The Waterside

The Waterside is the name given to the collection of towns and villages on the west side of the River Test estuary. It starts around Marchwood, across the water from Southampton and runs down to Calshot at the entrance to the Solent. It’s home to around 41,000 people and hosts major infrastructure including the Marchwood Military Port (built in 1943 for D-Day) and the oil refinery at Fawley.

There are many independent communities in the Waterside and we spent plenty of time in 2022 consulting with residents. We interviewed people out on the street across Blackfield, Hythe and Marchwood about what creative activities they wanted to see in the Waterside. Our Community Anchors ran surveys and we also held taster sessions for youth clubs in Marchwood, Hythe and Gang Warily, took part in the Hythe of Activity Day and Halloween Treat Trail and joined in coffee mornings with Military Wives.

People particularly talked about how they love walking and cycling in nature and that they wanted to try arts and crafts. So one of our first events was a clay workshop and nature walk from Blackfield.

Great things in The Waterside

The Waterside is a very varied area with fascinating history. Calshot Castle stands proudly on a spit at the mouth of the River Test. It was built back in 1540 on the orders of Henry VIII, and continued playing an operational military role until 1961. Nearby Calshot Activities Centre can claim the UK’s oldest indoor cycling velodrome, a dry ski slope and a climbing wall!

Further up the river, Hythe’s pier has the world’s oldest operating pier railway in the world and hosts the family music festival, Rock The Pier, in 2023 as part of a wider Waterside Arts Festival. Another local favourite is the Great Waterside Raft Race, organised by the RNLI and the Halloween Treat Trail organised by Hythe Alive.

Culture in Common is presenting events in popular venues such as Jubilee Hall in Fawley, the Royal British Legion in Blackfield, the Parish Hall in Hythe and at many of the outdoor recreation grounds. We will also be working closely with our partners at The Handy Trust, an organisation that supports young people facing challenges in the area.