List of Towns, Villages and Cities in Hampshire County

Hampshire is a ceremonial county in South East England, on the Solent and the English Channel. It covers 3,769 km2 (1,455 sq mi) and had 1,860,901 residents at the 2021 census. Winchester is the county town; Southampton is the largest settlement.

Hampshire County Council runs eleven districts. Southampton and Portsmouth have been separate unitary authorities since 1997. Both are cities, as is Winchester.

Towns and Villages in Hampshire

Hampshire holds 793 named towns, villages and hamlets on record, one of the largest totals of any English county. The list below gives 261 of them, grouped by authority and alphabetical within each group.

Hampshire County Council area (200 of 732 listed)

• Abbots Worthy
• Abbotts Ann
• Aldershot
• Alton
• Andover
• Anmore
• Anna Valley
• Appleshaw
• Ashurst
• Ball Hill
• Barton Stacey
• Barton on Sea
• Basingstoke
• Beaulieu
• Belbins
• Bentworth
• Bishops Waltham
• Bishopstoke
• Blackhill
• Boorley Green
• Bordon
• Botley
• Bramdean
• Bramley
• Bransbury
• Bransgore
• Brockenhurst
• Broughton
• Burghclere
• Buriton
• Burley
• Burridge
• Bursledon
• Cadnam
• Charlton
• Cheriton
• Chilbolton
• Chilworth
• Clanfield
• Colden Common
• Compton
• Cottonworth
• Cove
• Cowplain
• Crondall
• Curdridge
• Damerham
• Danebury
• Denmead
• Droxford
• Duck Street
• Dummer
• Durley
• East Dean
• East Meon
• East Stratton
• East Worldham
• Eastleigh
• Ellingham
• Emsworth
• Eversley
• Ewshot
• Fair Oak
• Fareham
• Farnborough
• Fleet
• Fordingbridge
• Forest Corner
• Four Marks
• Frogmore
• Furzey Lodge
• Godshill
• Goodworth Clatford
• Gosport
• Grateley
• Grayshott
• Greywell
• Hamble-le-Rice
• Hambledon
• Hannington
• Hardley
• Hartley Wintney
• Havant
• Headbourne Worthy
• Heckfield
• Hedge End
• Highcoems
• Hill Grove
• Hollington Cross
• Hook
• Houghton
• Hursley
• Hurstbourne Tarrant
• Hythe
• Inhurst
• Itchen Abbas
• Kilmeston
• Kings Worthy
• Kingsclere
• Kingsley
• Langstone
• Lee-on-the-Solent
• Liphook
• Liss
• Litchfield
• Locks Heath
• Long Sutton
• Longstock
• Lower Froyle
• Lymington
• Lyndhurst
• Malshanger
• Marchwood
• Martin
• Meonstoke
• Micheldever
• Michelmersh
• Middleton
• Milford on Sea
• Minstead
• Monk Sherborne
• Monxton
• Mottisfont
• Nether Wallop
• Netley
• Netley Marsh
• New Alresford
• New Milton
• Norleywood
• North Baddesley
• North Charford
• North Hayling
• North Waltham
• Northbrook
• Oakhanger
• Odiham
• Old Basing
• Old Ditcham
• Over Wallop
• Overton
• Owslebury
• Park Gate
• Penton Mewsey
• Petersfield
• Pilley
• Plaitford
• Pound Green
• Preston Candover
• Rake
• Ratlake
• Ringwood
• Rockbourne
• Romsey
• Ropley
• Rotherwick
• Saint Mary Bourne
• Sandleheath
• Selborne
• Shedfield
• Sherborne St John
• Silchester
• Soake
• Soberton
• Sopley
• South Hayling
• Southwick
• Sparsholt
• St Mary Bourne
• Steep
• Stockbridge
• Stoke Charity
• Stroud
• Sutton Scotney
• Swanmore
• Sway
• Tadley
• The Mint
• Tinkers Cross
• Titchfield
• Totton
• Turmer
• Upham
• Upper Froyle
• Upton Grey
• Vernham Dean
• Wallington
• Waltham Chase
• Waterlooville
• West End
• West End Green
• West Meon
• West Wellow
• Weston Patrick
• Weyhill
• Wherwell
• Wickham
• Winchester
• Winchfield
• Woodfalls
• Yateley

Portsmouth (26 of 26 listed)

• Baffins
• Buckland
• Copnor
• Cosham
• Drayton
• Eastney
• Farlington
• Fratton
• Highbury
• Hilsea
• Kingston
• Landport
• Milton
• North End
• Old Portsmouth
• Paulsgrove
• Portsea
• Portsmouth
• Somers Town
• Southsea
• St Francis Court
• Stamshaw
• Tipner
• Vicarage Row
• Widley
• Wymering

Southampton (35 of 35 listed)

• Aldermoor
• Bassett
• Bedford Place
• Bellevue
• Bevois Mount
• Bevois Valley
• Bitterne
• Chapel
• Coxford
• Crosshouse
• Freemantle
• Hightown
• Hill
• Itchen
• Kingsland Place
• Lord’s Hill
• Maybush
• Merry Oak
• Midanbury
• Newtown
• Nichols Town
• Northam
• Ocean Village
• Peartree Green
• Polygon
• Portswood
• Redbridge
• Shirley Warren
• South Stoneham
• Southampton
• St Denys
• St Mary’s
• Swaythling
• Upper Shirley
• Woolston

Geography

Hampshire borders Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, Dorset to the west and Wiltshire to the north-west. The Isle of Wight lies across the Solent to the south.

Chalk downland covers much of the county, running east into the South Downs and north-west to Pilot Hill, the highest point at 286 m. The chalk feeds the Test and the Itchen, two of the clearest chalk streams in the world, both flowing south into Southampton Water.

The New Forest fills the south-west: 566 km2 of heath, bog and ancient woodland, a national park since 2005. Commoners still graze ponies and cattle there under rights that predate the Norman conquest. To the east, Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour and Chichester Harbour cut deep into the coast. The Loddon and the Wey drain north to the Thames.

Demographics

The 2021 census counted 1,406,110 people across the eleven county districts, 247,672 in Southampton and 207,119 in Portsmouth. New Forest was the largest district at 176,217, followed by Basingstoke and Deane at 185,713 and Eastleigh at 136,963.

Two conurbations hold most of the population. South Hampshire runs along the coast from the New Forest through Southampton, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport and Havant to Portsmouth. In the north-east, Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet and Yateley form a second built-up area that continues into Surrey and Berkshire.

Portsmouth is one of the most densely populated cities in the United Kingdom, largely because it is built on Portsea Island. Between the two conurbations the county is rural, with market towns at Andover, Alton, Petersfield, Romsey, Ringwood and Winchester.

Economy and Local Life

The sea drives much of the economy. The Port of Southampton is the UK’s leading vehicle-handling port and its busiest cruise terminal, and handles a large share of container traffic. Portsmouth is home to HMNB Portsmouth, the Royal Navy’s principal base, and to the aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.

Aerospace and defence work concentrates in the north-east, around Farnborough’s airfield and business aviation hub and the army towns of Aldershot and Bordon. Basingstoke has a large office and distribution economy, and IBM has run a major site at Hursley since 1958.

Farming works the chalk for cereals and sheep, with watercress beds around Alresford. Tourism runs on the New Forest and on Winchester’s cathedral and Jane Austen associations. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard displays HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. Market days include Winchester on Wednesdays to Saturdays and Romsey on Saturdays.

History

The Romans made Winchester the tribal capital of the Belgae, as Venta Belgarum. Under Alfred the Great it became the chief city of Wessex and effectively the capital of England. The Domesday Book was compiled and kept there.

Southampton and Portsmouth grew as ports and naval bases from the twelfth century. The Mayflower and Speedwell left Southampton for America in 1620, and the Titanic sailed from berth 44 there in 1912.

In the twentieth century Supermarine at Woolston designed and built the Spitfire, which first flew from Eastleigh in 1936. In 1944 the county’s coast and the New Forest served as an assembly area for the D-Day landings; the fleet sailed from the Solent.

Getting There

The M3 runs from London to Winchester and Southampton, the M27 links Southampton, Fareham and Portsmouth along the coast, and the M271 and M275 are short spurs into the two cities. The A34 carries north-south freight from Southampton Docks to the Midlands; the A31, A303 and A272 serve the rural county.

The South Western Main Line from London Waterloo serves Basingstoke, Winchester, Eastleigh and Southampton Central. The Portsmouth Direct line runs via Petersfield to Portsmouth Harbour. The West Coastway line runs east to Chichester and Brighton.

Southampton Airport at Eastleigh has its own station and flies to UK and European destinations. Farnborough Airport handles business aviation. Ferries cross to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington, and to Spain and France from Portsmouth International Port.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Hampshire?

1,860,901 at the 2021 census: 1,406,110 in the county council area, 247,672 in Southampton and 207,119 in Portsmouth.

What is the largest town in Hampshire?

Southampton, with about 248,000 people, ahead of Portsmouth at about 207,000. Basingstoke is the largest town in the county council area.

How many villages are there in Hampshire?

Gazetteers record about 793 named towns, villages and hamlets across the ceremonial county.

Which councils cover Hampshire?

Hampshire County Council with eleven district councils, plus Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council as unitary authorities.

Is the Isle of Wight part of Hampshire?

No. The Isle of Wight has been a separate county since 1890 and is its own ceremonial county and unitary authority.

What are the postcodes for Hampshire?

SO covers Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey. PO covers Portsmouth, Havant and Fareham. GU covers Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet and Alton, RG covers Basingstoke, and SP covers Andover.