Southampton Parish, Bermuda
Encyclopedia
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. It is named for Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
(1573-1624).
It is located in the southwest of the island chain, occupying all of the western part of the main island, except for the westernmost tip (which is part of Sandys Parish
Sandys Parish, Bermuda
Sandys Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Edwin Sandys , and hence there is no apostrophe in the name, which is pronounced "Sands"....
). It includes the chain's southernmost point, and its north coast comprises much of the coast of the Little Sound
Little Sound, Bermuda
The Little Sound in Bermuda is a small part of the Great Sound, the body of water that is almost entirely encircled by the Bermuda chain in the west of the territory. The Little Sound lies at the south of the Great Sound, and is separated from it by two peninsulas which extend into the sound from...
(an arm of the Great Sound
Great Sound, Bermuda
The Great Sound is a body of water shaped by the islands of Bermuda. It dominates the southwest of the island chain, and forms a natural harbour. It is surrounded on all sides by the islands, except for the northeast, where it is open to the Atlantic Ocean....
, the large expanse of water which dominates the geography of western Bermuda). in the east it is joined to Warwick Parish
Warwick Parish, Bermuda
Warwick Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick .It is located in the central south of the island chain, occupying part of the main island to the southeast of the Great Sound, the large expanse of water which dominates the geography of western...
. As with most of Bermuda's parishes, it covers just over 2.3 square miles (about 6.0 km² or 1500 acres).
Natural features in Southampton include Whale Bay, Church Bay
Church Bay, Bermuda
Church Bay is perhaps the most popular snorkelling beach in Bermuda. It is located in Church Bay Park off South Road in Southampton Parish on the main island. The reef is close to the shore and many colorful fish gather along it.-External links:...
, Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda
Horseshoe Bay is perhaps the most famous beach in Bermuda. A very popular tourist spot, it lies on the main island's south coast, in the parish of Southampton. The sand of the beach is very fine and displays a pink tint. The beach is equipped with one lifeguard station which is manned during the...
, and Riddell's Bay.
Other notable features of Southampton include the Whale Bay Fort, and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is the taller of two lighthouses on Bermuda, and the first of only a few lighthouses in the world to be made of cast-iron. This is because at that time, steel still was not able to be bent. The optic consists of a Fresnel lens from 1904 revolving on steel bearings. ...
, which stands on the chain's highest point.