page_title: Bitterne
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Bitterne / Geography
caption_attribution_description: British English: View over Southampton from Bitterne
context_page_description: Bitterne is an eastern suburb and ward of Southampton, England.
  Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the bittern, but probably from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend" or possibly bita ærn; "house of horse bits", either most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor House. A reference from the late 11th century spells the name Byterne.
  Bitterne Ward comprises the suburbs of Bitterne and Thornhill, and had a population of 13,800 at the 2011 census. The ward borders Sholing Ward and Harefield Ward to the west and north.
context_section_description: As with many city suburbs the boundaries of Bitterne itself are not well defined; however the ward (which includes neighbouring Thornhill) comprises an area of 2.47 square kilometres (0.95 sq mi). The area is entirely suburban in nature, and located 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) northeast of the Bargate in Southampton City Centre. It is atop a raised part eastern shoulder of the lower Itchen valley, with views over much of the city visible from parts of the suburb. The road up the valley shoulder from the floodplain was named Lance's Hill after David Lance, who owned Chessel House and encouraged the construction of the Northam Bridge linking Bitterne to central Southampton. The road now bypasses the central shopping area and is a dual carriageway, carrying the A3024 road. Because the Northam Bridge is the southernmost toll-free bridge into Southampton from the east, traffic on this route can be heavy: in 2014 the annual average daily flow was 25,936 motor vehicles (not including motorcycles), 474 motorcycles and 110 pedal cycles. The bypassed section of the road is pedestrianised, forming a popular shopping precinct.
caption: View over Southampton from Bitterne
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