Portswood

Infobox UK place
country = England
map_type = Southampton
official_name= Portswood
latitude = 50.9261
longitude = -1.3931
population = 14,384Cite web | url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5939877&c=SO17+2HJ&d=14&e=15&g=412299&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1214521931640&enc=1 | title=Portswood (Ward) — Key Figures for 2001 Census: Key Statistics | publisher=Office for National Statistics | date=2001 | accessdate=2008-06-27]
area_total_km2 = 2.79
unitary_england= Southampton
lieutenancy_england= Hampshire
post_town= SOUTHAMPTON
postcode_area= SO
dial_code= 023
constituency_westminster=Southampton Test
region = South East England
postcode_district = SO17
static_

static_image_caption = Portswood's shopping area (Portswood Road)

Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by (clockwise from west) Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley.

Portswood Ward comprises Portswood, Highfield and St. Denys, and had a population of 14,384 as of the 2001 Census. It is a largely residential area encompassing the main campus of the University of Southampton, and as such more than a quarter of residents are students. [

Cite web | url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=5939877&c=SO17+2HJ&d=14&e=16&g=412299&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1214513693742&enc=1&dsFamilyId=113 | title=Portswood (Ward) — National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (UV31) | publisher=Office for National Statistics | date=2001 | accessdate=2008-06-27]

The name "Portswood" comes from the Old English "Porteswuda", meaning "wood of the town".Cite web | url=http://portswood.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=70 | title=Porteswuda to home of the gentry (extract from "The Illustrated History of Southampton's Suburbs" by Jim Brown) | publisher=portswood.info | date=2007-12-14 | accessdate=2008-06-27]

History

Overview

The Manor of Portswood, which originally included the modern-day Bevois Town, Swaythling, St Denys and Highfield, was first named in a charter dating from 1045. [Cite web | url=http://archive.dailyecho.co.uk/2005/5/26/5576.html | title=Triangle shaping up as protected zone | publisher=Southern Daily Echo | date=2005-05-26 | accessdate=2008-06-27]

Portswood was a tithing in the parish of South Stoneham, a parish more than ten times the size of Portswood Ward today, stretching as far as Eastleigh to the north. A parliamentary paper from 1837 indicates that the Village of Portswood consisted of about thirty houses at this time, [cite book | title = Report of the Conmissioners Appointed to Report and Advise Upon the Boundaries and Wards of Certain Boroughs and Corporate Towns, England and Wales, Part III | publisher = House of Commons | year = 1837 | url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Dk0SAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT14&ci=107,272,805,1153&source=bookclip accessdate=2008-07-02 ] and in the 1861 Census, the population of the entire Tithing was placed at 3,546. [cite book | last = Coke | first = Charles Anthony | title = Population Gazetteer of England and Wales | publisher = Harrison, 59, Pall Mall | year = 1864 | pages=168 | url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=M4EIAAAAQAAJ accessdate=2008-06-27 ]

The Local Government Act 1894 divided South Stoneham into multiple parts, and Portswood became a civil parish in its own right. [Cite web | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42035 | title='Parishes: South Stoneham', from A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (1908), pp. 481-489 | publisher=British History Online | date=2001 | accessdate=2008-06-27] The population of Portswood civil parish was 10,038 in 1891, grew to 17,958 in 1901, and had reached 22,501 by 1911. [Cite web | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10092589&c_id=10001043&add=N | title=Portswood CP/Ch: Total Population | publisher=Great Britain Historical GIS | accessdate=2008-06-27] Portswood parish at that time included parts of Bitterne and was approximately 1,037 acres (1.62 square miles) [Cite web | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_AREA_A&u_id=10092589&c_id=10001043&add=Y | title=Portswood CP/Ch: Area (acres) | publisher=Great Britain Historical GIS | accessdate=2008-06-27] by comparison with today's 690 acres (1.08 square miles) which explains the apparent shrink in population since.

Portswood House (1771-1852)

The original Portswood House stood in the area now bounded by Spring Crescent and Lawn Road, and was built in 1771 for Giles Stibbert, Lieutenant-General with the East India Company, and later Commander-in-Chief of India. [cite book | title = The Southampton Guide | publisher = Elizabeth Skelton and co. | edition = Twenty-Fifth Edition | year = 1823 | pages=99 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ww0HAAAAQAAJ | accessdate=2008-07-03 ] The house was subsequently occupied by Sir John Newbolt, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and his wife Elizabeth Newbolt — Sir John died in Portswood House on January 22nd 1823, while attendants were carrying him upstairs. [Citation | last = Urban | first = Sylvanus | author-link = Edward Cave | year = 1823 | title = The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle | edition = From January to June, 1823 | volume = Volume XCIII | publication-place = London | place = | publisher = John Nichols and Son, 25 Parliament Street | page = 280 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=IAEVHuU8IxIC | accessdate = 2008-07-03] The house was demolished in 1852, [cite book | last = Patterson | first = Alfred Temple | title = A History of Southampton, 1700-1914, Volume 3: Setbacks and Recoveries, 1868-1914 | publisher = University Press | year = 1971 | pages=8,121 | accessdate=2008-07-03 ] but the lodge to the house was preserved, and is now a Grade II listed building, standing at 324 Portswood Road. [cite web |url=http://www.southampton.gov.uk/Images/Listed%20Buildings%20in%20Southampton%20-%20Descriptions_tcm46-161809.pdf |title=Listed Buildings in Southampton | format=PDF | accessdate=2008-07-08 ]

Geography

The main thoroughfare, Portswood Road, is a popular student area with many bars, pubs and takeaways. There are a range of shops in Portswood from supermarkets to charity shops and small local businesses.

Portswood Library, opened as a Carnegie library in 1915, has recently been upgraded with new IT facilities for the general public, funded from a National Lottery grant.Fact|date=July 2008

Portswood also has its own primary school. The nearest secondary schools are Cantell Secondary School which is located on Glen Eyre Road and Bitterne Park School.

A prominent landmark in Portswood is the old Broadway Cinema on Portswood Road. It opened on June 6 1930 with a showing of the film Rookery Nook and remained open for 33 years until October 26 1963. The building is now a Mecca Bingo Hall. [Cite web | url=http://cinematreasures.org/theater/21344/ | title=Broadway Cinema | publisher= [http://cinematreasures.org cinematreasures.org] | accessdate=2008-06-27]

Culture

Portswood (and neighbouring Bevois Valley) are increasingly seen as the home to Southampton's burgeoning music scene, with many Portswood venues now offering regular live music and opportunities for local musicians in addition to nationally and internationally acclaimed acts.

Portswood has two dedicated live music venues—The Brook and Talking Heads, both on Portswood Road. The Brook is a 600-capacity venue which has seen performances from established rock figures Midge Ure and Bill Wyman, as well as more contemporary outfits such as The Hoosiers and Mr. Scruff. The venue went into liquidation in May 2007, but it was put on the market for £900,000, [cite web | url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/debusiness/news/display.var.1408370.0.liquidators_move_in_on_the_brook.php | title=Liquidators Move In On The Brook | date=2007-05-18 | accessdate=2008-07-08 | publisher=Southern Daily Echo] and was saved in August that year. [cite web | url=http://archive.dailyecho.co.uk/2007/8/3/117843.html | title=The Brook is saved with a little help from its friends | date=2007-08-03 | accessdate=2008-07-08 ] Talking Heads is a smaller 260-capacity venue nearby that shares its name with the rock band and hosts regular open mic and jazz nights.

There are a number of pubs in the area covering different tastes from sports bars, student-friendly pubs and real ale pubs. The main student club in Portswood is Clowns and Jesters nightclub, located on the Bevois Valley Hill. Popular alternative clubs are The Dungeon and Sobar which are both downhill from Clowns and Jesters Nightclub.

Transport

The nearest railway station is St Denys, which is on the London to Weymouth mainline and the West Coastway Line. There are also regular bus services to the city centre and other parts of Southampton from Bluestar, Uni-link and First Group.

Notable residents

R. J. Mitchell, chief designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, lived at 2 Russell Place in Portswood during its development, and until his death in 1937. In 2005, English Heritage commemorated Mitchell with a Blue Plaque at his former home. [Cite web | url=http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=169119&NewsAreaID=259 | title=Designer of the Spitfire commemorated with Blue Plaque | publisher=English Heritage press release | date=2005-09-08 | accessdate=2008-06-26]

According to a report in the "Daily Echo", Coldplay drummer Will Champion used to live in Portswood, and used to attend a youth activities group at Highfield Church. [Cite web | url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/display.var.1335574.0..php | title=Totton star's link with Coldplay's Will Champion | publisher=Southern Daily Echo | date=2007-04-18 | accessdate=2008-06-26]

External links

* [http://portswood.info/ portswood.info] — Portswood's local community news website

References