Eastleigh

Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire that sits between Winchester and Southampton. The town has a long history associated with the railway, being the site of a large railway works that at one time was the major employer in the area.

Understand
The Borough of Eastleigh contains the town of Eastleigh, and many small villages and hamlets, including Chandler's Ford to the north and Bishopstoke to the east.

Perhaps the best-known piece of history associated with Eastleigh is that it is the home of the Spitfire (a famous World War II fighter plane). The aircraft was built, designed and first flown from what is now Southampton Airport. During its military service, Southampton Airport was known as HMS Raven, before it was renamed to Eastleigh Airport in 1947. The name was changed again to its current name in 1994 to mark the opening of the new terminal constructed there the year before.

The town also boasts a link to one of the UK's best known comics, Benny Hill. Indeed it was his work as a milkman in the town that spawned his well known "Ernie - the fastest milkman in the west" tune. The cartoon character 'Jane' and musician Heinz Burt are also connected with the borough. Since the Pirelli Cable Works closed down in 1990, Eastleigh became a dormitory town, meaning that it has become home to many people who live there, but work somewhere else.

In 2006, Eastleigh was named as the ninth best place to live in the UK by the Channel 4 television programme The Best and Worst Places to Live 2006. The abundance of jobs and excellent transport links (motorways, trains, buses and planes) were named as some of the primary reasons for this award. Nearby Winchester was named the best place to live in the UK by the same programme.

Bishopstoke is just one of the many small villages and hamlets inside the borough. It has a history which stretches back to Saxon times. It is featured in Domesday Book and has long links with Winchester Cathedral and its bishops. King John signed charters here during his visits in 1205 and 1207. William Gilbert, the novelist father of W.S. Gilbert, is stated to have been born here in 1804. During the reign of Queen Victoria, Dean Garnier's garden is said to have rivalled that at Chiswick. In the early 1940s, part of the village had its milk delivered by Benny Hill, who became a popular comedian after the war.

Chandler's Ford has a long history associated with the railways, being the site of a large railway works that at one time was the major employer in the area. The population of Chandler's Ford is now over 20,000 and still growing. It contains the headquarters of B&Q and Draper Tools &mdash; both companies selling DIY equipment. The town has the same ways to travel as Eastleigh, see the "Get around" section below for more details.

The town's name
Eastleigh can be seen in the Domesday Book of 1066 as 'Estleie' &mdash; which translates as "East of the Leigh (meadow)" from Old Saxon, however this isn't the earliest record of the town as there was a Saxon town known as 'East Leah' in 932. This name was chosen because up until the Victorian era, the town was two large farms - known as the Great Eastley Farm and Little Eastley Farm. In 1868, a local author called was asked to name the town either Eastley or Barton  - the two hamlets in the area that is now Central Eastleigh. She chose Eastley, however decided it should be spelt Eastleigh to make it sound more modern. A statue of her is located at the train station, and a local college was named Barton Peveril in 1904, possibly in reference to the other name she could have chosen.

Railway heritage
The town was made up of two farms up until Victorian times, when the railway was built. The station was built to create a direct line from London to Plymouth. After the station was constructed, most of the people in the area worked for the railway, so they needed somewhere to live. As more and more people worked at the station, more houses were built until the town turned into what it is today &mdash; a large town with villages and hamlets of its own.

Areas of Eastleigh
These are borders which show
 * - Eastleigh Town Centre - where the main shops in the town of Eastleigh are located
 * - Eastleigh - the main town of the borough of Eastleigh
 * - The Borough of Eastleigh - this area contains the town of Eastleigh and the surrounding towns managed by the same council. This is what this article covers.

Local information

 * Eastleigh Borough Council website

By train

 * Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain

Eastleigh has good national rail links; the three stations serving the area are all on the South Western Main Line from London to Weymouth.

By plane
Year-round services from many airports across the British Isles to, and a handful of continental cities and resorts. Travelling to Eastleigh town centre from Southampton Airport is simple, travel up the A335 until you get to Leigh Road, then turn left.

By car
Eastleigh is north of Southampton City Centre. To travel from Southampton to Eastleigh, simply follow the A335 for Eastleigh or A33 for Chandler's Ford. Another option is to take the M271 from Westquay Shopping Centre until Junction 1, then take the M27 to Junction 5.

Eastleigh is near the end point of the M3 connecting the South Coast and M27 with Winchester ( away) and the rest of the country's motorway network. London is away via the M3, while Birmingham is  via the M40, A34 and M3. Use junction 13 for Eastleigh and Chandler's Ford towns, but junction 11 for Marwell Zoo. If travelling from Portsmouth away, use the M27 and come off at junction 5.

Twenty-eight electric vehicle charging points have been installed across the town &mdash; these are part of a three-year trial ending in April 2024 set up by the government. A map of these charge points can be found here.

There are many car parks in Eastleigh, their locations and prices can be found here.

By foot
Eastleigh town centre is very small and can easily be travelled on foot; a complete loop is just less than. Eastleigh does have a large residential sprawl adjoined in the north and west known as Boyatt Wood. There are regular buses and the quickest route from the town centre to the opposite end of Boyatt Wood is just one mile long.

Bishopstoke is a one mile walk along Bishopstoke Road or a short taxi ride. Alternatively you can catch a bus from the bus station in the town centre to "The Mill" stop located at the centre of the village close to Riverside and the River Itchen.

By bike
Bike hire is available at A cycle route map can be found here.

By bus
Regular bus services to Southampton, Romsey, Winchester and areas in the surrounding borough. National Express coaches run services through the town centre. Most of Eastleigh's buses are run by Bluestar, however Xelabus also offer regular bus services. Coliseum run coach trips from.

See






Further out

 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.
 * Watch football at, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground at (capacity 5200, half seated) is a mile south of town centre, use Southampton Airport Parkway railway station.

Eat
The majority of places to eat are in the places mentioned in the 'Buy' section above, but here are nine that aren't:

Connect
As of May 2021, Eastleigh has 4G with all UK carriers. 5G has reached Bishopstoke and Chandler's Ford, but not Eastleigh Town Centre. A 5G mast has been constructed in the middle of the residential area of the town, however you cannot get 5G signal anywhere in Eastleigh.

Eastleigh's area code for landline numbers is 023 when dialled from within the UK or +44 23 from outside the UK. Calls made from landlines within the 023 area (which covers most of South Hampshire, including Southampton and Portsmouth) do not require the area code to connect. However, most Southampton phone numbers start "023 80..." leading many to incorrectly assume that "02380" is the local area code.

Go next

 * Southampton a few miles south has several cinemas and theatres.
 * Spend a day in Winchester, exploring the cathedral and visiting the Science Centre.
 * Romsey is a great place for children - with such attractions as Romsey Rapids and Paultons Park.
 * Bursledon has a marina and a large windmill, as well as Manor Farm.
 * Netley Abbey and Royal Victoria Country Park are in Netley.
 * Hamble-le-Rice was an aircraft training centre in the Second World War.
 * The New Forest contains many attractions such as the Beaulieu Motor Museum and Exbury Gardens.
 * London can always easily be reached by train or via the M3.