south of England, the city of Southampton has heaps of history, galleries and museums to explore. There’s honestly a shed load of the best things to do in Southampton dotted all across the city.
Considered one of Southampton’s oldest and important Tudor buildings, the Tudor House and Garden is a dazzler you can’t miss in the city.
This vast wall, separated by eight gates and supported by a whopping 29 towers was the pride of the city; with some still standing to this day.
It’s well worth going if you’re into your aviation but you might wanna give it a miss if not. If that sounds like you, pop over to the John Hansard Art Gallery instead.
Right within the Cultural Quarter, it has a heap of exhibits and seasonal highlights that are well worth checking out.
Aside from a model of the Titanic, the museum has a Disaster room that retells the 1930s enquiry into the ship’s ill fate. There are even reenactments and audio accounts from the survivors that you can listen to.
1.) Tudor House and Garden
Along the way, make sure to look out for the Titanic Musicians’ Memorial which gives homage to the ship’s musicians.
We loved the chilled out vibe of Heartbreakers for some of their cocktails. You might even catch some live music on the weekend.
We love the Solent Way Walk that’s totally gorgeous. Yes, it’s about 60-miles in length but you don’t need to do it all in one go!
Take a wander through each of the rooms and exhibitions that’ll give you the lowdown of everything from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. We love it here.
Along the way, you’ll get to see a heap of significant places to do with the Titanic. In all, there are around 13 spots to see, like the Titanic Engineers’ Memorial in East Park. It’s a pretty distinctive bronze and granite monument that is built in memory of the 35 engineers who lost their lives when the ship sank.
3.) Titanic Trail
Read more: Best things to do in the South of England
Whilst here, you’ll get to explore to the early decades of the 20th century, too. This was when Supermarine, an aviation manufacturer, settled in Southampton where it designed the highly-valued Spitfire fighter plane.
As much as Southampton is closely associated with the sea, it’s also deeply connected with the skies, too; and the Solent Sky Museum will tell you why.
City walls were a feature of many medieval cities in England, with Southampton being one of the greats!
Read more: Best cities in England to visit
To commemorate that fateful journey from Southampton, numerous sites have been constructed and dedicated to the ship and the overall tragedy all across the city.
4.) Bargate
So, to make sure you get the most out of your trip, I wanted to share some gems you can’t miss in Southampton.
Read more: Best cities in England to visit
Although a visit to Bargate won’t take you long, it’s still worth taking a gander as it’s right in the centre of Southampton and so easy.
Without getting into the long history of the walls, it was actually a heap of French raids in 1338 that led to Southampton surrounding the city by the wall.
Read more: Best hikes in England
5.) SeaCity Museum
Not only that, but it’s also a great city to base yourself on for a trip around the wider region (that’s totally stunning). You’ll be spoilt for choice, especially with South Downs National Park, dramatic coastlines and the Isle of Wight close by!
Holding over 800 years-worth of the city’s history, the half-timbered structure was built way back in the 15th century. At the time, it was a wealthy private home that stood proudly in the much smaller Southampton. Nowadays, it’s a museum that explores the vast history of the region and is great for a little gander inside.
With heaps of trails, rolling hills, heathland and woodland, it’s the kind of place where you can really get away from it all.
Afterwards, head across in the afternoon and grab a bite or wander the high street stores (in West Quay Shopping Centre) that’s nearby.
6.) Medieval City Walls
Afterwards, head across in the afternoon and grab a bite or wander the high street stores (in West Quay Shopping Centre) that’s nearby.
