Гайт қаласы: тарихы мен қазіргі жағдайы

Hythe (/h//aɪ//ð/) is a town in Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton. Hythe has a shopping area, a pier, and a marina for yachts.

Hythe has a small shopping area clustered around the High Street, which includes two supermarkets (a Waitrose and a Lidl), a public library, several charity shops, and small independent shops. The Hythe Pier, Railway and Ferry operates across Southampton Water to Southampton, and is the oldest working pier train in the world. Hythe's position makes it a good vantage point for viewing ocean liners arriving and departing at the port of Southampton, which attracts ship watchers to the area. Hythe has a marina, at which a large number of yachts and boats are moored. Large and expensive houses are situated around the marina, overlooking the waterside. Ewart Recreation Ground on Jones Lane in Hythe is home to Hythe and Dibden Cricket Club. The club was formed in 1948 with the amalgamation of The Hythe Club and The Dibden Purlieu Club. The Hythe club was formed in 1860. Hythe was home to the US Army between 1968 and 2006 at RAF Hythe. Following its closure, RAF Hythe was bought by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), who turned the site into a marine business park, Hythe Marine Park. Every year, usually around August, the marina hosts the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) Great Waterside Raft Race, where teams race rafts in the Solent Estuary to raise money in support of the nearby Calshot RNLI station.

The British Power Boat Company, which manufactured racing boats and later military patrol boats, was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott Paine bought and renamed Hythe's shipyard, with the intention of transforming it into one of the most modern mass production boat building yards in the country. Together with his chief designer, Fred Cooper, the company produced many racing boats which won numerous awards around Europe, including Miss England II and Miss Britain III. From 1930 the British Power Boat Company supplied seaplane tenders to the Air Ministry, commencing with RAF200, a 37 feet (11 m) footer. In 1931 the Royal Air Force seconded T. E. Lawrence – better known as "Lawrence of Arabia" – in his service name of T. E. Shaw, to liaise with Scott Paine on the design, trials and operations of the boat. Lawrence lodged in the village from 1931 to 1932, in Myrtle Cottage at the junction of St John Street and Shore Road. The tenders were initially powered by twin 100bhp Meadows petrol engines giving a maximum speed of 29 knots, with some later versions fitted with Perkins S6M diesels.

Thermionic Products, acquired by RACAL Electronics plc to become RACAL Recorders, was established in Hythe in the 1950s, moving to a large facility at the nearby Hardley Industrial Estate. RACAL Recorders produced a wide range of specialist magnetic tape recorders for recording multiple channels of voice, as used by air traffic control and the emergency services, and also instrumentation recorders. The company was awarded a number of patents. RACAL Recorders won several Queen's Awards for innovation and export.

Hythe has a non League football club Hythe & Dibden FC, which plays at Clayfields Sports Ground, as well as Southern Premier League cricket club Hythe & Dibden Cricket Club. Not far away is Applemore Recreation Centre, near Applemore College, where the New Forest District Council supplies facilities, which include swimming, archery, basketball, tennis, squash and more. Hythe's proximity to Southampton Water makes water sports easily accessible, via Hythe Marina, Hythe Marina's slipway or Hythe Sailing Club. The slipway is used for the annual RNLI Raft Race. Hythe Sea Scouts also have good access to the water – their hut adjacent to Hythe Sailing Club. As a Royal Navy recognised group, the group has acquired a variety of kayaks, canoes and dinghies through funding. The building is currently undergoing maintenance due to erosion of the coastline putting the group at threat of being 'washed away'. A significant funding campaign, led by Chris Godfrey, raised over £80,000 to secure the ground beneath the scout hut.

Sir Christopher Cockerell, the inventor of the hovercraft, lived and died in Hythe. T. E. Lawrence, the famed British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer lived in the area as a child, before returning to Hythe between 1931 and 1932, living at Myrtle Cottage in Shore Road. William Scammell, an English poet, critic and biographer of Keith Douglas, was born in Hythe in 1939. A commemorative plaque, provided by the Parish Council, can be seen on the house in Alexandra Road, where he was born and lived until 1953. He died in 2000, aged 60. David Ellery, the TV producer, presenter and author (programmes such as Home Movie Roadshow and books such as RMS Queen Mary – 101 Q&As), is based at Hythe. Bruce Parry, the adventurer and TV presenter of shows such as Amazon with Bruce Parry, was born 17 March 1969, in Hythe. Rik Young (born 1978), actor and dancer, grew up in Hythe.