When little Hamish came into the world in January this year, he couldn't have known he was creating his own tiny bit of Hampshire history.

For Hamish's birth came at the end of a unique venture which had seen Southampton at the forefront of choice in maternity care. He was the last baby to be born at the Wessex Maternity Centre, which closed just a few weeks later.

The centre in West End was the only one of its kind in the country. It was unique not only in that it was run by independent midwives, but also in offering an alternative to hospital birth on the one hand and frequently hard-to-obtain home births on the other - although clients could choose any one of the three with a Wessex midwife.

Founded in 1994 by midwives Kate Walmsley and Lesley Hobbs, the Wessex broke new ground by providing one-to-one care for women during pregnancy, labour and postnatally, long before it became a buzz word in maternity services generally.

Furthermore, largely as a result of this one-to-one care, the centre's midwives achieved an incredible record in helping women give birth naturally, without the use of pain-relieving drugs and routine medical interventions.

A staggering 90 per cent of first-time mums had the natural birth they wanted at the centre, in sharp contrast to the national picture of soaring Caesarean rates, hi-tech interventions and use of epidural anaesthetics.

It was this reputation that impressed Hamish's mum Victoria Dick, 32, of Holybourne, near Alton, whose other two children Joshua, 4, and Kitty, 2, were both born in hospital. "I was attracted to the Wessex because birth there was treated as it should be - not as a medical problem but as a natural thing that happens," said Victoria.

"With Kitty, I had unnecessary intervention. The midwife told me if I had my membranes ruptured the baby would be born more quickly. She said it would speed it up by 15 minutes but not that it would be a lot more painful - it meant she could go off shift on time.

"I knew at the Wessex it wasn't going to be like that, and that was so crucial. There wasn't going to be intervention to speed things up or to make life easier for someone else."

The Wessex more than lived up to her expectations. Hamish was born in a birthing pool where Victoria felt so relaxed she didn't need any pain relieving drugs.

"I didn't used to believe it when I heard women say they enjoyed the experience of giving birth but now I am one of them. It was bliss," she said.

Those looking from the outside might have been forgiven for thinking the Wessex was primarily about luxury.

It's true that the food was fabulous, and having a room of your own complete with television, dining area, en suite bathroom and a double bed where dad could stay, too, was ideal. However, it was invariably the woman-centred philosophy behind the Wessex, rather than the decor or the cuisine, that made the real difference.

Zana Parker, 39, of Hounsdown, was the first woman to give birth at the centre in November 1994. She decided to have her daughter Kelda there after having a traumatic hospital birth with son Kyle, now 11.

The decision changed her life in more ways than one. Not only did she have the natural birth she wanted, but she was inspired to become an antenatal teacher.

"My only regret was that I wasn't in labour for longer, which I never thought I would say after the first time," she said.

"I was only there for 40-50 minutes before she was born. I am convinced I laboured so quickly and easily because my adrenaline levels were low because I was so relaxed. I remember saying how in control I felt. Knowing my midwife so well was so important because she could support me fully."

However, the Wessex proved not to be economically viable and closed on February 15.

Zana said: "It is such a shame it has closed. There was much more choice with it there."