The modern town of Eastleigh lies on the old
Roman road, built in A.D.79 between Winchester
(Venta Belgarum) and
Bitterne (Clausentum).
Roman remains discovered in the Eastleigh area, including a Roman lead
coffin excavated in 1908, indicate that a settlement probably existed here in Roman times. A
Saxon village called 'East Leah' has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. ('Leah' is an ancient
Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'a clearing in a forest'). The prefix 'Est' or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of
Baddesley. It was decided to build a station near the little village of Barton; this
railway station was originally named
Bishopstoke Junction. A local noted author of many novels,
Charlotte Yonge, donated £500 towards the building of the church. She was rewarded by being given the privilege to choose a name for the 'new' parish: either
Barton or
Eastly. She chose
Eastly, but with a new modern spelling:
Eastleigh. The
United States Navy established a
naval air station on 23 July 1918 to assemble and repair
Caproni Ca.5 and
Airco DH.4 and
DH.9 bombers for the
Northern Bombing Group of the First World War. The base closed shortly after the
First Armistice at Compiègne. Perhaps Eastleigh's best-known resident is the
Spitfire aeroplane, which was built in Southampton and first flown from
Eastleigh Aerodrome. A replica has recently been placed on the roundabout at the entrance to the airport. Eastleigh Museum, which is to be found in the High Street, holds information about the town and the surrounding villages, including Bishopstoke which had been the largest
residential area. == Education ==