LIntels in HAMPSHIRE
The lintel: Giving strength to construction
A lintel is simply a structural horizontal block that spans the space or opening between two vertical supports. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over portals, doors, windows and fireplaces.
It should be stressed that lintels span the top of two verticals in construction. In the case of windows, the bottom span is referred to as a sill, but, unlike a lintel, does not serve to bear a load to ensure the integrity of the wall.
Modern day lintels are made using prestressed concrete and steel is often used in their construction too. Lintels may also be referred to as beams in beam and block slabs or ribs in rib and block slabs. These prestressed concrete lintels and blocks are components that are packed together and propped to form a suspended floor concrete slab.
Structural uses for lintels
Lintels have been used worldwide in the architecture of different eras and many different cultures. Many different building materials have been used for lintels. Steel and concrete are the main ones used today, although many older buildings have a good deal of flint within the concrete.
In Western architecture and construction methods, a lintel is a load bearing member and is placed over an entrance way. The lintel is a structural element that is usually rested on stone pillars or stacked stone columns, over a portal or entrance way.
A lintel may support the chimney above a fireplace, or span the distance of a path or road, forming a stone lintel bridge.
Hampshire from the 12th Century
From the 12th century, the ports of Hampshire grew in their importance to the region. This growth was fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture, fishing and large shipbuilding industries. By the 16th century, the population of Southampton had grown to a larger extent than that of Winchester. By the middle of the 19th century, with Hampshire’s population being double what it had been at the beginning of the century, agriculture was the main industry and ten percent of Hampshire was still covered in lush, green forest.
Hampshire during the World Wars
Hampshire played a crucial role in both World Wars due to the large Royal Navy naval base at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot, and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to the army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and the Isle of Purbeck.
Hampshire geography
The borders of the ceremonial county of Hampshire were created by the Local Government Act of 1972. Historically part of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight was made a separate ceremonial county and the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch were administered as part of the ceremonial county of Dorset.
Hampshire geography is also quite varied, with upland to 938 feet and mostly south-flowing rivers. There are areas of down land and marsh and two national parks: the New Forest and part of the South Downs, which together cover three quarters of Hampshire.
Wealth, work and things to see in Hampshire
Hampshire is one of the most affluent counties in England, with an unemployment rate lower than the national average. The Hampshire economy mainly derives from major companies, maritime, agriculture and tourism. Tourist attractions include seaside resorts, national parks, the National Motor Museum and the Southampton Boat Show. Hampshire is known as the home of writers Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Hampshire is also the childhood home of Florence Nightingale and the birthplace of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was responsible for the Great Western Railway.