Hythe, a bustling village steeped in maritime history lies at the edge of the New Forest, on the western shore of Southampton Water. This area has now become known as “The Waterside” and you can see why with its glorious Victorian pier and amazing views across the water to glimpse passing cruise liners leaving Southampton Harbour.
Hythe, along with its sister communities Dibden and Dibden Purlieu have recently been voted the New Forest village of the year for 2017 and although it is not your traditional New Forest village located in the forest, this award can be appreciated due to Hythe`s uniqueness to the area and how its splendid character represents its glorious past.
This pretty coastal village with it`s attractive marine bears witness to several famous maiden voyages throughout the years such as the Titanic in 1912, the Queen Elizabeth in the thirties and the QE2. More recently Hythe has seen the superliners of today leave it`s shores including Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Aurora.
Tourists and locals alike love to stroll along the new promenade taking in the sights and sounds of the busy waterfront, while you`re there why not hop on the Hythe ferry to take a leisurely trip up the Solent for a really memorable experience. Alternatively, have a wander up the Georgian high street with an array of shops to browse and cafes to whet your appetite. There are a number of good pubs in Hythe too which will certainly have a tale to tell about the nautical significance of the area in days gone by.
Hythe Pier is also another well known attraction to visitors and is also mentioned in the Guiness Book Of Records. At 640m in length the pier is recognised as having the only known working electric pier train in the world, so it only seems appropriate to jump on board, journey to the end of the pier and enjoy the impressive view.
It`s also worth mentioning Hythe boasts two famous sons. Probably the most well known of the two is T.E Lawrence, or more popularly known as Lawrence Of Arabia. The other important resident who`s place of birth was Hythe, was the inventor of the Hovercraft, Sir Christopher Cockerell.
Things To See And Do In Hythe
- Take a memorable journey on the world`s oldest pier train. Work began on historic Hythe Pier in October 1879. This 19th Century iron made Pier is measured at 2,100 feet long (640 metres) and is considered to be one of the top ten longest Piers in Great Britain. In 1881 the Pier was subject to a grand opening with much pomp and ceremony. In 1909 the first tracks were put down to accommodate hand propelled trolleys which transported goods and luggage. It wasn`t until a few years later in 1922 that a new narrow gauge electric railway was introduced to take passengers on pleasure trips to the very end of the Pier.
- A trip on the popular Hythe ferry can still be counted on as one of the best ways to see the huge cruise ships that come to berth in Southampton Harbour. It is a great opportunity to get up close to these massive ocean going liners and when in port you are likely to see the likes of Queen Victoria and Queen Mary along with Aurora, Oriana and Arcadia, plus other maritime vessels of the P&O fleet.
- Barry`s Sanctuary can be a nice little break from the nautical side of things in Hythe. It is also known to the locals as Frost Lane Farm, though in fact it isn`t actually a farm as such. Here you can find donkeys, geese, pot bellied pigs and chickens, so it can be a good place to take young kids.
- Hythe can be great for bird watching and a good place to spot them is from Shore Road just off the Promenade.
History Of Hythe
The first known mention of Hythe became apparent in 1293. It derives it`s name from an Anglo-Saxon meaning; “landing place” and highlights how Hythe was the first place on the western reaches of Southampton Water where boats could be safely put ashore. Known locally as “Hythe Hard” a natural gravel bank becomes exposed at low tide and this was the place the first ferry boats began to operate. Times were tough back then and the boats used to be physically rowed by powerful men called “Wherrymen” and depending on the tide and weather, the journey could take up to an hour to cross the water.
Regular ferry rides became notable when they were first mentioned on Hampshire maps dating back to 1575. The original name given at the time for these ferries was called Hytheferye. The local inhabitants of Hythe plied their trades with a mixture of agriculture, fishing and ferrying. They lived around a tidal lagoon which bore a very narrow entrance which only small boats could pass through to moor up in the sheltered waterways. Over a period of time the lagoon became full of silt and is now known today as the Marsh. The high street of Hythe was actually built upon the bank between Southampton Water and the original lagoon.
It was during the Middle Ages that the size of the boats visiting Southampton began to get much bigger. So much bigger in fact that they could not offload their cargos onto the quays. They subsequently anchored in the middle of the river and it was the local boatmen of Hythe who then acted as Lightermen to transfer whatever goods the ships were carrying to the quay on the shore.
As a maritime village Hythe continued to thrive and it was in the late 1750`s that the local shipyard really began to prosper. Located at what is now known as Shore Road on the southern end of the village, the shipyard had good access to Southampton Water and possessed not only a dry dock but numerous slipways. It went through a period of several ownerships until 1927 when it was bought by Hubert Scott-Paine. It was his vision that sought a major overhall of the shipyard, thus it was turned into a new business venture which began to see the design and building of revolutionary power boats. He founded the British Power Boat Company and at first his preferred market was the private sector. However, it didn`t take long for the armed services to take a keen interest in his designs and with that the business flourished with numerous lucrative contracts.
During World War 2 Hythe was home to the “Little Ships” of the Royal Navy, the Motor Torpedo Boats and the RAF Air/Sea Rescue Boats. The shipyard was very busy during this period as demand was high to keep the military supplied with new boats. It was after the war that things started to unfortunately decline. Obviously the Royal Navy didn`t have the need for the small gun ships anymore and at that time there was no civilian market either. It was to bring an end over 200 years of ship building in Hythe but the village is still very proud to have had this association with shipping trade and boat design. Hythe can also be very proud of it`s remarkable contribution to Great Britain`s maritime history.