Culture of Southampton. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Much of city’s historical buildings were destroyed during the Second World War, however, excursion program offered by Southampton is very interesting. The main historical monument of the resort is ancient Bargate gates in the northern part of the city. The gate was built in the 12th century; it represents the surviving part of the city wall. Many years ago, gates crowned the main entrance to the city, and numerous caravans have passed under it.

Currently, the building is home to the modern art gallery, so the tour will appeal not only to fans of historical sites exploring, but also to fans of fine arts. Interesting cultural program is offered by Millais gallery, which has become a permanent venue for all kinds of exhibitions.

It should be noted that the city has an incredible amount of various galleries and designer shops; the local university hosts the John Hansard Gallery. It was opened in 1980; gallery exhibits include works of modern artists and photographers. The richest collection of more than 3,500 exhibits is located in the City Gallery of Art. There are truly unique artifacts dating back more than six hundred years in it. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Returning to historical attractions, it’s worth to mention the trading house, which is a must visit point of many excursions. The house was built in the 14th century; today, the atmosphere of past centuries is fully restored there. All those interested can admire beautiful antique furnishings and exquisite interior decoration. No less significant is the Tudor house; in the late 15th century it belonged to the head of local customs.

The restoration work is still held in the palace, but the house is open to public. Fans of excursions are recommended to include the visit to the local museum of archeology in their leisure program. It is located in God's House Tower - a former artillery fort, which is also of great historical value. The visit to the Sea Museum, which introduces the history of the local docks to visitors, would be amazing too.

The whole world recognizes Southampton as a port from which the Titanic, the most famous ship of all times and peoples, set sail for the first time (and, unfortunately, last). The event is remembered here, and there are two monuments dedicated to the shipwreck in the picturesque East Park (Titanic Engineer Officers Memorial and Titanic Musicians’ Memorial). The latter statue is dedicated to musicians who played the melody until the end of the crash so that their music could somehow calm the passengers of the sinking ship. The Steamship Shieldhall is a true treasure of Southampton, which since its construction in 1954, has been used for cruises. Today, she still makes cruises but is also a wonderful attraction, decorating the King George V Graving Dock. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the “Titanic crash” (this happened in 2012), the steamer was repainted in the same color range as the liner.

One of the oldest abbeys in Hampshire Titchfield Abbey is another place that deserves to be mentioned. It was built in the year 1222. However, in 1537 when Henry VIII signed a decree dissolving the monasteries, it became a country estate for Thomas Wriothesley and was henceforth called Palace House. It was precisely here that Henry Wriothesley lived, whose protégé was William Shakespeare. In 1741, the estate was transferred to the Delmy family, and members of the dynasty lived here for another 40 years until they decided to deliberately make romantic ruins of the monastery, while they themselves moved to another estate. After that, the manor gradually began to decline, and the locals saw this as a benefit and began to take away the stones for their dwellings. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the government engage in the restoration of this historical monument, where today interesting events now take place – musical concerts and theatrical performances.

The same fate (turning from an abbey into a manor) befell the shrine of Beaulieu Abbey. The Cistercian monastery was erected in 1204 by King John. It was at some point one of the most beautiful abbeys and was famous for this reputation throughout Great Britain. It is also notable for the fact that it was one of the monasteries where the abbot was not answerable to the bishop, but to the Pope himself (such abbeys were called “liberated”), and this also provided it with special privileges. The monastery also avoided momentary confiscation of its property, as was the case with other abbeys, although King Henry VIII insisted on the opposite. Thomas Wriothesley also won through a difficult competition, the right to own the estate. After that, he demolished the church and chose a huge gatehouse as a mansion.

Today, the monastery Beaulieu Abbey is a must-see for tourists, as it has a huge area which includes many things to see. A monorail runs along the estate plot. Some of the buildings that are definitely worth a visit include the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu with a magnificent collection of vintage cars, a cultural center with an exhibition that demonstrates the training of officers during World War II, and, of course, the Palace House estate. In addition, there are several attractions and fine restaurants that serve traditional English cuisine located here, and the abbey often hosts cultural events. Lovers of mysterious things will be interested to learn that there is a legend associated with the monastery, which you should definitely learn of from the lips of local residents or guides.

Netley Abbey, or rather, its romantic ruins, also deserves a mention. From what pertained to the abbey, only the priceless manuscript is preserved, which is kept today in the British Library in London. It is a copy of the thirteenth-century work “Chronica” by Roger Hovenden, a historian of the times of Henry II and Richard I. There are many beautiful farms in the vicinity of Southampton that would fascinate anyone with their pastoral atmosphere and detachment from the noise of megalopolises. You should definitely visit such places as Manor Farm, Oasis Down to Earth Farm, as well as Sunnydale Farm and Longdown Activity Farm.

Another tourist attraction of the city is the Bursledon Windmill, which was built in 1814, replacing the mill of 1766. She worked until the 1880s, after which she gradually fell into disrepair. However, the terrace roof installed on the decking prevented the equipment from deteriorating. Today, the structure has been restored to working condition, which gives travelers the opportunity to see how flour was previously made. Southampton also houses buildings erected in the 21st century. Among them are The Ageas Bowl and St. Mary’s Stadium, which were built in 2001. The former stadium is designed for cricket and the latter for footballers. Both stadiums have played host to large-scale games of the season more than once, and during your stay in the city, you should definitely keep track of the billboard for upcoming events.

Southampton is the location of beautiful theaters that offer a great program for those who want to spend time culturally. The best theater venues are Nuffield Southampton Theaters and Mayflower Theater. You should also consider taking a walk along the parks of the city. On the territory of the green zone Southampton Common, in addition to picturesque expanses, you get to see several iconic places: the Douro Memorial, the old Artesian Well, and the hippodrom Old Racecourse. In the southern part of the park is sited the Southampton Old Cemetery, which captivates tourists with its cleanliness and well-groomed nature. In addition, it is a kind of open-air museum thanks to its invaluable works of sculptural art.

Mayflower Park is an excellent observation deck, from which you can behold spectacular views of cruise liners sailing back and forth. It was here that most people gathered to say goodbye to their relatives while sailing on the Titanic on a long voyage which ended fatally. Not far from the green zone is situated the Mayflower Memorial (also called Pilgrim Fathers’ Memorial).This monument recalls the events of 1620, when the ships Mayflower and Speedwell, set off with pilgrims to the New World to establish settlements there. For those who want to take a walk and enjoy the magnificent views, it is worth stating such places as St. James Park and Riverside Park. Among the museums of the British city, you will find interesting the cultural center Solent Sky Museum, whose collection will please fans of technology and aircraft.