Southampton England Travel Guide: Pre-Cruise Plans & Sights
If you’ve taken a British Isles or Northern European cruise, chances are your journey started or ended in Southampton, England. That was the case for us. We made the best of our time pre-cruise to check out the sights and rich history of this southern English port town.
There are plenty of things to do in Southampton. You’ll have no problem filling in a day or two prior to your cruise. Here are some of our highlights on how we spent one day in Southampton.
Our Southampton England Travel Guide
If you are a fan of all things Titanic, then Southampton holds a lot for you to see. While the ship was built in Belfast, that fateful cruise officially started in Southampton April 10, 1912.
There are many resources for planning out a self guided tour for Titanic sites. We chose to create our own mini walking tour of some of the titanic memorials and historic places surrounding the famed White Star Line and the infamous ship Titanic. We also had some assistance from the SeaCity Museum and their Titanic Trail map and brochure.
There are several highlights our tour.
The Historic Titanic Trail
We started our tour at The Grapes Pub Southampton. At the Titanic museum in Tennessee, a photo of The Grapes Pub stood out to us. The Grapes was known as the last stop for crew members before heading on board the Titanic. Located near the docks, The Grapes is still in business and is a typical British pub with a lot of history. Fans of the Titanic movie will remember the scene when Jack wins his ticket for the Titanic at a bar. The scene is said to have been inspired by The Grapes. The Grapes leans heavily on their ties to Titanic, and the walls are covered with pictures of the ship and the Southampton port’s history.
A short walk away you’ll find the Vokes Memorial Garden. There is a plaque in memory of all lost aboard Titanic. This area is also home to Canute Chambers, which back in 1912 was the home offices for the White Star Line. The Vokes Memorial Garden area is the best place to see the Ocean Dock, Berth 44, where the Titanic set sail.
Berth 44 is still a part of the working dock area and is restricted. Just inside the dock gate is a memorial plaque dedicated to the passengers and crew. Port authorities have placed this memorial as close as they can to give visitors a place to visit associated with their launching site.
There are maritime artifacts and memorials throughout town. Our favorite was the Titanic crew memorial at the Holyrood Church. This memorial honors the firemen, stewards, and crew members who died in the 1912 disaster. Many of them were Southampton residents. The church is now a ruin, dating back to the 13th century. The roof and some of the walls sustained heavy damage during the German Blitz.
The Titanic musician’s memorial also have a memorial. The original memorial for the eight musicians who played as the ship sank was destroyed during World War II. The replica, installed in 1990 is located on London Road near what is now the Paris Smith building.
We have several Titanic travel experiences. Check out our trip to Belfast, as well as to the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Jane Austen Southampton
If you are a fan of Jane Austen, then Southampton has a nice treat for you. Jane Austen lived in Southampton for approximately three years, from 1806 to 1809. During her time there, she worked on her book Northanger Abbey. Throughout town, you will find several historic markers of Jane Austen’s time as a Southampton resident.
We came across several markers during our walk around town. That included a plaque along the old city walls including the Long Room and Hot Baths. This was a popular place at the turn of the 19th century where Jane and her peers were known to gather for dances.
For a more immersive Jane Austen Southampton experience, you might consider checking out the Jane Austen Heritage Trail. On the trail, you can discover the eight plaques placed throughout the area in honor of one of Britain’s most celebrated authors.
Southampton Medieval Walls
One of the many quirks of Southampton is the walls that still surround the original part of the city. Seeing medieval walls in an English city isn’t all that unique, but what sets the Southampton city walls apart is that they are the most complete city walls in the UK. There is also a lot of them, ranking only behind the city walls in Chester and York.
Approximately half of the original walls, which date back to roughly 1180 AD, are still present; about 1.25 miles of walls. If you circle the city along the walls, you’ll come across 13 of the original 29 towers, as well as six of the eight original gates.
The oldest gate, Bargate Southampton is the center of town, and where we met up with our tour guide. This is the same place where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert came to town in August 1843 on their first visit to town. Victoria was a frequent visitor to Southampton, as a stop off on her trips to her favorite house on the Isle of Wight.
The city walls in Southampton are also very accessible. They have literally built the city around them and into them. This provides you with several opportunities to stand next to or even climb on top of them as you stroll around the city.
Southampton in World War II
Another wall in Southampton caught our attention as we walked through town. Known as the American Wall, it is a small brick wall located on the Western Esplanade in Southampton. This was a gathering spot for American soldiers readying to begin the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. All told, there were approximately 55,000 Allied soldiers that launched from Southampton on that fateful day.
Among those soldiers were roughly 100 American soldiers that were positioned for some time sitting next to a small brick wall. To help pass the time, they carved their names into that brick wall as they awaited orders to move out. Many of them would not survive the next 48 hours, making this wall of names a poignant memorial to the freedom for which they gave their lives.
This was a special spot that we sought out to pay our respects. It is located near the Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour Hotel, located directly opposite the bricked-up Medieval Arcades and about 50 yards north of the Westgate.
Southampton played a big role during World War II. The city was a frequent target of German bombers during The Blitz, from 1940 – 1945. That is because of the manufacturing and port traffic from the area. Most notably the famous British Spitfire airplanes were made in Southampton.
Top-rated Restaurants Southampton UK
The city of Southampton has a population of over a quarter of a million people. Couple that with over three million cruise ship passengers that the port handles annually, there are plenty of options for dining and shopping around the area.
Near port, the Ocean Village Marina has a number of restaurants and bars to check out. We found Banana Wharf to be a quiet spot for breakfast on the day we left port. The food was adequate and the views of the marina set the perfect mood for us as we prepared to set sail.
Looking for a trendier spot with good views, then check out HarBAR on 6th. This hotel rooftop bar and club has a wide-ranging menu. What we enjoyed most was their pizza, cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven out on their terrace.
If you want to mix in a little shopping with your food, head to the Westquay Shopping Center. There is plenty of retail outlets in case you need last minute items before you get on the cruise ship. There is also plenty of restaurants in and around the mall.
Checking out an authentic British pub might be on your list of things to do, so here is a list of the top Southampton pubs to consider. Two of the pubs on our list have a connection to the Titanic. One being the previously mentioned pub, The Grapes.
Then there is White Star Tavern is an historic pub and inn. Known as the Alliance Hotel in 1912, this was a place where passengers ate, drank and slept at before boarding the Titanic.
If you are visiting the UK on a Sunday, you owe it to yourself to have a proper Sunday roast. We selected the Duke of Wellington pub and were not disappointed. This historic watering hole has been serving up pints since 1494. The building itself dates back to 12th century, giving this establishment great history along with their great food.
Their Sunday roast was everything you’d expect, with roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, delicious Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and a very nice gravy. The Duke of Wellington menu also has excellent fish and chips, pub burgers and more if a roast doesn’t suit your taste.
Southampton Cruise Planning
Most visitors come to Southampton because of the cruise terminal. Adding on a day before or after your cruise to see the town is worth it. There is enough fun things to see and do to easily fill a day or two.
A common question about Southampton is about transportation – How do you get there from London? In our case, we actually flew into the small airport in town. In our calculations, it was cheaper to fly directly into Southampton than flying into London’s Heathrow airport. That might not be the case for you, but it is worth checking on it particularly if you fly Aer Lingus which is the airline we used.
Taking the train from London to Southampton is the most likely approach for people coming in from London. Travel time is about 90 minutes with direct service from both the Waterloo and Victoria stations.
Cruise lines offer transportation to and from Southampton. You can also find plenty of private cars for hire too. In our case, we hired a driver to take us from Southampton back to London. It cost only slightly more than the cruise line transfer, but it allowed us to choose our departure time and drop‑off location.
Some of the private transportation options offered stops at some major attractions too. We saw options of transportation to London with stops at either Stonehenge or Windsor Castle.
There are plenty of hotel options near the cruise terminal. We decided on the Harbor Hotel, mainly because of its location. This is a very nice hotel with great views of the marina, though a little pricey for what you get.
