Southampton
Historical Background

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Southampton was once known as the gateway to the world and people have long traveled through the city on the way to distant and exotic locations. But as one of the country's foremost commercial ports, Southampton has a unique cultural heritage and a few treasures of its own to offer.

The Titanic

The 20th century put the town on the map, when the magnificent but ill-fated Titanic sailed from Southampton docks on 10th April 1912. Glamorized on both television and celluloid, most famously in James Cameron's lavish Hollywood blockbuster, the doomed maiden voyage and its victims have long been honored with the city's own monument. Located in East Park, the Titanic Engineer Officers Memorial is a true testament to those who died, particularly to the locals - in one school alone, 140 children lost a father, brother, cousin or uncle.

The Mayflower

But not all of Southampton's sea-faring past has been blighted by tragedy. The Mayflower, which proudly bore aloft America's founding Pilgrim Fathers, set sail from here in August 1620. The Mayflower Memorial, outside the Maritime Museum, and Southampton's premier theater The Mayflower commemorate this historic quest.

From Canute to Henry V

It was in Southampton, in 1014, where the Viking Canute defeated Ethelred The Redeless and was pronounced King of England. According to a famous tale, Canute commanded the mighty waves of the Solent to retreat and had an impromptu paddle.

Following the Norman Conquest, Southampton grew prosperous as the main port of transit between Winchester and Normandy. During this time the town walls began to take shape, the remains of which are some of the finest examples in the country. But this is largely due to the fortifications which took place after the devastating raid by the French in 1338. The town became one of the strongest fortresses in the land - its encompassing wall measured up to 30 feet high in places and had no less than 29 towers and seven gates.

In 1415, Henry V left with his troops for France and the Battle of Agincourt. Prior to their departure, however, the King had to deal with a plot for treason. The traitors were tried and executed outside the Bargate, the medieval entrance to the town, and their heads were gruesomely displayed on spikes for the delight of the public.

From the 1700s to the 20th Century

Southampton's seawater hasn't always been the reason behind its popularity. From the 1750s to the 1800s, Southampton enjoyed its heyday as a spa town. People flocked to drink from the mineral springs and enjoy sea-bathing. The original queen of the spa town, Jane Austen, is said to have visited in 1807 and danced the night away at the The Dolphin Hotel, which survives to this day. The patronage of George II's son, Frederick Prince of Wales, who bathed there in 1750, probably did nothing to harm Southampton's reputation either. Sadly the water does not seem to have returned the favor, as he died the following year.

The 20th century was a turbulent time for Southampton. For the first time since 1338 the town was devastated by enemy attack. The German bombers of the Third Reich reduced 630 buildings to rubble and damaged a further 3500. But Southampton was not defeated, for it was from its docks that more than three million troops left for Normandy in the D-Day landings of 1944.

Southampton Today

Alternative glories Southampton has since enjoyed include the football team's FA Cup win in 1976, a triumph yet to be repeated, but hopes have been lifted with a new state-of-the-art premiership stadium about to open. A city facelift in general has enhanced a broad spectrum of facilities, including the Quays Swimming and Diving Complex and the country's seventh largest shopping mall – the enormous WestQuay shopping center.

So while travelers pass through Southampton's port on their way to distant cultural capitals, shoppers flock to the High Street, which is actually on the site of an old bull-ring and just around the corner from the site of a Norman Castle, which in its time was host to Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Richard the Lion-Heart, who spent his only Christmas in England there. The parks, popular for picnics and walks, were once the town's arable land and main source of food. Their preservation makes Southampton unique among English towns.

And finally, whilst some visitors may stop to admire the QE2 harbored in Southampton's docks, it could possibly surprise them to know that Southampton is also the home of the fighter plane "Supermarine Spitfire" or "Spitfire" for short designed for use by the RAF in World War II.