Weston, Southampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Weston |
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Hampton, Havre, Oslo, Copenhagen and Rotterdam Towers (looking left to right) |
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 Weston
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | SO19 |
| Dialling code | 023 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Weston is a small area in the south-eastern part of Southampton, UK. It was mostly built on land that used to be the Weston Grove Estate, owned by the Chamberlayne family. Weston also includes parts of what were once the Barnfield and Mayfield Estates. It is surrounded by Woolston, Sholing, Netley, and Southampton Water.
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Weston's Early Days
Weston started as a small village where people fished. We know about it from records going back to the late 900s.
A person named John de Weston was a Burgess (a type of town official) in Southampton in 1332. In the 1600s and 1700s, there were sometimes arguments about who had the right to fish in certain areas.
The Seaweed Hut, which used to be on Weston Shore, shows up on maps from the 1600s. Fishermen used it to keep their tools and equipment safe.
The Chamberlayne Family and Their Estates
In 1424, a woman named Alice Chamberlayne inherited land near the River Itchen. Over time, parts of this land stayed with the Chamberlayne family. In 1781, William Chamberlayne received the Weston Park Estate.
His son, William Chamberlayne, later became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Southampton. In 1802, he built a large house called Weston Grove House. This house became the center of the Weston Grove estate.
Later, in 1831, Thomas Chamberlayne inherited the estate. A part of the land was sold in 1854 to create the Mayfield estate. Another area, the Barnfield estate, was located between Weston Grove House and the Mayfield estate.
Denzil Chamberlayne, Thomas's oldest son, was a soldier who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. He passed away in 1873.
In 1876, Tankerville Chamberlayne inherited the estate. He also became an MP for Southampton. He died in 1924, and his daughter, Penelope, inherited the estate.
Weston During World War I
During World War I, many large houses in Southampton were used as hospitals for wounded soldiers. Barnfield House and Mayfield House were two of these. They were helpful because they were close to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital in Netley.
The Royal Navy also had a big site near the waterfront in Weston. It was built in 1917 and was originally a factory. This factory made brass strips for shell cases. After the war, it became a Royal Navy storage depot and closed in 1987.
How Weston Grew and Changed
Weston officially became part of Southampton in 1920. After this, it started to grow into a more city-like area. Weston Lane was made wider for cars, which meant two old stone arches had to be taken down. These arches were built by William Chamberlayne (MP) so he could cross his estate easily. One arch was removed in 1948, and the other in the early 1960s.
In 1909, a law was passed that required Tankerville Chamberlayne to sell land to a railway company. The plan was to build a huge dry dock there. However, the dry dock was never built. Instead, the land was used to build the Rolling Mills factory. This factory blocked the view of Southampton Water from Weston Grove House, so the house was taken down in 1940. A telephone engineering center was later built on that site.
Most of Weston was built after World War II to provide new homes for people in Southampton. Many of the first new homes were "prefabs," which are buildings made in sections and put together quickly. Some of these prefabs are still standing today, but they have been updated.
Today, Weston mainly has many housing estates and tall Tower blocks. The tower blocks, like Hampton Towers and Oslo Towers, are a very noticeable sight when ships come into the port of Southampton.
Weston Shore: A Special Place
Weston borders Southampton Water with a shingle beach. You can still see some old beach shelters from the 1930s there, which have been repainted white. This is the only remaining natural shoreline in Southampton. It's a great spot to see Southampton's unusual double high-tide.
Many people gather at Weston Shore to watch large cruise ships sail into or out of Southampton port. It's also a popular place to watch air shows over Southampton Water.
During the build-up to D-day in World War II, this shoreline was closed to the public. It was filled with soldiers, equipment, and landing craft getting ready for the invasion.
A local group called the Friends of Weston Shore helps keep the beach clean by organizing litter picks.
Weston Sailing Club is located on Weston Shore. It started in 1952 and moved a few times before finding its current home in 1968, where it built a clubhouse.
Schools in Weston
The main secondary school for students in Weston is Weston Secondary School. Weston Park Junior School and Weston Park Infant School are now combined into Weston Park Primary School. Weston Shore Infant School is the only other school in the area.
Weston in Movies
The tall tower blocks in Weston were featured in a British science fiction movie from 2015 called Containment.
Images for kids
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Beach shelters at Weston Shore
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A pipe pier at Weston
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Weston tower blocks against clouds
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Fox Memorial in Mayfield Park
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A view of the Weston estate
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Bowling green in Mayfield Park
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Holy Trinity Church in Weston
