Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, situated between Winchester and Southampton. It overlooks the River Itchin and is twinned with the following towns and cities: Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (France), Kornwestheim (Germany), Temple Terrace (United States) and Kimry (Russia). It has a population of more than 125,900, the main language spoken is English, and the currency used is the British Pound.
Eastleigh was originally a railway town that made up of two small hamlets, Eastley and Barton which existed until 1838. In that year, a railway was built by the London and South-Western Railway Company from Southampton to Winchester, which connected to Barton via Bishopstoke station. In 1839, the railway continued to extend and the station was re-named Eastleigh and Bishopstoke. In 1923 the station was again renamed to Eastleigh, and the town was formed.
Whilst the majority of this town’s history is based around the creation of the railway. In 1852, Eastleigh was also home to Hampshire’s leading cheese market.
Popular Eastleigh attractions include the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway, where a miniature stream train runs every weekend. Itchen Valley Country Park is another top landmark and covers 440 acres of scenic water meadows and woodland. This prestigious park has received a prestigious Green Flag award for the past four years running, on account of its quality facilities and high standards
Eastleigh is a major contributor to the economic growth of the wider economy of Hampshire, and, in 2014, produced £3.5bn in goods and services. The total number of businesses in Eastleigh has increased by more than 1,000 since 2010. The distribution, food, transport and accommodation sector accounts for nearly 30 per cent of all firms and is the largest sector in Eastleigh.
Eastleigh is situated 1.7 miles away from Southampton Airport, a six minute drive, so is easily accessible by plane. Furthermore, Eastleigh has a large train station that runs through the town centre and the main bus serving Eastleigh is the 5A. The M3 goes through Eastleigh and connects to various other parts of the UK including Winchester and Southampton.
Complete your trip to Eastleigh with a stay in a SilverDoor apartment.
