Eastleigh

Eastleigh district sits in Hampshire in the South East, north-east of Southampton and south of Winchester. The borough grew up around the London and South Western Railway works; a large maintenance depot remains on the main line into Southampton and still handles passenger and freight rolling stock. The River Itchen runs through Bishopstoke and the town of Eastleigh, its clear water supporting trout and a network of towpaths from the former Itchen Navigation. Town centres such as Chandler’s Ford, Hedge End and Fair Oak form a mix of residential and commercial areas with local high streets and industrial estates focused on light engineering and logistics.

Maritime activity is concentrated around Hamble-le-Rice on the River Hamble, where boatyards and marinas serve a long-established sailing community. Green spaces include Itchen Valley Country Park and several riverside walks that link villages across the borough. Eastleigh’s history as a transport hub — rail maintenance and river access — shapes both land use and local employment, with small-scale manufacturing and service industries clustered close to the railway and major road junctions.