International Student Guide to Hampshire by Visit Hampshire

www.visit-hampshire.co.uk

The New Forest

Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

WELCOME TO HAMPSHIRE Hampshire extends a warm welcome to students from overseas. On the south coast of England, with excellent transport links to London, Bath, Oxford and Brighton, Hampshire is one of the best places to study in the UK. © Hampshire County Council 2014. Thank you to Southampton Solent University for their research assistance. Visit England Images – pages 2, 9, 10, 11, 19. Visit Britain Images – pages 2, 3, 7, 12, 18, 19.

Beach huts at Calshot near Southampton

Front cover images: Sound II by Anthony Gormley in Winchester Cathedral © Joe Low, SeaCity Museum in Southampton, HMS Victory in Portsmouth

Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport

Portchester Castle

Hampshire’s universities in the cities of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth offer top class learning, a safe environment and an exciting life outside of your studies. Here you’ll find museums, galleries, cinemas, shops, restaurants and music venues right on your doorstep, along with beautiful outdoor spaces. In Hampshire’s stunning countryside you can explore pretty English villages, with friendly pubs, thatched cottages and red telephone boxes. Close by you’ll find miles of lovely coastline, with beaches, nature reserves and attractive seaside towns. Associated with writers Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and historical figures such as King Alfred and Henry VIII, Hampshire is packed with heritage sites and attractions. From Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and the spectacular Spinnaker Tower to Winchester Cathedral, you’ll find plenty to see and do to complement your studies and enjoy the best of English culture.

www.visit-hampshire.co.uk 03

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE TO HAMPSHIRE

HAMPSHIRE’S HALL OF FAME Did you know the James Bond film Skyfall was filmed in Hampshire? From Les Misérables in Portsmouth and The Da Vinci Code in Winchester to the TV series Downton Abbey at Highclere Castle, Hampshire has been the location for many famous productions. You’ll have fun finding out about Hampshire’s famous faces. You can visit Henry VIII’s castle at Southsea or his Tudor battleship the Mary Rose. See Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory at Portsmouth, King Arthur’s legendary Round Table in Winchester or find literary inspiration at author Jane Austen’s former Chawton home. With links to Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale and many other historic names, Hampshire has a lot to discover.

1. Scene from Les Misérables, filmed in Portsmouth 2. Highclere Castle, film set for Downton Abbey 3. Jane Austen’s House Museum, East Hampshire 4. The Round Table, Winchester

Hamo Thornycroft’s statue of King Alfred © VisitBritain/Daniel Bosworth

Anthony Gormley Sound II figure in Winchester Cathedral © Joe Low

The Buttercross and High Street

Winchester Cathedral

WINCHESTER Winchester is the ancient capital of England and is a beautiful, compact medieval city with many restaurants, shops, historic sites and attractions. Easy to explore by foot, you’ll find plenty of things to enjoy outside of your studies, from street theatre and the bustling market to Winchester Cathedral, the City Mill, City Museum, Winchester Discovery Centre and the Great Hall.

The Great Hall

Winchester’s many bars, restaurants and traditional English pubs make eating out a pleasure and the pretty riverside walks and lovely countryside of the South Downs National Park are just waiting to be explored. You can also climb St Catherine’s Hill for stunning views of the city. 05

Tudor House Museum and Garden

Southampton Boat Show

Town Walls © Joe Low

Southampton Bustling Southampton is home to 30,000 students, including many from all over the world. It’s a safe, lively and friendly city with many pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and bars and a thriving music scene. With its city-centre parks, vast West Quay shopping centre and historic attractions such as the Old Town walls, SeaCity Museum, City Art Gallery and Tudor House Museum, there’s a lot to keep you busy. Southampton’s airport, ferry services to the Isle of Wight and good train and bus links to London, Oxford, Brighton and Winchester make it a perfect base for exploring Hampshire and beyond. 06

SeaCity Museum

1. Spinnaker Tower 2. HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 3. Big gun at Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson 4. Al fresco dining at Gunwharf Quays

Portsmouth Surrounded by the sea, Portsmouth is a great place to be a student. Everything’s close by, including beaches, parks, bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, shops, sports centres and historic attractions. The city is flat – perfect for cycling – and there are interesting walks through the old town and along the sea. By night, Portsmouth comes alive with music events, restaurants, clubs and shows and bustling Gunwharf Quays, with its waterside shops and attractions, will keep you entertained. Nearby Southsea has a more Bohemian, relaxed vibe with plenty of independent cafés, restaurants and shops. With Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Southsea Castle, the Spinnaker Tower, Fort Nelson, Portchester Castle and many other fascinating sites to explore, you’ll never be bored.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Petersfield

Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth

Alresford, near Winchester

SHOPPING Hampshire offers excellent shopping in Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke and Portsmouth, where you’ll find a great choice of brand names as well as independent specialist shops. Many stores cater especially for students and young people, accepting student discount cards and offering prices to suit all budgets. WestQuay shopping centre in Southampton has over 100 stylish stores while Portsmouth has a busy high street and lively Gunwharf Quays, where you’ll find designer outlets with lower prices.

The Bargate, Southampton © University of Southampton

Winchester city centre is also a great place for shopping, with its prestigious high street stores and enticing range of independent shops, while Basingstoke’s Festival Place is well worth a visit.

WestQuay, Southampton © Joe Low

The Mayfly Pub, Stockbridge

1. Local farmers’ market 2. Picnic at Netley Abbey 3. Wykeham Arms, Winchester 4. Traditional cream tea 5. Enjoying a pint with friends

Food & DRINK You’ll find food from all around the world in Hampshire, including Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Indian, Nepalese, African, Mexican, Italian, French and Greek cuisine, with vegetarian options and prices to suit all budgets. As well as fine dining, international and celebrity chef restaurants, there’s plenty of local food to discover too. Try our fresh cheeses, meats and chutneys at Hampshire’s many farmers’ markets, and don’t miss traditional home cooked meals in our cosy pubs where you can often enjoy live music. Experience a cream tea in a country tea room or fish and chips by the seaside for a typical taste of England. 09

British Touring Car Championship, Thruxton

Local cricket match

Hayling Island

Sport If you love football, experience the excitement of live matches with the fans at St Mary’s stadium in Southampton or Fratton Park in Portsmouth. Hampshire is also home to a famous cricket team, so don’t miss watching this typical English game played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton or on village greens in the countryside. Thruxton Motorsport Centre near Andover offers the thrill of fast-action motor racing while on the water there are sailing events to enjoy, such as Cowes Week and global yacht races. Hampshire’s universities also have a full programme of sporting events and fixtures throughout the year, with excellent facilities. 10

The Ageas Bowl near Southampton

Whatever you enjoy, from theatre, live music, arts, cinema or comedy, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Hampshire. Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth offer a thriving music scene, with events organised by the Students’ Union as well as many performances in local clubs and pubs. Venues such as The Joiners or The Cellar in Southampton or Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth make for a fun night out. Portsmouth Guildhall, Southampton Guildhall and the Turner Sims Concert Hall stage music for all tastes, from classical and jazz to rock and pop.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE TO HAMPSHIRE

ENTERTAINMENT

The Winchester Discovery Centre

Lovers of dance, musicals and theatre can enjoy fantastic productions at Hampshire’s top venues, including Southampton’s Mayflower who feature musicals from London’s West End, Portsmouth’s King’s Theatre and Winchester’s Theatre Royal.

1. The Anvil, Basingstoke 2. Live outdoor music 3. The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE TO HAMPSHIRE

COUNTRYSIDE Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find miles of idyllic countryside in Hampshire, from the New Forest National Park in the west, with its famous New Forest ponies and Highland cattle, to the South Downs National Park in the east and North Wessex Downs in the north.

Hampshire offers the best of beautiful English scenery, including rolling hills, ancient woodland, tranquil water meadows and meandering rivers, perfect for exploring by foot or bike. In the picturesque rural villages youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find thatched cottages, rose-filled gardens and village greens. Country tea rooms sell tempting homemade cakes, while traditional pubs offer welcoming log fires, delicious food and a typical English atmosphere.

1. Thatched cottage, Test Valley 2. Staunton Country Park 3. Segways at Go Ape, New Forest 4. Bluebell Wood

The New Forest National Park

Queen Eleanor’s Garden, Winchester

Exbury Gardens, New Forest

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Test Valley

PARKS AND GARDENS You’ll love the parks and gardens in Hampshire, where you can relax with friends, kick a football around or enjoy a quiet time away from your studies. You’re never far from a park or open space, even in the city centres. Southampton has its tree-lined common and flower-filled parks for walking, cycling or relaxing, while Winchester has lovely water meadows and riverside paths. Don’t miss the free weekend park runs organised by enthusiastic volunteers! In Portsmouth you can unwind on Southsea Common, while just a little further away there are vast open spaces such as Queen Elizabeth Country Park and the New Forest or historic houses and gardens such as Exbury and Mottisfont Abbey. 13

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE TO HAMPSHIRE 1

COASTLINE

Whether you want to relax or explore, there’s a lot to enjoy around Hampshire’s coastline. You can swim on the beach at Hayling Island or visit ancient fortifications at Fort Nelson, Hurst Castle or Portchester Castle. Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve is ideal for walking and bird-watching while several country parks, such as Royal Victoria Country Park at Netley, offer stunning views of the coast. See the Solent from the top of the Spinnaker Tower, watch the sailing boats at Lymington, go for a boat ride at Keyhaven or try watersports at Calshot Activities Centre for a fantastic day out. The sandy beaches at Bournemouth are a short train ride away.

1. Windsurfing off Hayling Island 2. Buckler’s Hard, New Forest 3. Kayaking with New Forest Activities 4. Lymington Harbour

New Forest and Hampshire County Show

EVENTS

The Battle of Cheriton re-enactment, near Winchester

University Students’ Unions provide exciting year-round activities but Hampshire’s annual events calendar also offers fantastic opportunities to find out more about English life. At the annual New Forest Show you can try country pursuits while the Farnborough International Air Show and Southampton Boat Show make for a fascinating day out. Enjoy arts and street theatre at the Winchester Hat Fair or live music at Portsmouth Bandstand and Southampton’s So:Fest event.

Winchester Ice Rink

Watch big name bands at the Isle of Wight Festival and take part in the Great South Run in Portsmouth. For some festive magic, don’t miss the Christmas markets, with their fairy lights and ice skating. 15

MAP OF HAMPSHIRE

H A M P S H I R E W I LTS H I RE

WEST SUSSEX

Southampton International Horton Heath

DORSET

I S L E O F W I GH GHT

Alton ERCR WAT LINE ESS

SWANAGE

Map kindly supplied by South West Trains which provides a regular train service from Dorset and Hampshire to London. www.southwesttrains.co.uk 17

TRANSPORT Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to get around in Hampshire. There are frequent bus and train services in Southampton, Winchester and Portsmouth and several bus companies offer student discounts. A wide choice of taxis will get you safely home at night and you can hire bikes for exploring the city and beyond. Ferry from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight

Why not combine cycling in the New Forest with a trip on the New Forest Tour bus? You can even hire a Twizy, an electric two seater car! Boat trips from Lymington, Southampton or Portsmouth provide spectacular views of the Hampshire coastline. A journey planner is available at www.myjourneyhampshire.com

Twizy electric hire car, New Forest

1. Brighton 2. London 3. Oxford 4. Bath 5. London

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE TO HAMPSHIRE

ExplorE FURTHER Don’t miss the chance to visit some wonderful places in the UK, from Georgian Bath and lively Brighton to the historic colleges of Oxford, the sandy beaches of Bournemouth or the attractions of London. With its good travel links and central location, Hampshire is the ideal base for exploring England. If you want to travel further afield, such as to Manchester, York or Edinburgh, there are direct trains from Southampton and Winchester. Stonehenge, Wiltshire Back cover images: Entrance to the Great Hall, Winchester Jane Austen’s House Museum, East Hampshire Swan Green, New Forest

Coach companies offer competitive prices for trips to London and other destinations and Southampton’s airport has routes to many exciting cities such as Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona. 19