Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England.
It has a small shopping area clustered around its High Street which includes a Waitrose supermarket, a public library, several charity shops, and a number of small independent shops. A ferry service across Southampton Water to Southampton operates at half-hourly intervals throughout the day. The train that conveys passengers to the ferry is the oldest working pier train in the world. Hythe's position makes it one of the best vantage points for viewing liners arriving at the port of Southampton, which attracts many ship-watchers to the town. Hythe also has a marina of relatively recent foundation, at which a large number of expensive yachts and boats are moored. A number of large and expensive houses are situated around the marina, overlooking the waterside. These developments have conferred upon Hythe a reputation for affluence, though the town as a whole is scarcely notable in this respect. The first recorded reference to Hythe dates from 1293, though the village was almost certainly established long before this date. Its waterside location and proximity to Southampton facilitated trade, shipbuilding, and other maritime activities, which along with agriculture formed the basis of the village's economy. Until 1913, Hythe was part of the parish of Fawley. It is now part of the parish of Hythe and Dibden. In 1998 the population of Hythe was estimated at 20,000. Hythe is twinned with Mauves-sur-Loire, France. Sir Christopher Cockerell, the inventor of the hovercraft, lived and died in Hythe.
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