The UK’s cruise capital and the port the Titanic sailed from, with medieval walls, a Tudor house and the New Forest nearby.
Southampton has been one of Britain’s most important ports for centuries. The Pilgrims first set sail from here on the Mayflower in 1620, before stopping at Plymouth, and in 1912 the Titanic began her maiden voyage from its docks. Today it is the cruise capital of the UK, with more cruise passengers passing through than any other British port.
The city was badly bombed in the Second World War, but its medieval walls, Tudor houses and historic streets survive in places. It is a lively university city, and a great base for exploring the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. SeaCity Museum
SeaCity Museum, in the city centre, tells the story of Southampton’s long relationship with the sea. Its best known gallery is about the Titanic, which sailed from Southampton in April 1912. More than five hundred of the crew who died when the ship sank came from the city.
The Titanic gallery tells the story of the crew and their families, using their own words and objects. It includes a large model of the ship and a recreation of the inquiry into the disaster. It is a moving and personal account.
Other galleries tell the story of Southampton as a gateway to the world, from the Middle Ages to the great liners of the twentieth century. There are displays about the people who came to and left the city. The museum is in the grand Civic Centre building.
Allow a couple of hours. The museum is close to the station. Around the city, memorials to the Titanic’s crew, musicians and engineers can be found.
2. The medieval walls
Southampton has some of the most complete medieval town walls in England. About half of the original circuit survives, with towers and gates. They were built to protect the town from attack from the sea.
The Bargate, the main medieval gateway into the town, stands in the city centre. It is a grand stone gatehouse, first built by the Normans. It is a symbol of the city.
You can walk along parts of the walls, with information boards explaining their history. God’s House Tower, a medieval gatehouse, has been turned into an arts and heritage centre. The walls are free to explore.
Along the western walls, the Arcades show where medieval houses were built against the walls. Walking the walls is a good way to discover the old town. It takes about an hour.
3. Tudor House and Garden
Tudor House and Garden, in the old town, is one of the most important historic buildings in Southampton. The timber framed house was built in the late fifteenth century, and it has been lived in for more than five hundred years. It tells the story of the people who lived there over the centuries.
The house has been restored, and its rooms show different periods of its history. There are displays and interactive exhibits. The Tudor style garden behind the house has herbs and flowers.
Next to the house is King John’s Palace, the remains of a Norman merchant’s house built in the twelfth century. It is one of the oldest houses in England. The two buildings together cover about eight hundred years of history.
Tudor House has a café. It is a short walk from the Bargate and the city centre. Allow an hour or two.
4. The New Forest
The New Forest, just west of Southampton, is a national park of ancient woodland, open heathland and pretty villages. It was created as a royal hunting forest by William the Conqueror almost a thousand years ago. Ponies, donkeys and cattle roam freely across the forest.
Lyndhurst, known as the capital of the New Forest, has shops, tea rooms and a visitor centre. Brockenhurst and Burley are lovely villages. There are hundreds of miles of paths for walking and cycling.
Beaulieu, on the edge of the forest, is home to the National Motor Museum, with more than two hundred and fifty vehicles, as well as Palace House and the ruins of a medieval abbey. Buckler’s Hard, nearby, is a village where warships for Nelson’s navy were built. Lymington, on the coast, has a harbour and a market.
The New Forest is best explored by car, and a driver for the day lets you enjoy the scenery. Watch out for ponies on the roads, as they have right of way.
5. The Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a short ferry ride from Southampton, and it makes a wonderful day trip or short break. Red Funnel ferries sail to Cowes, with a fast passenger service taking around half an hour and a car ferry to East Cowes. The island has beaches, cliffs, pretty villages and plenty to see.
Cowes is famous around the world for sailing, and Cowes Week, held every August, is one of the oldest and largest sailing regattas in the world. Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s seaside home, is just outside East Cowes. It is a fascinating place to visit.
The Needles, a line of chalk stacks at the western tip of the island, are among the most famous sights on the south coast. The island has sandy beaches at Sandown and Shanklin, and dinosaur fossils along its shores. It is known as Dinosaur Island.
A car makes it easier to explore the island, or you can use its buses and trains. Many visitors take a car across on the ferry. A car booked to meet you at the ferry terminal saves carrying bags.
6. Solent Sky, the art gallery and Netley Abbey
Southampton played a key role in the history of aviation. The Spitfire, the famous fighter plane of the Second World War, was designed by R.J. Mitchell and first built in Southampton. Solent Sky, a museum in the city, tells the story, with a Spitfire and other aircraft, including a huge flying boat you can walk through.
Southampton City Art Gallery, in the Civic Centre, has one of the finest art collections in the south of England, with paintings from the Renaissance to the present day. Entry is free. It is a hidden gem.
Netley Abbey, on the shore of Southampton Water a few miles south east of the city, is the ruin of a Cistercian abbey founded in the thirteenth century. It is one of the most romantic ruins in the south. Royal Victoria Country Park, nearby, has woodland and a chapel from a huge military hospital.
The Mayflower Theatre, one of the largest theatres in the south, stages big touring musicals and shows. Westquay is the city’s large shopping centre. Ocean Village, on the waterfront, has restaurants and a cinema.
Getting there and getting around
Southampton Central station has direct trains to London Waterloo in around an hour and twenty minutes, and to Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Brighton, Bristol and the Midlands. The M3 and M27 link the city with London and the south coast.
Southampton Airport is about four miles north of the city centre, with its own railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway. Heathrow and Gatwick are around an hour and a quarter away by road. The city has several cruise terminals in its docks.
Sailing on a cruise? A car booked ahead is the easiest way to arrive at the terminal with your luggage. See our cruise port transfer guide.
Ride with ZeroLanes. From your door, the station or the airport to anywhere in Southampton, at a price fixed before you confirm. Travelling between cities? Get a fixed price for the journey, or keep a car and driver for the day with hourly hire.