Hythe () is a town near
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, England. It is located by the shore of
Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point, where the estuaries of the River Test and River Itchen meet. Along its salt marsh-fringed wes ...
, and has a
ferry service connecting it to Southampton. Hythe has a small shopping area, a pier, and a marina for yachts.
History
The name Hythe means landing-place or haven.
[Hythe, Old Hampshire Gazetteer](_blank)
/ref> Hythe is recorded in a Parliamentary roll from 1293.[History](_blank)
, Hythe Online The Hythe ferry
Hythe Pier, the Hythe Pier Railway and the Hythe Ferry provide a link between the English port city of Southampton and the Hampshire village of Hythe, Hampshire, Hythe on the west side of Southampton Water. It is used both by commuters and tour ...
("Hitheferye") to Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
is marked on a map by Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton (c. 1540 – c. 1610) was an English cartographer who produced the first county maps of England and Wales.
Life and family
Saxton was probably born in Sowood, Ossett in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
of 1575, and on a map by John Harrison in 1788. Hythe was part of the parish of Fawley, although it became a separate ecclesiastical parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish priest ...
in 1841.[Victoria County History, (1912), ''A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5'', Fawley](_blank)
/ref> The current church, of Saint John the Baptist, was erected in 1874. It is of red brick with Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of ...
dressings. There were at one time stocks in the village.
The Hampshire Advertiser, 23 Dec 1837, reports the death of John Richards of Hythe (1764-1837) and notes 'the father of the deceased founded the neat little village of Hythe: previous to his time there was no building there of greater pretensions than the huts of a few fishermen. The elder Mr Richards, when he established a shipbuilding yard at Heath (as it was then called) built houses for his workmen and the village soon sprang up.'
At the beginning of the 20th century, Hythe was a "little fishing village"; with an hourly steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
service to Southampton, and with the clubhouse of Hythe Yacht Club at the end of the pier. Hythe remained part of the civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of Fawley until 1913, when it became part of the parish of Dibden.
Thanks in part to the British Power Boat Company
The British Power Boat Company was a British manufacturer of motor boats, particularly racing boats and later military patrol boats.
History
The company was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott-Paine bought and renamed the Hythe Shipy ...
and its excellent access to the English Channel, during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Hythe was used as a port for the "little ships" of the Royal Navy, the Motor Torpedo Boats and the RAF Air/Sea Rescue Boats. In 1960, The Hovercraft Development Company and Sir Christopher Cockerell
Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE RDI FRS (4 June 1910 – 1 June 1999) was an English engineer, best known as the inventor of the hovercraft.
Early life and education
Cockerell was born in Cambridge, where his father, Sir Sydney Cocke ...
, its founder, moved to Hythe. There was also a small Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
base in Hythe known as RAF Hythe. Until its closure in September 2006 it was used by the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
to service and maintain watercraft. Part of the site is now used by the local Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British volunteer-military youth organisation. They are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force. The majority of staff are volunteers, and some are paid for full-time work – including C ...
br>squadron.
Hythe was a village up to the 1950s, but the expansion of Fawley Refinery
Fawley Refinery is an oil refinery located at Fawley, Hampshire, England. The refinery is owned by Esso Petroleum Company Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, which acquired the site in 1925. Situated on Southampton Water, it was ...
led to a demand for more houses for workers, and Hythe and Dibden Purlieu
Dibden Purlieu () is a village situated on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, England. The village merges with the nearby town of Hythe. It is in the civil parish of Hythe and Dibden.
The approximate population is around 4000 people. The r ...
were allowed to expand into a small town. In 1983, following the growth of Hythe, the parish of Dibden was renamed to Hythe and Dibden, to reflect the importance of Hythe as a new focal point of the Parish.[What is the Parish Council](_blank)
, Hythe and Dibden Parish Council
Geography
Hythe has a small shopping area clustered around the High Street, which includes two supermarkets (a Waitrose and a Lidl), a public library, several charity shops, and small independent shops. The Hythe Pier, Railway and Ferry
Hythe Pier, the Hythe Pier Railway and the Hythe Ferry provide a link between the English port city of Southampton and the Hampshire village of Hythe on the west side of Southampton Water. It is used both by commuters and tourists, and forms an ...
operates across Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point, where the estuaries of the River Test and River Itchen meet. Along its salt marsh-fringed wes ...
to Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, and is the oldest working pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
train in the world.
Hythe's position makes it a good vantage point for viewing ocean liners arriving and departing at the port of Southampton, which attracts ship-watchers to the area. Hythe has a marina, at which a large number of yachts and boats are moored. Large and expensive houses are situated around the marina, overlooking the waterside.
Ewart Court on Jones Lane in Hythe is home to Hythe and Dibden Cricket Club. The club was formed in 1948 with the amalgamation of The Hythe Club and The Dibden Purlieu Club. The Hythe club was formed in 1860.
Hythe was home to the US Army between 1968 and 2006 at RAF Hythe. Following its closure, RAF Hythe was bought by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), who turned the site into a marine business park, Hythe Marine Park. Every year, usually around August, the marina hosts the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) Great Waterside Raft Race, where teams race rafts in the Solent Estuary to raise money in support of the nearby Calshot RNLI station.
British Power Boat Company
The British Power Boat Company
The British Power Boat Company was a British manufacturer of motor boats, particularly racing boats and later military patrol boats.
History
The company was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott-Paine bought and renamed the Hythe Shipy ...
, which manufactured racing boats and later military patrol boats, was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott-Paine
Hubert Scott-Paine (11 March 1891 – 14 April 1954) was a British aircraft and boat designer, record-breaking power boat racer, entrepreneur, inventor, and sponsor of the winning entry in the 1922 Schneider Trophy.
Early life
Hubert Paine was ...
bought and renamed Hythe's shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
, with the intention of transforming it into one of the most modern mass production boat building yards in the country. Together with his chief designer, Fred Cooper, the company produced many racing boats which won numerous awards around Europe, including Miss England II
''Miss England II'' was the second of a series of speedboats used by Henry Segrave and Kaye Don to contest world water speed records in the 1920s and 1930s.
Design and construction
''Miss England II'' was built in 1930 for Lord Wakefield, who ...
and Miss Britain III
''Miss Britain III'' is a racing power boat designed and built by Hubert Scott-Paine.
In 1932, Scott-Paine asked Rolls-Royce for a 'R' engine which had powered the winning entrant in the 1931 Schneider Trophy. He planned to challenge Ga ...
.
From 1930 the British Power Boat Company supplied seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
s to the Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
, commencing with RAF200, a -footer. In 1931 the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
seconded T. E. Lawrence
Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
– better known as "Lawrence of Arabia" – in his service name of T. E. Shaw, to liaise with Scott-Paine on the design, trials and operations of the boat. Lawrence lodged in the village from 1931 to 1932, in Myrtle Cottage at the junction of St John Street and Shore Road. The tenders were initially powered by twin 100bhp Meadows
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artificia ...
petrol engines giving a maximum speed of 29 knots, with some later versions fitted with Perkins S6M diesels.
Thermionic Products and RACAL Recorders
Thermionic Products, acquired by RACAL
Racal Electronics plc was a British electronics company that was founded in 1950.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange and once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, Racal was a diversified company, offering products including voice loggers and ...
Electronics plc to become RACAL Recorders, was established in Hythe in the 1950s, moving to a large facility at the nearby Hardley Industrial Estate. RACAL Recorders produced a wide range of specialist magnetic tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...
s for recording multiple channels of voice, as used by air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
and the emergency services, and also instrumentation recorders. The company was awarded a number of patents. RACAL Recorders won several Queen's Awards for innovation and export.
Sport and leisure
Hythe has a non-League football club Hythe & Dibden FC, which plays at Clayfields Sports Ground, as well as Southern Premier League cricket club Hythe & Dibden Cricket Club.
Not far away is Applemore Recreation Centre, near Applemore College, where the New Forest District Council
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
supplies facilities, which include swimming, archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
, basketball, tennis, squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
and more.
Hythe's proximity to Southampton Water makes water sports easily accessible, via Hythe Marina, Hythe Marina's slipway or Hythe Sailing Club. The slipway is used for the annual RNLI Raft Race.
Hythe Sea Scouts also have good access to the water – their hut adjacent to Hythe Sailing Club. As a Royal Navy recognised group, the group has acquired a variety of kayaks, canoes and dinghies through funding. The building is currently undergoing maintenance due to erosion of the coastline putting the group at threat of being 'washed away'. A significant funding campaign, led by Chris Godfrey, raised over £80,000 to secure the ground beneath the scout hut.
Notable residents
*Sir Christopher Cockerell
Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE RDI FRS (4 June 1910 – 1 June 1999) was an English engineer, best known as the inventor of the hovercraft.
Early life and education
Cockerell was born in Cambridge, where his father, Sir Sydney Cocke ...
, the inventor of the hovercraft
A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious Craft (vehicle), craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull ...
, lived and died in Hythe.
*T. E. Lawrence
Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
, the famed British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer lived in the area as a child, before returning to Hythe between 1931 and 1932, living at Myrtle Cottage in Shore Road.
*William Scammell
William Scammell (2 January 1939, in Southampton – 29 November 2000) was a British poet.
Life
He was born into a working-class family in the waterside village of Hythe on Southampton Water, but failed the eleven-plus exam. His brother is Mic ...
, an English poet, critic and biographer of Keith Douglas
Keith Castellain Douglas (24 January 1920 – 9 June 1944) was a poet and soldier noted for his war poetry during the Second World War and his wry memoir of the Western Desert campaign, '' Alamein to Zem Zem''. He was killed in action during ...
, was born in Hythe in 1939. A commemorative plaque, provided by the Parish Council, can be seen on the house in Alexandra Road, where he was born and lived until 1953. He died in 2000, aged 60.
* David Ellery, the TV producer, presenter and author (programmes such as Home Movie Roadshow and books such as RMS Queen Mary – 101 Q&As), is based at Hythe.
*Bruce Parry
Bruce Parry (born 17 March 1969) is an English documentarian, indigenous rights advocate, author, explorer, trek leader and former Royal Marines commando officer. He employs an ethnographic style and a form of participant observation for his d ...
, the adventurer and TV presenter of shows such as Amazon with Bruce Parry, was born 17 March 1969, in Hythe.
*Rik Young
Ricky James Young (born 25 April 1978) is an English actor, dancer, and producer. His early work includes the miniseries ''Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, Children of Dune'' (2003) and the films ''Is Harry on the Boat?'' (2001) and ''Beowulf ( ...
(born 1978), actor and dancer, grew up in Hythe.
References
External links
*
Hythe and Dibden Parish Council
Hythe's website for residents and visitors
Hythe virtual High Street
{{authority control
Hythe
Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to:
Places Australia
* Hythe, Tasmania
Canada
*Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada
England
* T ...
New Forest District