Totton once had two claims to fame. The first proudly took its place in the record books while the other was not something to boast about.

It is now a town but for many years local people could pride themselves on living in the largest village in England.

The other distinction was not something that the community was so keen to brag about - the notorious Totton flyover where countless drivers fumed and engines boiled over in almost never-ending traffic jams as vehicles crawled their way towards Southampton.

A new book looks back over the years at the development of Totton and nearby Eling from the times of the earliest settlement right up to today.

Totton And Eling has been compiled by Barbara Deacon, Terry Henry, Michael Southgate, and Cecil and Sylvia Dench of the local historical society. It is the latest publication in the Then And Now series published by Tempus.

Using more than 85 pairs of images the book is a journey back in time to when Totton was a smaller, quieter place, nearer to the countryside than it is these days.

The book includes pictures of some of the best known buildings, now demolished, such as Hatcher's Bakery and the Steam Mill at Eling, as well as snapshots of Eling Church, the Tide Mill, Rumbridge Street and Testwood House, all matched with modern equivalents to show aspects of the community now.

According to Mr Henry evidence of early man found locally includes weapons and flint tools uncovered at Tatchbury Mount made by nomadic Stone Age hunters.

The introduction to the book says it was in the late 18th and 19th centuries that great changes took place in and around the area.

"Shipbuilding was given a boost by the Napoleonic wars, with several large ships being built at Eling,'' said Mr Henry.

"Also in the mid-19th century, Eling was developed as a port, stimulated by the construction of the railway from Southampton to Dorchester. By 1850 Totton had a railway station and a spur line ran to Eling quay.

"In many ways the troubles affecting Totton in the late 19th century and early 20th century seemed to be summed up by the division of the community; first by the railway and then by the bypass.

"Built in the 1930s, the bypass is more notorious to travellers than the train gates. It became such a local feature that, until recent times, a local parish magazine was called The Flyover''

Close by the flyover is the Red Lion which was redeveloped in the 1930s. A former coaching inn on the site dated back 300 years or more.

At one time an old thatched cottage stood next to the pub which was said to be the home of a Mr Moore who owned a shop in Rumbridge Street.

Another building recalled in the book is the Victorian villa in Junction Road, opposite Treeside Avenue, that was once St Elmo's College for young ladies.

One of many private education establishments in Totton it became St Elmo's Nursing Home in the 1920s.

Totton and Eling is published by Tempus and costs £12.99.