A city in the centre of the south coast of England
, Southampton sits
at the place where two rivers (the Test and the Itchen) join to form
Southampton Water and the Solent
. A Roman
lay on the eastern side, but a later Saxon
, between the two rivers, forms the basis of the current
Just south of Southampton lies the Isle of Wight with the Solent on
either side. This geographical arrangement means that Southampton has
four tides a day, as the sea rises from one side of the Solent and then
the other. The extra tides, and the depth of the water, have allowed
Southampton to be a successful trading port through most of its history.
In Medieaval times the city was raided by the French and almost
destroyed. This prompted the building of extensive city walls and
fortifications, many of which are still visible in the city today.
Trade by sea was important to the city, with goods arriving and leaving
for destinations around England, mainland Europe and Scandanavia. A few
buildings from this time, including a Tudor merchants hall, still
survive. The northern gate to the city walls, the Bargate, still
stands and forms a distinctive landmark in the centre of the modern
When the Pilgrim Fathers made their voyage to America in the Mayflower,
Southampton was one of their final ports of call (I believe they also
stopped at Plymouth). There is a large memorial on the waterfront where
they sailed from, and many aspects of the city are named to commemorate
the voyage (Mayflower Park, the Mayflower Theatre).
In the 19th century, when the railway arrived, there was significant
land reclamation and the old waterfront, just outside the city walls,
disappeared. In its place were built modern docks, loading facilities
and warehouses, all connected to the railway network. Southampton became
an important port for trade and transportation within the British
Sea travel became popular and the famous shipping lines like P&O and
Cunard grew with it. Southampton was the embarkation point for
transatlantic voyages on the luxury liners. It was possible to travel by
train from London right to the dockside and join the ship. In 1912 the
Titanic sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton. There are two
memorials in the city that remember the disaster, one for the crew and
one for the musicians who lost their lives.
During the second world war Southampton was an important strategic
location. As well as a port, there were shipbuilding facilities and
major industrial sites. The Supermarine Spitfire, the fighter aircraft
sometimes credited with winning the Battle of Britain, was designed,
tested and built in Southampton. In 1944 Southampton was a major
embarkation port for the D-day landings, along with most other ports
along the south coast of England.
Because of its importance, Southampton received lots of enemy attention
in the war and was heavily bombed. Large areas of the city centre were
destroyed. The ruins of one church have been preserved as a memorial. The
remaining areas were redeveloped, giving the mixture of mediaeval, old
and modern buildings that exist today.
There are many parks, public gardens and open spaces in Southampton and
a strong tradition of monuments and public works of art that are still
being commissioned today. Southampton's main war memorial is called the
Cenotaph and was used as a model for the national war memorial in
London, also called the Cenotaph. Each year in November, wreaths are
laid and the dead are remembered.
I have lived in Southampton for 15 years and am always seeking to
learn more about my home. Southampton is currently home to around half a