The River Hamble is a river in Hampshire, England. It rises near Bishop's Waltham and flows for some 7.5 miles (12 km) through Botley, Bursledon and Swanwick before entering Southampton Water near Hamble-le-Rice and Warsash.
The Hamble is tidal for approximately half its length and is navigable in its lower reaches, which have facilitated shipbuilding activities since medieval times. Leisure craft are still built there today.
One of these builders was Luke & co, later Luke Bros, a reputed yard at Hamble from around 1890 to 1945.
The river, and its shipbuilding yards, have also been used for military purposes, particularly during World War II.
Its lower reaches are now very popular for boating, being known throughout the sailing world as The Heart of British Yachting
Read more about River Hamble: Bishops Waltham To Botley (non-tidal), Botley To Bursledon (tidal) - Historic Sites, Bursledon To Hamble (tidal) - Modern Playground
Famous quotes containing the word river:
“If a walker is indeed an individualist there is nowhere he can’t go at dawn and not many places he can’t go at noon. But just as it demeans life to live alongside a great river you can no longer swim in or drink from, to be crowded into safer areas and hours takes much of the gloss off walking—one sport you shouldn’t have to reserve a time and a court for.”
—Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)