Solent of nationally important protected landscapes including the New Forest National Park, and the Isle of Wight AONB. The word first appears in the Saxon record as "Solentan", but pre-dates the English language and is first recorded as "Soluente" in 731. This original spelling suggests a possible derivation from the Brittonic element "-uente", which has endured throughout the history of Hampshire, being present in the Roman city of Venta Belgarum, the medieval kingdom of Gwent (or Y Went), and the modern town of Winchester. A pre-Celtic and supposedly Semitic root meaning "free-standing rock" has also been suggested as a possible description
Venta de Baños the same sort of iconic status as other great railway junctions of the world, such as Crewe in the UK. Before the advent of dedicated high-speed rail routes and cheaper air travel, it was the principal transfer point for travellers between the north-east and north-west regions of Spain and the south. Generations of railway passengers have memories of the waiting rooms and cafeteria at Venta de Baños. The town hosts an annual international cross country running competition, the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños, which has featured some of the world's foremost cross country athletes including Kenenisa Bekele and Palencian-born