Hamble-le-Rice

Infobox UK place
official_name= Hamble-le-Rice
static_

static_image_caption= The river is home to yachts and wildlife
static_image_2=
static_image_2_caption=The village crest
country= England
os_grid_reference=SU479066
latitude= 50.85694
longitude= -1.32084
post_town= SOUTHAMPTON
postcode_area= SO
postcode_district= SO31
dial_code= (023) 8045 xxxx
region= South East England
civil_parish=
shire_district= Eastleigh
shire_county= Hampshire
constituency_westminster= Eastleigh

Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location. The village and the River Hamble also featured in 1980s the BBC television series "Howards' Way".

Location

Hamble-le-Rice is located in Hampshire on the south coast of England in the UK, to the south-east of Southampton.

It is bounded by Netley, Butlocks Heath, Bursledon, Southampton Water and the River Hamble.

History

Although previously known as "Hamble", "Hamelea", "Hammel", and "Ham-en-le-Rice", the village's official name is now Hamble-le-Ricecite web| title=A brief history of Hamble|url=http://www.pendlebury30.fsnet.co.uk/bhistory.htm] . The name "Hamble" is still in common usage.

Aerospace

Hamble-le-Rice was the home of an aircraft training centre during World War II for planes including the Spitfire, the Lancaster and the Wellington. The south airfield has long since disappearedcite web|title=Hamble Airfields|url=http://www.pendlebury30.fsnet.co.uk/Airfield.htm] and the north airfield has been partially developed as housing, the remainder overgrown and owned by house developers Persimmon.

Today, Hamble-le-Rice retains a large interest in the aviation industry with the Hamble Aerostructures factory, now a subsidiary of GE Aviation in Kings Avenue being the single largest employer in the area, the workforce far outnumbering that of the BP terminalfact|date=February 2007.

The River and Environment

Hamble-le-Rice is a yachting mecca: the nearby River Hamble is often packed with yachting traffic and during the summer the whole village is crowded with people out enjoying the water. The village and its river are one of the many locations that made up the fictional village of Tarrant in the BBC television series "Howards Way", shown weekly on BBC1 in the late 1980s.

Hamble-le-Rice is home to a common, a variety of estuary wildlife, and other scenic walks.

Fuel terminal

and was supplied by ship from Hamble. The jetty at this fuel terminal was extended in 1943/44 so that more ships could be loaded simultaneously.

Fuel is regularly transported by road tankers this depot, as well as by pipeline to major industry and airports. Markers showing the route of the pipeline can be seen at various points in neighbouring Botley.

A disused branch line runs from the terminal to the Portsmouth to Southampton railway. This has subsequently been converted into a scenic walk.

Transport Links

The village is served by Hamble railway station, which provides services to both Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour. At peak periods these services run once per hour in each direction. It is also linked by ferry to Warsash, and has some bus services to Southampton and Eastleigh.

People

Sir Sam Fay, General manager of the Great Central Railway 1902-22, was born here in 1856.

External links

* [http://robbyrne.tripod.com/hamblevalleyrambles/ Walks in the Hamble Valley]
* [http://www.hamble.net Hamble.net]

References