History
The Ice Age began around 30,000 BCE and ended somewhere between 10,000 and 7000 BCE. Although there is much discussion regarding the exact dates of particular events in the history of Britain the most commonly accepted periodisation is the middle Pleistocene/early Holocene which divides into three periods: from 1,500,000 to 11,700 years ago (Late Palaeolithic), from 11,700 to 8500 years ago (Middle Palaeolithic) and from 8500 to 8000 years ago (Early Neolithic). During these periods a relative homogeneity of fauna and flora was replaced by increasing climatic and environmental heterogeneity as numerous species became extinct without being replaced by a new set of equivalents.
Between 4500 and 2500 BCE, neolithic farmers began to clear the forests and develop farming, they also built the first houses, Hampshire List (hampshire-list.co.uk). The best surviving example of these is Slackborough Hill Fort, on the North Cotswold Edge, which has been preserved by being buried under a layer of peat. From this period there is evidence of local trade started up again. Excavations in Gloucestershire have produced flint tools made from materials originating from more than 100 miles away; they were traded along the Severn river system.
The earliest dated human burial in Great Britain is that of ‘Cheddar Man’. He lived in a forested area, and was found in a shallow grave along with a collection of simple grave goods. The climate at the time was warmer than today and much wetter, equating to around 40 centimetres of rainfall per year. This area was formerly under a lake or series of lakes; these were gradually filled in with sediment and now form the English Channel.
In June 2010 the BBC announced a project to reconstruct the last 155 years of British social history in a website called 'Britain's Changing Population'. The project began in June 2011 to run over four years and capture 100 years of changes in every local authority area in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Media partners include Historyworks, Family Tree Magazine and BBC local radio. Before the Roman invasion of Britain, the peninsula was occupied by several distinct cultural groups.
Three large tribal areas existed in what is now England: groups from west Wales, south-east Scotland and the Lake District were culturally and politically comparable. There were also a few isolated regions such as the Isle of Wight and County Durham where local culture remained more parochial. This history has allowed Winchester to develop a diverse and unique community that relies heavily on tourism and commerce. Winchester first saw settlers as early as 2,000 years ago.
Demographics
Demographics of the ceremonial county have changed over time. Between 1801 and 1901, it was the fastest growing county in England, seeing a population increase of 315%. However, during the 20th century its population grew by less than 10%. The 2001 census recorded that 2. 1% were from a non-white ethnic group (said to be 11% nationally). Nearby Bristol had a higher such proportion at 12%, reflecting its larger immigration to the docks; Southampton had a lower proportion, possibly because it was due to be surrounded by other settlements that provided greater access to jobs.
Members of ethnic minorities tend to concentrate in estates and suburbs such as Thornhill, Bitterne Park and Coxford;. The United Kingdom Census 2001 found that the majority of people in Hampshire live in the South. The area south of Fareham has the highest population density and much of this area is part of the conurbation lying between Southampton and Portsmouth. Around a quarter of the county's population live in the Gosport and Portsmouth areas, which is one of the highest ratios in England.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Hampshire is typical of the island of Great Britain. The New Forest is known for its ponies, which have free rein over much of the area which contains one of the largest and wildest herds in Europe. There are also red deer, roe deer, badgers, hares, rabbits and many migratory birds including stonechats, meadow pipits and nightingales. Hampshire has lost some bird types which were once common including the black-backed woodpecker, kingfisher and golden plover.
Bobcats can occasionally be seen in parts of the southern part of the county. The Isle of Wight has its own unique wildlife. The island was connected to the mainland until around 12,000 years ago and the soil is nutrient poor meaning low vegetation and acidic peat bogs. This makes for a perfect environment for some of Britain's rarest plants including the critically endangered Sea-blite, found only on the south coast of Ireland and on two locations on the Isle of Wight in only 6 acres (2.
4 ha) of land. Although the New Forest has a population of around 530 red deer, compared with an estimated 100 in 2000, they are rarely seen by local people because of the stealthy way they live. In forests and woodland throughout the county, there is a small but noticeable number of fallow deer. While that isn’t a lot of time when put into perspective, it still means that the city is steeped in historical importance.
Transport
The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P721), allowing flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The aerodrome is used by corporate flight departments, such as BAE Systems. Its largest tenant is the helicopter division of BAE Systems, AgustaWestland which produces twice as many helicopters in the UK as in its plant in Milan, Italy. There was a proposal to base production of the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin helicopter here if the Westland site in Yeovil faced industrial action, but this idea was scrapped due to its high cost.
However at one time airline Jet2 did operate from Southampton Airport but they moved all operations to East Midlands Airport and Leeds. It was on the 18th of January 1955 that Southampton became the home of Britain’s newest airport. The land in Swaythling, Hursley, Weston and Marchwood was chosen as a site for motorway service area services at Junction 12A, with the main runway being aligned from west to east, over Bournemouth. Today Southampton International Airport provides facilities for wide-bodied aircraft, freight and passenger traffic.
Airlines operating at the airport include easyJet, bmi Regional and British Airways. The airport is a major hub for international scheduled and charter flights to European, North African and North American destinations. The new terminal was designed by Foster and Partners and opened in 1991 with a capacity of 2. 5 million passengers per year. It contains the departure halls, check-in areas, an early baggage facility and a business centre. Let’s take a visit to the Old Town district and learn this history lesson together!.
Prehistory until the Norman Conquest
The name “Lindisfarne” derives from the Old English “tun” or settlement. The English word ‘ferry’ is derived from the Old Norse, and means a place where farmers could cross over the river. That was how they got to the island in those days, now they have cars and stuff. Because of its tidal position, it has sometimes been called an ‘island’; but strictly speaking it is a promontory with a small portion of land around it that is covered by the tide at high-tide, and joined to the mainland when it is low-tide.
Lindisfarne Castle stands in ruins on a sandstone promontory between the North Sea. Up until 400 BCE, most of Britain was still covered in forest, apart from the river valleys and the east coast. The climate was warmer than it is today and everywhere was much wetter. This meant that the likes of modern deciduous forests dominated with their broadleafed trees. This flora and fauna gradually changed season by season over hundreds of years until the end of the Ice Age.