hampshire

Hampshire (/ˈhæmpʃər/, /-ʃɪər/ ⓘ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a ceremonial county in South East England.

The Hampshire Portal

View over Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill
View over Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill
hampshire

It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The cities of Portsmouth and Southampton are the largest settlements and the county town is the city of Winchester.

The county has an area of 3,769 km2 (1,455 sq mi) and a population of 1,844,245, making it the 5th-most populous in England. The South Hampshire built-up area in the south-east of the county has a population of 855,569 and contains the cities of Southampton (269,781) and Portsmouth (208,100). In the north-east, the Farnborough/Aldershot conurbation extends into Berkshire and Surrey and has a population of 252,937. The next-largest settlements are Basingstoke (113,776), Andover (50,887), and Winchester (45,184). The centre and south-west of the county are rural. For local government purposes Hampshire comprises a non-metropolitan county, with eleven districts, and two unitary authority areas: Portsmouth and Southampton. The county historically contained the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch, which are now part of Dorset, and the Isle of Wight.

Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms the Hampshire Downs, to south-east, where it is part of the South Downs. The county's major rivers rise in these hills; the Loddon and Wey drain north, into the Thames, and the Itchen and Test flow south into Southampton Water, a large estuary. In the south-east are Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour, and the western edge of Chichester Harbour, three large rias. The south-west contains the New Forest, which includes pasture, heath, and forest and is of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England.

Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain, when its chief town was Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in Domesday Book as divided into 44 hundreds. From the 12th century, the ports settlements grew due to increasing trade with the European mainland resulting from the wool and cloth, fishing, and shipbuilding industries. This meant by the 16th century, Southampton had become more populous than Winchester. In 20th century conflicts, including World War One and Two, Hampshire played a crucial military role due to its ports. (Full article...)

Selected article

hampshire
Main façade of the building in 2012. Originally constructed in close studding with brick nogging, the façade was refronted with Georgian brick cladding in the late 18th century.

The Angel Inn is a public house in Andover, Hampshire. Constructed in the mid-15th century, it is one of England's oldest surviving inns, and the oldest and most complete example in Hampshire. It is a Grade II* listed building, of "more than special interest nationally." Despite alterations in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the medieval timber frame, features and decorative details remain "remarkably intact." Archaeological and documentary evidence suggest that it was built on the site of a previous inn—the College Inn—which was destroyed in the Great Fire of Andover in 1434.

Originally constructed of four wings enclosing a central courtyard, with an archway giving access from the street—typical of late medieval inns—the pub now retains the north and east wings. The west wing is no longer extant, while the surviving section of the south wing—which was divided from the inn for other commercial uses in the 18th century—is now also Grade II* listed (under the designation "89, 91 & 93 High Street, Andover.") The main bar room is situated in the ground floor of the north wing, which housed stables during the medieval period. The 'front bar' occupies the ground floor room—originally a high status guest chamber—at the eastern end of the north wing, looking onto the High Street. During the early 19th century, the front bar also served as the town's magistrates' court and guildhall.

In the 1960s, Andover became an overspill town for London, resulting in redevelopment of the town centre and the construction of a large shopping centre. The Angel Inn—along with other late medieval parts of the town—was initially earmarked for demolition in 1965 as part of the redevelopment, but was saved following a campaign by members of the public.

The Angel Inn is Cask Marque accredited and listed by CAMRA—the Campaign for Real Ale—as one of the best cask ale pubs in the UK. (Full article...)

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hampshire
Hurley in 2017

Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is a British actress and model.

As an actress, Hurley's best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and as the Devil in Bedazzled (2000). Hurley's television roles include the E! original series The Royals (2015–2018) and portraying Morgan le Fay in Runaways (2019), based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. She portrayed Diana Payne on the fifth season of The CW's original series Gossip Girl (2011).

Hurley's first role in a big budget film was in Passenger 57 (1992). In 1994, Hurley accompanied Hugh Grant to the London premiere of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, in a plunging black Versace dress held together with gold safety pins, which gained her instant media attention.

Hurley has been associated with the cosmetics company Estée Lauder since the company gave Hurley her first modelling job at the age of 29. They have featured her as a representative and model for their products, especially perfumes such as Sensuous, Intuition, and Pleasures, since 1995. Hurley owns a beachwear line. (Full article...)

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More articles: Business in Hampshire | Geology of Hampshire | History of Hampshire | Portsmouth | Recreational walks in Hampshire | Southampton | Winchester

Lists: List of churches in Hampshire | List of further education colleges in Hampshire | List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire | List of places in Hampshire

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