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The City

Southampton started as a new town c.700 AD, built by a Saxon king. In the 9th & 10th centuries the Danes attacked, & a new settlement was set up nearby, called Hamtun. After the Norman conquest Frenchmen came to live in Southampton, & a wooden castle was built. Trade with Italy picked up & by the 14th century it was a busy port, where ships were built for the navy. Southampton is still a bustling commercial & passenger port, home to a number of large cruise liners, with a population of 250,000 people.

Wheelchair Access

  Suitable
  Diversion maybe needed
  Not suitable

What people are saying...

"Yesterday my sister and I had a brilliant day in Oxford following the Town and Gown walk in your Curious About.. Oxford book. We had a fantastic time, and it gave us an opportunity to look at new things we'd never noticed before in a very familiar city to us. Thank you"

Southampton

Southampton is one of Britain's famous maritime cities, a major departure point for ocean-going liners, as well as the many ferries which scurry to and from its port. But Southampton is more than that – it has an Old Town, with remnants of a castle to explore and the walls which surrounded it, a medieval merchant's house, a 12th century city gate, a jaw-dropping Civic Centre, a 15th century Tudor House and much, much more. To top it all off, apart from its maritime heritage and sensational buildings, Southampton is also renowned for its many parks which run through the centre, leading to the new and hugely impressive Seacity Museum.
Take our fabulous walks of discovery, and have fun finding answers to clues which tell you more, whilst reading our stories about the most interesting facts.

First Walk

Museum to Bargate

From the former Maritime Museum, with its stunning views of the Solent, you soon reach Southampton’s city walls, one of the best preserved historical attractions in the UK. Soak up the atmosphere of an important port, with strong defences, dotted with picturesque houses of once wealthy merchants. See a church dating back a millennium, and a gorgeous 15th century Tudor house, before ending at Bargate, a fabulous portal to Southampton’s wealth (1.3 miles).

Second Walk

Bargate to Park

From the magnificent Bargate, and more of Southampton’s ancient walls, you quickly arrive at the glorious central parks, which give Southampton its unique ‘green’ feel. Past children playing and adults lazing, you arrive at the stunning Civic Centre, before ending your walk back in the parks, amongst stately statues, perfumed flowers, and spectacular shrubs.
Time for a picnic perhaps!
(1 mile).

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