times the size of nearby Berkshire.
In 2016, the county’s population was roughly 1.8m people, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). About 1m of them live in and around Portsmouth and Southampton.
Is Hampshire Posh?
It depends. Winchester, Fleet and Windsor provide spacious and character properties in well-heeled areas with a choice of independent and boarding schools. But more utilitarian towns such as Aldershot attract working-class families whose lower-income households determine the local shopping and leisure facilities on offer.
The Cities, Towns And Villages Of Hampshire
Only three cities are based in Hampshire. However, the county is home to a large number of towns and villages including:
Abbots Worthy – Abbotstone – Abbotts Ann – Abbotts Ann Down – Abbotts Barton – Adbury – Adhurst St Mary – Aldershot – Aldern Bridge – Aldershot – Allum Green – Alton – Alverstoke – Ampfield – Amport – Andover – Andover Down – Andwell – Anna Valley – Appleshaw – Ashe – Ashe Warren – Ashford Hill – Ashfield – Ashlett – Ashley (East Hampshire) – Ashley (New Forest) – Ashley (Test Valley) – Ashley Range – Ashley Warren – Ashmansworth – Ashurst – Avington – Awbridge – Axford – Axmansford
Badger Farm – Baffins – Bagnum – Bank – Bartley – Barton on Sea – Barton Stacey – Basingstoke – Bassett – Bassett Green – Baughurst – Beaulieu – Beauworth – Bedhampton – Beech – Beggarwood – Bentley – Bentworth – Bickton – Bighton – Binley – Binsted – Bishop’s Green – Bishops Sutton – Bishopstoke – Bishop’s Waltham – Bisterne – Bitterne – Bitterne Park – Bitterne Manor – Blackfield – Blackmoor – Blacknest – Blackwater – Blashford – Blendworth – Blissford – Boarhunt – Bolderwood – Boldre – Bordean – Bordon – Botley – Bradley – Braishfield – Brambridge – Bramdean – Bramley – Bramley Corner – Bramley Green- Bramshaw – Bramshill – Bramshott – Bransbury – Breamore – Brockenhurst – Brook – Brookheath – Broughton – Brown Candover – Broxhill – Buckland (New Forest) – Buckland (Portsmouth) – Bucklers Hard – Bull Hill – Burgate – Burghclere – Buriton – Burkham – Burley – Burridge – Bursledon – Butlocks Heath – Butser Hill
Cadnam – Calmore – Calshot – Canada – Catherington – Catisfield – Chalton – Chandler’s Ford – Charter Alley – Chartwell Green – Chattis Hill – Chawton – Cheriton – Chilbolton – Chilbolton Down – Chilcomb – Chilton Candover – Chilworth – Chineham – Chithurst – Church Crookham – Clanfield – Clanville – Cliddesden – Colden Common – Cole Henley – Colemore – Compton – Conford – Copnor – Copythorne – Corhampton – Cosham – Cottonworth – Cove – Cowplain – Crampmoor – Crawley – Crockerhill – Crondall – Crookham Village – Crow – Crux Easton – Curdridge
Damerham – Deane – Denmead – Dibden – Dibden Purlieu – Ditcham – Dogmersfield – Downton – Drayton – Droxford – Dummer – Dunbridge – Dunley – Durford Wood – Durley
East Anton – East Boldre – East Cholderton – East End – East Hill – East Martin – East Meon – East Mills – East Stratton – East Tisted – East Wellow – East Woodhay – East Worldham – Eastleigh – Eastney – Easton – Eling – Ellingham – Ellisfield – Elvetham Heath – Embley – Emery Down – Empshott – Emsworth – Enham Alamein – Eversley – Eversley Centre – Eversley Cross – Everton – Ewshot – Exbury – Exbury Gardens – Exton
Faccombe – Fair Oak – Fareham – Fareham Common – Farleigh Wallop – Farlington – Farnborough – Farringdon – Fawley – Finchdean – Finkley – Finkley Down – Firgo – Fishers Pond – Fleet – Flexcombe – Fobdown – Fordingbridge – Forest Corner – Forton – Four Marks – Fox Amport – Foxcotte – Fratton – Freefolk – Fritham – Frogham – Froxfield – Froyle – Fullerton – Funtley – Furze Hill – Fyfield
Godshill – Godshill Green – Godshill Wood – Goodworth Clatford – Gore End – Gorley Lynch – Gosport – Grateley – Grayshott – Great Shoddesden – Greatham – Greywell – Griggs Green – Gundleton
Hale – Hale Park – Hale Purlieu – Hamble-le-Rice – Hambledon – Hangersley – Hannington – Harbridge – Hardley – Hardway – Harestock – Hare Warren – Hartfordbridge – Hartley Mauditt – Hartley Wespall – Hartley Wintney – Hatch Warren – Hatherden – Havant – Hawkley – Hawley – Hayling Island – Hazeley – Headbourne Worthy – Headley – Headley Down Heath End – Heath House – Heckfield – Heckfield Heath – Hedge End – Herriard – Highbridge – Highclere – Highfield – Hightown – Highwood – Hill Brow – Hill Head – Hillyfields – Hilsea – Hinton – Hinton Admiral – Hinton Ampner – Hinton Daubney – Holbury – Hollywater – Holybourne – Hook, Basingstoke – Hook, Warsash – Hook Common – Hordle – Horndean – Horsebridge – Horton Heath – Houghton – Houghton Down – Hound – Hound Green – Horndean – Hungerford – Hursley – Hurstbourne Priors – Hurstbourne Tarrant – Hyde – Hythe –
Ibsley – Ibthorpe – Ibworth – Idsworth – Inhurst – Isington – Itchen Abbas – Itchen Stoke
Kempshott – Keyhaven – Kilmeston – Kimbridge – Kimpton – Kimpton Down – King’s Somborne – Kings Worthy – Kingsclere – Kingston – Knights Enham – Knightwood – Knowle
Langley – Langrish – Langstone – Lasham – Laverstoke – Leckford – Lee – Lee-on-the-Solent – Leigh Park – Lepe – Linbrook – Lindford – Linford – Linkenholt – Linwood – Liphook – Liss – Litchfield – Little Ann – Little Down – Little Hatherden – Little London (Andover) – Little London (Tadley) – Little Park – Little Posbrook – Little Shoddesden – Little Somborne – Littleton – Lockerley – Locks Heath – Long Common – Long Sutton – Longmoor – Longparish – Longstock – Longstock Park – Lopshill – Lovedean – Lower Chute – Lower Daggons – Lower Farringdon – Lower Froyle – Lower Swanwick – Lower Upham – Lower Wield – Lower Woodcott – Lower Wyke – Lychpit – Lymington – Lyndhurst
Malshanger – Mapledurwell – Marchwood – Marsh Court – Martin – Martyr Worthy – Mattingley – Medstead – Meon – Meonstoke – Micheldever – Michelmersh – Middle Wallop – Middle Wyke – Milford on Sea – Milton – Minstead – Mislingford – Mockbeggar – Monk Sherborne – Monkwood – Monxton – Morestead – Mortimer West End – Mottisfont – Moundsmere
Nately Scures – Neatham – Nether Wallop – Netherton – Netley – Netley Abbey – New Alresford – Newbridge – New Forest – New Milton – Newfound – Newnham – Newton Stacey – Newton Valence – Newtown – Newtown Common – Norley Wood – North Baddesley – North Boarhunt – North Camp – North End – North Gorley – North Houghton – North Oakley – North Stoneham – North Sydmonton – North Waltham – North Warnborough – Northington – Northington Down – Nursling – Nursted – Nutley –
Oakhanger – Oakley – Odiham – Ogdens – Old Alresford – Old Basing – Olivers Battery – Ossemsley – Otterbourne – Over Wallop – Overton – Ovington – Ower – Owslebury – Owslebury Bottom
Palestine – Pamber End – Pamber Green – Pamber Heath – Paulsgrove – Park Gate – Passfield – Pennington – Penton Corner – Penton Grafton – Penton Mewsey – Penwood – Petersfield – Phoenix Green – Picket Hill – Picket Piece – Picket Post – Picket Twenty – Pill Heath – Pilley – Pitt – Plaitford – Plastow Green – Popham – Port Solent – Portchester – Portmore – Portsea and Portsea Island, Portsmouth – Portsmouth and the City of Portsmouth3 – Poulner – Preston Candover – Priors Dean – Privett – Purbrook – Purbrook Heath
Quarley
Ragged Appleshaw – Rake – Ramridge Park – Ramsdean – Ramsdell – Red Post Bridge – Red Rice – Redenham – Redenham Park – Ringwood – Rockbourne – Rockford – Romsey – Ropley – Rotherwick – Rowland’s Castle – Rownhams
Sandford – Sandleheath – Sarisbury – Sarisbury Green – Segensworth West – Selborne – Shalden – Shawford – Shedfield – Sheet – Selborne – Shedfield – Sherborne St John – Sherfield English – Sherfield on Loddon – Shipton Bellinger – Shirrell Heath – Shobley – Shootash – Silchester – Sleaford – Smannell – Snoddington – Soberton – Somerley – South Baddesley – South Boarhunt – South Gorley – South Harewood – South Litchfield – South Tidworth – South Warnborough – South Wonston – Southampton and the City of Southampton3 – Southsea – Southwick – Southwood – Sparsholt – St Cross – St Mary Bourne – Standford – Stansted – Stansted Park – Steep – Steep Marsh – Steventon – Stockbridge – Stoke – Stoke Charity – Stokes Bay – Somerstown – Southsea – Stamshaw – Steep – Stoney Cross – Stratfield Turgis – Stroud – Stubbington – Stuckton – Stratfield Saye – Stratfield Turgis – Sutton Scotney – Swanmore – Swanwick – Swarraton – Sway
Tadley – Tangley – Temple Valley – Thedden – Thruxton – Thruxton Down – Tichborne – Tidworth – Tickley – Timsbury – Tinkers Cross – Tipner – Tiptoe – Titchfield – Totton and Eling – Tufton – Tufton Warren – Tunworth – Turgis Green – Turmer – Twyford – Twyford Moors
Up Nately – Up Somborne – Upham – Upper Chute – Upper Clatford – Upper Enham – Upper Farringdon – Upper Froyle – Upper Wield – Upper Woodcott – Upper Wootton – Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant (near Andover) – Upton, Nursling (near Southampton) – Upton Grey
Vernhams Dean – Vernham Street
Wadwick – Waggoners Wells – Walhampton – Waltham Chase – Warblington – Warnford – Warsash – Waterlooville – Well – Wellow – Wells-in-the-Field – West End – West Heath – West Meon – West Stratton – West Tisted – West Wellow – West Worldham – Weston (Petersfield) – Weston (Southampton) – Weston Colley – Weston Corbett – Weston Patrick – Weyhill – Wherwell – Wherwell Wood – Whitchurch – Whitehill – Whiteley – Whitnal – Whitsbury – Whitsbury Common – Whitsbury Cross – Whitway – Wickham – Wickham Common – Widley – Wildhern – Winchester – Winchfield – Winklebury – Winnall – Winslade – Winsor – Wintershill – Wivelrod – Wolverton – Wolverton Common – Wonston – Wood End – Woodgreen – Woodlands – Woodmancott – Woolmer – Woolston – Woolton Hill – Wootton St Lawrence – Worlds End – Worthy Down – Worting – Wyck – Wymering
Yateley
Local History Videos Of Hampshire
If you look at the lists of cities, towns and villages above, you’ll see that some of them are highlighted. Click on those ones, and you’ll be taken to a dedicated page showing the free-to-view videos you can watch about that community.
I’ll keep adding pages as time goes on. Please follow our Local History Videos Facebook page to find out when new pages are published.
Hampshire’s Local History Facebook Groups And Pages
If you’re even mildly curious about local history matters, joining a Facebook group is a good way to enjoy photographs and conversations about your community’s past.
- Freemantle Local History Group (for Freemantle, Millbrook, FourPosts, and Shirley areas of Southampton)
- Historic Aldershot Military Town
- Lee-On-The-Solent Local History Group
- Lee-On-The-Solent Matters & More
- Ringwood & District Historical Society
- Southampton local history
- Stockbridge & District Local History
- Worthies Local History Group (The Worthys Local History Group (WLHG) is based in the Hampshire villages of Abbots Worthy, Headbourne Worthy, Kings Worthy and Martyr Worthy).
Local History Societies And Groups In Hampshire
- Atlas of Hampshire’s Archaeology
- Binsted Society
- Bitterne Local History Society
- Broadlands Estate Papers
- Cope Collection
- Emsworth Maritime & Historical Trust
- F.G.O.Stuart Postcards
- Hamble Local History Society
- Hampshire Archives and Local Studies
- Hampshire County Library
- Hampshire Cultural Trust
- Hampshire Family History and Local History
- Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society
- Hampshire Genealogical Society
- Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society
- Hampshire Lieutenancy Papers 1828-1852
- Hampshire Photographic Project
- Hampshire Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
- Hantsphere
- Hartley Library Special Collections
- Headley Society
- Historic Environment Record (Heritage Gateway)
- Historic Settlement Surveys on Hants.gov.uk
- Lower Test Valley Archaeological Study Group
- Maritime Archaeology Trust
- New Forest History and Archaeology Group
- New Forest Museum
- New Forest Reference Library
- Old Hampshire Mapped
- Old-maps
- PortCities Southampton
- Portsmouth City Museums
- Portsmouth History Centre and Records Office
- Portsmouth Museums and Records Oral History
- Sotonopedia
- Southampton Archaeology Object Database
- Southampton City Archives
- Southampton City Libraries Local Studies Collection
- Southampton City Museums
- Southampton Historic Maps
- Southampton City Council Oral History Archive
- Tadley & District History Society
- Tale of One City (Portsmouth City Council)
- Topographical Prints Collections
- Tudor Revels Southampton
- University of Portsmouth Library (dissertations on Local History)
- University of Southampton Guide to Archive and Manuscript Collections
- University of Southampton Library WebCat
- Visit Hampshire (Museums list)
- Wessex Film and Sound Archive
Other Local History Resources
In addition, there are many national resources (enough to justify their own page!) which could help your local history research.
Back to Home page.
Thanks to Karen Arnold from Pixabay for the photo at the top of this page.