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A Little History

The River Hamble and its tides have been famously recorded for centuries. The earliest mention of this was in 720 AD in Bede the Venerable’s Ecclesiastical History. The monk wrote about the River, documenting the now famous double tide which provides a long flood and short ebb, meaning that the River Hamble is the perfect natural haven.

Moving forward to the 15th Century, Henry V kept his ships on the River, making Southampton the home of the Royal Fleet. In 1418, the largest ship ever built in England, ‘Grace Dieu’, was brought to Hamble to be fitted out. Grace Dieu was eventually abandoned on the Hamble when her useful life came to end and is now a shipwreck up the River, just past Eastlands Boatyard.

Thanks to its location and tides, Hamble became a prime location for smugglers in the 18th Century.

In regards to water-based events on the River, Regattas can be traced back to at least 1868. These regattas included fishing, pleasure and rowing boat races. Small vessel building grew on the River, with many active builders during the two World Wars producing vessels for the war effort. The Hamble played a critical part in the D-Day landings, dispatching many vessels as part of Operation Overlord.  

Since the end of the war, Hamble has become synonymous with leisure boating and soon came to the forefront of the development of marinas, starting with Port Hamble Marina in 1964. Today, the River Hamble is perhaps one of the best-known yachting locations in the World.

The River Hamble

Eastlands Boatyard

Eastlands Boatyard can trace its origins back over 100 years, following in the footsteps of the many other historical locations on the River.

For the past 20 years, Eastlands has had a modern walk-ashore marina in place, with the current owners taking up custodianship in 2020. The new owners have revealed great plans for the future to make the boatyard a centre of excellence for British boatbuilding and to keep the boatyard an attractive location for boat owners to berth their boats.

Eastlands provides a unique location within the Hamble, being the furthest up-river boatyard it is set in a soft setting within 13 acres of fields, woodland and hedgerows, and borders several protected habitats and SSSI. It is a great option for those looking to escape the pressures of the large chain-run marinas for a friendlier atmosphere!