Christchurch is a
borough and
town in the county of
Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins
Bournemouth in the west and the
New Forest lies to the east.
Historically within
Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the
reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in the county.
Founded in the 7th century at the confluence of the rivers
Avon and
Stour which flow into
Christchurch Harbour, the town was originally named Twynham but became known as Christchurch following the construction of the
priory in 1094. The town developed into an important trading port and was
fortified in the 9th century. Further defenses were added in the 12th century with the construction of a
castle which was destroyed by the
Parliamentarian Army during the
English Civil War.
In ancient times, the town of Lymington was known as "Lentune". The origins of Lentune are obscure but, at
Buckland Rings on the outskirts of Lymington, there have been Neolithic and Bronze Age finds.
The town flourished on the export of salt from its salt pans, which were developed by the Normans. In the 1800s, about 4000 tons of salt were produced from the nearby salt marshes. The town also had a reputation for smuggling, and smugglers used the busy port to bring their illegal cargoes ashore. During the Middle Ages Lymington started to become well known as a ship building and trading port. The innovative and well-known shipbuilding industry has now given way to yacht and boat building.
Lymington’s current claim to fame is that 4 times Olympic sailing gold medallist (and One silver) Ben Ainslie lives in the town and has a honorary gold post box.