Lymington History

Medieval Lymington

The Saxons founded Lymington when they arrived in Southwest Hampshire sometime in the 6th century AD. They called the new settlement Limen tun. The Saxon word tun meant a farm or a small village. Limen is a Celtic word. Its exact meaning is unknown. It may have meant elm river or marshy river. So Lymington began as a small village by a marshy river. In time the name changed. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the settlement was called Lentune.

At the end of the 12th century the Lord of the Manor, a man named William de Redvers made Lymington a town. (Unfortunately we do not know the exact year). He gave the people of Lymington a charter, which was a document giving them certain rights. He also allowed them to hold weekly markets. Once the market was up and running merchants and craftsmen went to live in Lymington. Furthermore Lymington had an annual fair. In those days fairs were like markets but they were held once a year and they attracted buyers and sellers from a wide area. From 1315 Lymington had 2 annual fairs. By 1412 Lymington had a mayor.

The little settlement of Lymington grew much larger. The Lord of the Manor laid out High Street. It was made wide so markets could be held there. In 1265 the boundaries of the town were moved northward to include the Barfields and New Road.

The little town and port of Lymington flourished. Wine was brought from France. Cloth woven in Salisbury was exported from Lymington. (The people of Southampton resented this as it took business away from them!).

Lymington was also famous for its salt industry. The salt was made from seawater. It was boiled in copper pans or in warm weather left to evaporate in the sunshine. The salt was transported by sea to other ports on the English coast.

In the Middle Ages when England went to war the king required ports to provide him with ships and with crews for them. In 1346 Edward III required Lymington to provide him with 9 ships and 159 men.

Meanwhile in 1338 the French burned Lymington. (An easy task when most buildings were made of wood with thatched roofs). The French came and burned Lymington again in 1370.

Lymington 1500-1800

The French were back in 1545 and they burned Lymington again! However the little town soon recovered. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth led the Southwest of England in rebellion. The people of Lymington supported him and they raised a troop of cavalry for him. However the rebellion was defeated.

Meanwhile in the late 17th century a boatbuilding industry flourished in Lymington.

At that time a travel writer called Celia Fiennes said that Lymington had 'some few small ships and some little trade'. However she said the main industry was salt. Daniel Defoe said that all of Southern England obtained salt from Lymington.

There was also an important smuggling industry in Lymington in the 18th century.

During that century Lymington continued to quietly prosper. However in 1738 a poor house was built in Lymington for the destitute. The first Freemason Lodge was built in 1764 and the first theatre was built in New Lane in 1771. In 1783 they built a new prison in High Street.

Modern Lymington

In 1801 Lymington had a population of 2,378. To us it would seem no more than a village but towns were very small in those days. By the standards of the time Lymington was a small market town. By 1851 the population of Lymington had almost doubled to over 4,000.

Furthermore Lymington flourished in the 19th century. The first cricket club was founded in 1807. The Royal Yacht Club was founded in 1821. Lymington Football Club was founded in 1876. An open-air swimming pool opened in 1833.

Meanwhile amenities in the town improved. From 1832 the streets of Lymington were lit by gas and in 1836 a modern police force was formed. Also in 1836 the old poor house was rebuilt. Conditions in the new workhouse were horrid to dissuade people from asking for help.

Meanwhile from 1830 paddle steamers ran between Lymington and Yarmouth. From 1858 Lymington was served by railway.

From 1884 the town had a piped water supply and in 1889 a fire brigade was formed in Lymington.

However in the late 19th century the salt industry, which had been the mainstay of the local economy for hundreds of years finally declined. Mineral salt was found in Cheshire and as a result Lymington could not compete. The last salt works closed in 1865.

Following the end of the salt industry the population of Lymington stagnated. In 1901 it was almost the same as it was in 1851. However in the 20th century new industries came to the town and the population of Lymington grew again.

During the 20th century Lymington flourished. A hospital was built in 1913 and from 1912 Lymington had a cinema.

On the other hand there was a fire in Lymington in 1913, which destroyed 5 houses in Belmore Lane. Then in 1916 there was a disastrous flood in Lymington.

From 1932 there was slum clearance in Lymington. (Like all towns in those days Lymington had some horrid slums).

During World War II Lymington escaped severe bombing but in 1941 a furniture shop in St Thomas Street was destroyed by a bomb.

In 1965 Lymington gained a new coat of arms and in the late 1960s Earley Court Shopping Precinct was built. Then in 1989 another severe flood struck the town. However Lymington soon recovered and in 1999 St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery opened.

Today Lymington is a flourishing and picturesque town with a population of 35,000.