Totton Town

Geographically the small town of Totton in Hampshire is almost a suburb of Southampton. But it is separated from the city by the River Test and is a thriving community in its own right with its own Civic Centre and central shopping areas.
For me it vies with Romsey as my shopping area, both being about equal distance from home, and my choice between the two usually depends on which shops I need.
The town itself together with neighbouring Eling, has grown remarkably over the years, and today has a population around 30,000, according to the local authority which is based at the Civic Centre.
One of the attractions is that the town is cheek by jowl with the New Forest National Park, although only a very small part of it actually falls within the Forest.  Yet in local government terms the town is part of New Forest district.

Its history is thought to go back to the Bronze Age and followers of my past Blips will be aware of a replica Bronze Age dwelling to the north of the town built as an educational project by a series of lakes at Testwood. When the lakes were excavated to form a reservoir and nature reserve, it revealed remains from that period, reckoned to be 1500BC.