See Southampton Heritage Guides – Sightseeing tours and tour guides
Jane Austen Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set among the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and acute insights into the lives of early 19th century women. She was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. Jane was one of eight …
Boundary Stones The Burgesses controlled an area enclosed by Hill Lane, Burgess Street (now Road) and the land west of the Itchen. Several boundary stones survive for example, the Rosemary Stone opposite No 47 Burgess Road. Another, called the Hode Stone, is at the top of Hill Lane.
Air Raids Being the home of the Spitfire, Southampton was a target for German bombers. The first bomb fell on 19th June 1940 and the last, a Doodlebug, on 15th July 1944. 2,631 high explosive bombs and 30, 652 incendiary bombs were recorded. There were about 60 raids killing 631. There is a memorial seat …
Richard Andrews Richard Andrews has been called Southampton’s Dick Whittington. In 1821 he walked 20 miles from his home in Bishops Sutton and rapidly built up a coach building business in Above Bar. A Liberal, he was Mayor five times during the 1850’s. Richard Andrews died in 1859 and his statue stands in Andrews (East) …
Artesian Well As Southampton grew in the 19th century there was a demand for water. The reservoirs on the Common were inadequate despite well being sunk to 1,260 feet and finally abandoned in 1883. Attention then turned to tapping the Itchen at Mansbridge but this was impure. Finally, the Southampton Waterworks was opened at Otterbourne …
Arcades Following the French Raid of 1338 the strengthening of the town’s defence system was ordered by King Edward III. The town was to be fully enclosed by stone walls, especially along the western quays, where wealthy merchants had built their houses. Due to a shortage of suitable stones, a compromise was found, which meant …
