St. Denys, Southampton
Encyclopedia
St Denys is a district of Southampton
, England, approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of the city centre, opposite Bitterne Park
on the River Itchen
, to which it is linked by Cobden Bridge
. It is now bounded by the river, and by the railway
and A335 bypass, which divided part of the original parish from the remainder.
The area is named after the 12th century St. Denys Priory, which never particularly thrived and of which now there is extremely little remaining, aside from an archway of the original chapel and another archway now relocated in the city centre. The current church dates from 1868 and was designed by George Gilbert Scott
.
St Denys originally consisted of little but farmland, but its housing was heavily developed from the mid 19th century onwards, and is now populated with a wide mix of younger working families, older residents and students.
Key and interesting features of St Denys include:
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, England, approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of the city centre, opposite Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England, on the Eastern bank of the River Itchen, built on sloping parkland which once formed part of Bitterne Manor....
on the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
, to which it is linked by Cobden Bridge
Cobden Bridge
Cobden Bridge is a major road bridge in Southampton, UK. It crosses the River Itchen joining the suburbs of St Denys and Bitterne Park. It forms part of the A3035...
. It is now bounded by the river, and by the railway
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
and A335 bypass, which divided part of the original parish from the remainder.
The area is named after the 12th century St. Denys Priory, which never particularly thrived and of which now there is extremely little remaining, aside from an archway of the original chapel and another archway now relocated in the city centre. The current church dates from 1868 and was designed by George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
.
St Denys originally consisted of little but farmland, but its housing was heavily developed from the mid 19th century onwards, and is now populated with a wide mix of younger working families, older residents and students.
Key and interesting features of St Denys include:
- Evidence of a RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
river crossing to Clausentum on the east of the river, and other Roman archeology - Many homes from where Titanic victims and survivors originated
- A history of large laundriesLaundryLaundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
providing local employment, servicing Southampton's ocean linerOcean linerAn ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s - A large sewage works built on what were originally salt meadows
- Considerable war time bombing because of the area's proximity to the railway connecting London and Southampton Docks
- A small community of houseboatHouseboatA houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities...
s that are conversions from World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
motor torpedo boatMotor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s