Shirley, Southampton

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Coordinates: 50°55′18″N 1°25′56″W / 50.9218°N 1.4323°W / 50.9218; -1.4323
Shirley

The drinking fountain in Shirley's shopping precinct
Shirley

 Shirley shown within Southampton
Unitary authority Southampton
Ceremonial county Hampshire
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SOUTHAMPTON
Postcode district SO15
Dialling code 023
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Southampton Test
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire

Shirley is a district on the Western side of Southampton, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the west of the city. Housing is a mixture of council houses in the centre of the district surrounded by private housing, with larger suburban houses concentrated in Upper Shirley. Shirley is separated from Highfield by Southampton Common, a large green park-like area which sees many dog-walkers and joggers.

It is part of the Southampton Test constituency, with Alan Whitehead as Member of Parliament.

History

The place-name Shirley means 'bright glade', from the Old English scir (bright) and leah (cleared land in a wood).[1] Local belief today suggests it was meant as a ' bright clearing in the woods', and later referenced to 'a place of hope' for those who settled there.

Shirley is recorded as a manor with a mill in the Domesday book, 1086. Shirley Mill originally stood to the east of the present Romsey Road / Winchester Road junction, at the confluence of the Hollybrook and Tanner's Brook streams. Shirley Mill had three large ponds, to the north of Winchester Road. Only one of those three mill ponds remains today, accessible by following the Lordswood Greenway. In the nineteenth century an iron works was built, which was converted into a brewery in 1880 and subsequently into a laundry at the beginning of the 20th Century. The laundry was owned by Royal Mail and used to service the mail ships visiting Southampton.

The outflow from the mill was crossed by a ford on the Romsey Road. The stream is presently culverted under the major traffic junction which presently stands there, and continues to the Test to the east of modern Tebourba Way, open in parts and culverted in others.

The district grew rapidly in the 1830s following the enclosure of Shirley Common (not to be confused with Southampton Common) in 1829. The parish church was built in 1836. The Shirley Local board of health was established in 1853. It merged with Freemantle in 1880. Shirley and Freemantle Urban District Council was formed on 2 January 1895 but was abolished on 8 November 1895 when the district became a suburb of Southampton.[2][3][4]

In 1887 a drinking fountain was constructed to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Originally in Shirley High Street, the fountain has now been incorporated into the shopping precinct. The fountain is Grade II listed.[5]

The council estate was built in the 1960s to replace relatively dense terraced housing.

Education

Shirley is home to several schools including Upper Shirley High School (formerly Bellemoor Boys School), Richard Taunton Sixth Form College (formerly Taunton's College) and the 450-year-old King Edward VI School. The area is also served by Regents Park Community College (formerly Regents park Girls School).

Shirley also has a mixture of both infant schools and junior schools for mixed abilities and genders.

Cemetery

The nearby Hollybrook Cemetery is notable for being the resting place of several famous individuals, including the 1966 World Cup winning footballer Alan Ball (1945-2007) and the comedian Benny Hill (1924-1992).

See also

References

  1. ↑ John Ayto, Ian Crofton (2005). Brewer's Britain & Ireland. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-35385-X. 
  2. ↑ Guilmant (ed), John (1997). Shirley from Domesday to D-Day. Southampton City Council. 
  3. ↑ Rance, Adrian (1986). Shirley 1836–1986. St James Church, Shirley. 
  4. ↑ Guilmant (ed), John (1983). Suburbs of Southampton III: Shirley. Local Studies Group, Southampton. 
  5. ↑ Southampton City Council: Listed buildings in Southampton Accessed 13 September 2007.

External links

Around Southampton

Areas and Suburbs of Southampton
Southampton Itchen
Southampton Test
Romsey and Southampton North
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