 About the county Hampshire is a county of rolling green hills, tranquil villages, ancient forests, and a superb coastline. Combined with a rich cultural heritage and the modern and vibrant cities of Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton, all less than an hour from London, Hampshire a fantastic location. Hampshire is Jane Austen Country The writer was born and lived most of her life in Hampshire, which was the inspiration for many of her wonderful books. Places of Interest Some of the country's most outstanding highlights include Winchester's Round Table, the New Forest and HMS Victory. There are many arts venues, galleries, theatres and arts centres, a wealth of castles, military museums, great ships and stately homes and a broad range of parks and gardens to suit every taste... a horticulturalist's paradise. The county also has a rich variety of museums showing the breadth of its history from Roman times to the present day. There are many beautiful churches and chapels, cathedrals and abbeys. From Cycling, climbing, walking and riding, to swimming, sailing or surfing, there is loads to do outside. Try the country parks, activity centres such as Calshot, or Hampshire's beaches. With over 3000 miles of rights of way, Hampshire can be discovered on footpaths, bridleways and byways. Living in Hampshire The county has many schools from nursery through to further education, in addition to which there are several independent schools, including single sex, mixed, boarding and international. There are also several pupil referral units and a very good range of special needs schools. There is a good range of sixth form and F.E colleges, and the county boasts four universities, University of Portsmouth, University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and The University of Winchester. There are very good transport links, with several bus and train operators covering everything from the South coast of England to the North coast of Scotland. Southampton International Airport has its own dedicated railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway. Fast trains run three times an hour from London Waterloo directly to the airport station, and there are excellent connections with numerous cities in the south west. Travellers can reach 22 direct destinations, together with over 200 long haul worldwide destinations via six key hubs including Amsterdam, Brussels, Parish, Frankfurt, Manchester and Dublin. Alternatively, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bournemouth airports are all within easy reach. Vehicle and passenger ferries depart from Portsmouth for destinations in northern Europe, and from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington to the Isle of Wight. The county has excellent shopping facilities, covering everything from the major high street retailers, to specialist boutiques, farm shops and markets. The cities of Southampton and Portsmouth boast the full range of department stores and shopping malls including the recently opened West Quay and Gunwharf Quays, whilst the smaller towns and villages provide great opportunities to pick up clothes, antiques and souvenirs from numerous specialist outlets. There are wide ranging sports facilities across the county, with many good sports and leisure centres, both public and private member's clubs. Hampshire also offers excellent facilities for golfers. |
