Totton and Eling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Totton and Eling |
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.jpg) Eling Creek, next to the tide mill |
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 Totton and Eling
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| Population | 28,300 [1] 28,970 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SU362131 |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | SO40 |
| Dialling code | 023 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Totton and Eling is a town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has about 28,100 people living there. The town of Totton is located between the eastern part of the New Forest and the River Test. It's close to the city of Southampton but not part of it. Totton is within the New Forest area. Nearby places include Ashurst, Marchwood, Cadnam, and Ower.
Contents
Discovering Totton and Eling
Totton used to be known as the largest village in England. It officially became a town in 1974. Many people think of Totton as several smaller villages that have grown together. These include Testwood, Calmore, and Hammonds Green. New houses have connected these areas to form the town we see today.
You can still find local shops in different parts of town. These shops used to serve their own villages. Until 1967, New Forest ponies could wander freely through the streets. The town has grown a lot since the 1900s. Now, it almost joins up with nearby villages like Ower, Netley Marsh, and Ashurst.
The main roads out of Totton are Commercial Road and the A35 causeway. The areas near the River Test, behind Calmore Industrial Estate, have been improved. They now have lakes for fishing and are a source of water. You can also visit the Testwood Lakes Centre. From there, you can walk along the Test Way, a path that goes all the way to Inkpen Beacon in Berkshire.
You can reach Eling by crossing the railway line. This line separates the old village of Totton from Eling and Hounsdown. There are paths from Totton to the A35 Bypass road at Eling recreation ground. This area is next to Bartley Water. The name Eling sounds just like Ealing, a town in London.
Totton and Eling's Past
Early Settlements and Ancient Finds
People have lived in the Totton area for a very long time. An Iron Age Hillfort at Tatchbury Mount shows early settlements. Netley Marsh, on the edge of Totton, was the site of an old battle. This battle was between Anglo Saxon invaders and Romano-Celtic people. When Testwood Lakes was built, many old items were found. These included one of England's oldest known bridges, thought to be from around 1,500 BC.
Totton also appears on an old map from 1665. This map was part of Joan Blaeu's Atlas Major. The area's history is closely linked to building ships and boats. It's also connected to the timber trade. In the past, a lot of illegal timber from the New Forest was traded here.
Eling's Historic Attractions
Eling has some interesting places to visit. These include the local church and the Eling Tide Mill Experience. St Mary's is a Norman church built on older Saxon foundations. Its records go back to 1537. The Eling Tide Mill is one of the few working tide mills left in the UK. It uses the power of the tides to grind grain.
Hampshire's only remaining medieval toll bridge is also here. It crosses Bartley Water next to the Tide Mill. This bridge has been used since at least 1418 and still charges a small fee today. The Eling Tide Mill Experience was closed for a while to be updated. It reopened on April 9, 2018.
How Totton Grew Over Time
The original village of Totton included the areas of Totton, Testwood, and Salmon Leap. These areas were divided by the A36 and the A336 roads. They were bordered by the River Test. Over time, many new housing areas were built to make the town bigger.
The Calmore estate was built in the early 1970s to the north. Later housing joined it to the rest of the town. More houses were also built in the Hounsdown area during the 1970s. This included a new school. In the late 1980s and 1990s, even more houses were built to the west. This area is called West Totton. It has a new community area, a church, and many new homes.
Getting Around Totton and Eling
Totton and Eling has its own train station, Totton railway station. It's on the South West Main Line. You can take trains to Southampton, London Waterloo, Bournemouth, and Poole. South Western Railway runs these services.
Two main companies run bus services in the town. Bluestar buses go to Southampton, Cadnam, Hythe, Dibden, and around Totton. Salisbury Reds also runs buses between Salisbury and Southampton.
The town has easy access to major roads. The nearby M27 motorway helps you travel further. The A36 Salisbury Road goes to Salisbury. The A35 connects to Lyndhurst and Southampton. The A326 leads to the Waterside region.
Totton also has many cycle routes. The first one was built through West Totton when the houses were new. It runs from Hounsdown to Calmore Road. Now, there are also on-road routes to the town centre. You can also connect to the New Forest cycle network at Ashurst and Foxhills.
Sports in Totton and Eling
Totton and Eling has a very successful cricket team. It used to be called B.A.T. Sports. This team won the Southern Premier Cricket League four times between 2001 and 2006. In 2007, Totton and Eling C.C. won the North Gear National 2020 Champions title. They beat Ockbrook & Borrowash in a final shown live on TV.
Totton also has two local football teams. A.F.C. Totton plays at Testwood Stadium. Totton & Eling F.C. plays at Little Testwood Farm. In 2007, AFC Totton reached the final of the FA Vase. This gave them the chance to play at Wembley Stadium. The club moved to a new stadium in 2011. This new stadium has a stand and several training pitches.
The town is home to Totton Octopush Club. Octopush is a sport played underwater. The club trains at Totton Leisure Centre. In 2023, the Totton team finished 7th in Division 6 of the Nautilus Tournament.
Schools in Totton and Eling
There are two secondary schools and a sixth form college in the parish.
Testwood School
Testwood School is in the north of the town. It was built in the 1940s. In 2004, it became a Sports College. This meant new and better facilities, like a special sports pitch and a bigger sports hall. The school's logo shows a river, wood, and salmon. This represents the nearby River Test and the salmon leap. Testwood School also rents out its sports facilities after school hours. Many people in the community use the sports pitch. Most students at Testwood come from central Totton and Calmore.
Hounsdown School
Hounsdown School is a Specialist Science College. It was built in 1963 and opened in 1969. It's located in the Hounsdown area, south of the A35. This school has also grown recently. It now has a new sports hall and a History building. The Hounsdown logo is a curved triangle. Hounsdown also lets the community use its sports facilities, like the swimming pool. Many local groups use it. Students at Hounsdown come from Hounsdown village, Eling, South and West Totton, and Ashurst. The school also takes students from the New Forest area.
Totton College
Totton College is a sixth form college. It opened in 1955 as Totton Grammar School. It used to be a selective school. When grammar schools were changed, it became a college for 16 to 19-year-olds. This is called FE college.
Forest Park School
Totton has a special school called Forest Park School. It helps children with special educational needs. It opened in September 2009. The school has two sites. The primary school site is on Lydlynch Road. The secondary school site is on Commercial Road. The primary site helps children with different learning difficulties. The secondary site helps children with more significant learning difficulties.
Places of Worship
The town has several churches. The biggest and oldest is St. Mary the Virgin church in Eling. Other Anglican churches in Totton include St. Anne's in Calmore, St. Matthew's in Netley Marsh, and St. Winfrid's in Testwood. These churches work together as the Team Parish of Totton. They are part of the Diocese of Winchester.
There is also Testwood Baptist Church and Trinity Church in West Totton. Trinity Church is a mix of Methodist and United Reformed Church. Near the town centre, you can find St Theresa's of the Child Jesus, which is a Roman Catholic Church.
St. Mary the Virgin Church
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St Mary the Virgin is the oldest church in the Totton area. During some work on the church a few years ago, part of a Celtic cross was found. This cross might be from the 6th or 9th century. This shows that people have worshipped at St Mary's for a very long time. The church building itself has parts that date back to Saxon times.
Today, the church stands on a hill. It looks out over the bay towards the container port in Southampton. The inside of the church is modern and bright. It still has traditional stone, including an old Saxon arch.
St Mary the Virgin Church is part of the Anglican team ministry for Totton and Eling. This area has about 38,000 people. St Mary's was historically the main church for the area. Now, it is one of four churches in the team. The others are in Calmore, Netley Marsh, and Testwood.
