Portswood

Portswood is a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton, England. It lies to the north-north-east of the city centre and is surrounded by several other areas, including Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys, and Bevois Valley.

The Portswood Ward includes Portswood, Highfield, and St. Denys. In the 2011 Census, the ward had a population of 14,831 people. This area is mostly made up of homes and is close to the main campus of the University of Southampton. Because of this, more than a quarter of the people who live there are students.

History

The Manor of Portswood, which included parts of modern-day Bevois Town, Swaythling, St Denys, and Highfield, was first named in a charter from 1045. The name Portswood comes from the Old English Porteswuda, meaning "wood of the town".

The land was given to St. Denys Priory by Richard I in 1189 and stayed with them until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536. It was then bought by Francis Dawtrey in 1538 and later passed to Giles Stibbert in 1771. Stibbert, a Lieutenant-General with the East India Company, built the first Portswood House. The house was torn down in 1852 for new homes, and the name moved to Portswood Lodge. The estate was sold for development, and the second Portswood House was demolished in 1923.

In 1871, there was an attempt to improve the local sewage system, but it was delayed due to concerns about higher taxes. The improvements finally started in 1875.

Governance

Before 1894, Portswood was part of a larger area called South Stoneham, which included places like Eastleigh. At that time, Portswood had around thirty houses and a population of about 3,546 people.

In 1894, new rules changed how the area was managed, and Portswood became its own small community. Over the next few years, the number of people living there grew from about 10,000 to more than 22,000.

Today, Portswood is a part of the city of Southampton. It is represented by three local government members, two from the Labour party and one from the Green party.

Education

Portswood Ward is home to the main Highfield Campus of the University of Southampton. The university first started using this site in 1914, but because of the First World War, it was used as a hospital instead. Lectures began there in 1920.

The area has three public primary schools: Portswood Primary School on Somerset Road, Highfield School on Hawthorn Road, and St Denys School on Dundee Road. There is also a small private primary school called St Winifred's School on Winn Road. The closest secondary schools are Cantell School in Bassett Green and Bitterne Park School.

Public services

Portswood Library opened on 25 October 1915, even though it did not get money from Carnegie in 1914 and the First World War had started. It was built north of the old Palladium Cinema on Portswood Road. A person named J A Crowther designed it, and a local councillor named Sidney Kimber helped get the land.

The Hampshire Constabulary runs Portswood Police Station on St Denys Road, helping keep areas like Banister Park & Bevois, Bassett, Highfield, St. Denys and Swaythling safe. Portswood gets fire service help from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service and the fire station in St Mary's.

Landmarks

After the original Portswood House was torn down in 1852, its lodge remained and is now a special Grade II listed building at 324 Portswood Road.

Portswood had two cinemas in the past, but both are now closed. The Palladium Cinema, open from 1913 to 1958, became a supermarket and lost its old look. The Broadway Cinema, which opened on June 6, 1930, showed its first movie, Rookery Nook, and stayed open for 33 years until October 26, 1963. After being a Mecca Bingo Hall for a while, it is now used as a church.

Culture

Portswood has a popular live music venue called The Brook on Portswood Road. This venue can hold up to 600 people and has hosted many famous bands and musicians over the years.

The area also has many pubs that cater to different kinds of visitors, from sports fans to those who enjoy traditional beers.

Another important spot is October Books, a bookstore run by a community group. It sells books on many topics, including the environment, politics, and vegetarian living. The store also offers fair trade and organic products. It moved to its current location in 2018 after raising money from the local community.

Transport

The St Denys railway station serves Portswood. It is on the London Waterloo to Weymouth mainline and the West Coastway Line. Regular bus services to the city centre and other parts of Southampton are provided by Bluestar, UniLink, and Xelabus.

From 1879 to 1949, Portswood had a tram depot that was part of the Southampton Corporation Tramways. Trams ran from Portswood Road to Stag Gates, where the Avenue meets Lodge Road. Many trams were built there during that time. In 1949, the depot was changed to a bus depot and became the head office of First Hampshire & Dorset. Today, the site is a Sainsbury’s Superstore that opened in February 2012.

Notable residents

R. J. Mitchell, the chief designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, lived at 2 Russell Place in Portswood during the development of the airplane. He stayed there until his death in 1937. In 2005, English Heritage placed a Blue Plaque at his former home to honor him.

Coldplay drummer Will Champion once lived in Portswood and attended a youth activities group at Highfield Church. Captain Edward J. Smith, who commanded the RMS Titanic on her first voyage, also lived in Portswood in a large house called "Woodhead" on Winn Road. Unfortunately, that house is no longer there and has been replaced by an apartment complex. Broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham spent part of his childhood living in Portswood.