Village Life

When I was first introduced to Ocean Village it was a far cry from what we know and see today.
Now it is a vibrant marina and base for active recreational sailing, not to mention one of the most desirable places to live in the south coast seafaring city of Southampton, along with bars, restaurants, offices and currently under construction, a five star hotel.
Once Southampton called itself the ‘Gateway to the Empire’ with some pride, but patterns of port activity have changed, and Ocean Village is one result of that change.
When I first knew Ocean Village, it was then called the Outer Dock and the base for cross-Channel shipping services to Le Havre and the Channel Islands by boats owned by the railways, and with an illustrious shipping history dating back to 1842.
Then came cross-Channel ferries and when the ferries moved base 20 miles along the coast, the shipping basin became ripe for redevolpment as one of the first marina developments on the South Coast and centre for recreational sailing, housing, apartments, shopping, two cinemas and business offices.  And home for the Royal Southampton Yacht Club which till then had been based in a converted hotel in the city itself.
A fresh stage of development has seen further development with the construction and opening of new apartment development and the tallest residential block in the city, with a £50 million spa hotel currently being built.
Indeed, the port itself has changed and is far removed from my introduction to it 50 or more years ago. Maybe no longer the Gateway to an Empire but the hub of international trade, cruising . . .and yes, yachting, sailing and motor cruising.