Group Walks
Group Walks Are you responsible for finding activities for your club, W.I., group of students etc.? Or are you visiting the City and looking for a private guided tour? We are pleased to offer private guided tours for Groups, 1&1/2 hours long. These are usually around the Town Centre, the Old Town, or the area associated with the Titanic and the Docks, though other areas of the City can be covered, if requested. Contents of the walks are open to discussion. They can be our Hidden History Tours, which concentrate on the medieval town, including visits to a number of the old wine vaults. However, individual Guides are specialists in walks concentrating on other aspects of the City’s history, for example: The Titanic World War II The Mayflower Notable and Notorious Women of Southampton Southampton’s Parks Southampton and the Spitfire. Southampton’s Docks Jane Austen Dates and Cost Please contact us to discuss charges and dates. Special rates and contents are on offer for School parties, especially for younger children. Illustrated Talks Many of our Guides also offer illustrated talks on a variety of subjects. Please contact us to discuss availability and charges.
Hidden History
Hidden History See Southampton and the Southampton Tourist Guides Association popular Hidden History Walks* are a stroll through the past of the City, exploring the Walls of the Old Town, with your Guide recounting tales of yesteryear, and bringing to life historical characters, and life-changing events.ee We will tell you about Southampton’s association with the Romans, Saxons and Vikings, the building of the Town Walls – standing since the 1300s – and the City’s ancient legends. We have ‘keys to the city’, enabling us to open up the locked doors of the Medieval Towers and Wine Vaults! We will see the Bargate, Southampton’s most famous monument; walk along the Western Walls with distant views to St. Mary’s Church and the New Forest; pass the oldest Church in the City, St. Michael’s, and the oldest Museum, Tudor House. Places associated with Jane Austen’s time in the city are included, and the City’s Spa Period from 1750-1830 is described. The Mayflower and Speedwell departed from Southampton, and important locations associated with the Pilgrim Fathers are covered, as is the City’s connections with the Titanic, which sailed from here. The City’s role in conflicts from the Battle of Agincourt, through to the Blitz and Normandy Landings on D-Day are also addressed. Walks last 1&1/2 hours and are gently-paced, however some stairs are involved. If you have any problems with these, or with heights or enclosed spaces, please let our Guide know, and they will be able to adjust to help you. Walks will finish near the lower end of the High Street – your guide can assist with directions to any part of the town you wish to visit or head to thereafter. Walks run at 10.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday and Sundays from April until end September, starting from the Lions at the Bargate in the City Centre. The cost is £7, children below 16 are free, but must be accompanied. Walks will then take place on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter months October – March, commencing at 1.30pm at the Bargate (but not on 24 or 31 Dec). The majority of City Centre Car Parks are well placed for access to the Bargate, especially the Eastgate and Albion Place Car Parks. Please note parking is free on the Western Esplanade on Sundays until 1pm, which gives time enough to enjoy our Sunday ‘Hidden History’ summer morning walk! * For 2023/24, Southampton’s two guiding associations, See Southampton and the Southampton Tourist Guides Association are working in partnership to deliver a series of Southampton History Walks on weekends throughout the year. SEE Southampton – More history than you ever imagined!
Events
See Southampton – Upcoming events and tours
Contact
Contact and bookings We will be delighted to speak to you concerning any aspect of a visit to Southampton, accessibility, volunteering, or to arranging a private tour for you or your group in the City. Tel: +44 (0)7770 842728 Email: info@seesouthampton.co.uk See Southampton SouthamptonHampshire, UK Meeting & starting point at Bargate, Southampton (by the statue of the lions).
See Southampton Heritage Guides
Welcome to See Southampton Heritage Guides Welcome to See Southampton Guided Tours See some of Southampton’s wonderful architectural, historical and cultural heritage with our tour guides. Tours & Events Private Group Walks Book a walk for a group or private party, tailored for your interests, with a qualified local history expert. Contact us Accessible Guided Tours Guided tours are for everyone! We offer a sign language interpreter, voice amplifiers, ramps, lifts, and accessible toilet facilities. More information More history in Southampton than you ever imagined! See Southampton Heritage Guides is a team of qualified local heritage experts and tour guides, delivering an entertaining programme of walks and talks for visitors, cruise ship passengers and local residents. Events & Tours Walking Tours of Southampton’s Medieval Walls, Towers & Wine Vaults Book Events Walking Tours of Southampton’s Medieval Walls, Towers & wine vaults with our qualified guides every Saturday & Sunday Starting at 1:30pm in April, June, August & Oct 2025, and at 10:30am in May, July & Sept 2025. Meet at the Bargate (by the lions) in Southampton. Explore the hidden history of Southampton – from the Romans to the Normans, to the city’s years as an elegant spa town, and on to the amazing part the city played in the Second World War as a military port and home to wartime industry. Visit the medieval walls and wine vaults, and hear the stories of Southampton’s most famous ships, including The Mayflower and The Titanic. Hear tales of Southampton’s famous residents, including Jane Austen, as the city celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane’s birth. Tickets: £10 each – book online or pay on the day if places are available (cash or by card) The Westgate Visit the historic 14th Century Westgate, one of the main gates leading into medieval Southampton. Henry V with his band of brothers on their way to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 passed through West Gate, as did the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620, ready to board the Mayflower at the busy, bustling medieval West Quay. Explore the fascinating story of the Mayflower as told in the Westgate, along with exhibitions commemorating the 80th Second World War anniversaries of VE-Day (8 May 1945) and VJ-Day (15 August 1945), the 70th anniversary of the launch of Southampton’s heritage steamship, SS Shieldhall, and the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen in 1775, a famous resident of Southampton. Free entry, open Sundays 10:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00. See Southampton Sunday walks from April – September will conclude at the Westgate, allowing a short time to visit. Southampton’s Hidden History Let us reveal the hidden history of your city! Southampton history walks depart the Lions by the Bargate at 10.30am and 1.30pm on weekends between April – end September, and then at 1.30pm during the autumn and winter. Hidden History walks are being staged by See Southampton and Southampton Tourist Guides Association, supported by Go! Southampton. Book Events Click poster for dates & details Talks at Portswood and Woolston Libraries – FREE! Library talk dates & times A series of Wednesday evening talks covering the history of Southampton is being given by See Southampton guides and Bevois Mount History at Portswood Library during 2025. There is free admission to the talks, which commence at 7.30pm. Dates for Woolston Library talks will be announced shortly. Portswood Library (SO17 2NG) talks programme, arranged by The Friends of Portswood Library: 12 March – Southampton’s Parks, Ally Hayes & Wendy Stokes 9 April – Victorian Cruising, David Hornsby 14 May – Southampton’s Nationally Renowned Carriage Makers, Godfrey Collyer 11 June – The Shieldhall – 70 Years Alive and Still Steaming! Nigel Philpott 9 July – Significant Southampton Mayors and the First Lord Mayor, Ally Hayes & Wendy Stokes 13 August – Jane Austen’s Southampton Connection, Jack Wilson 10 September – Isaac Watts’ Statue, Ally Hayes & Wendy Stokes 8 October – More Stories from the Stonemason’s Yard, Godfrey Collyer and Peter Shawyer If you would like to book a talk, our team is always happy to provide guest speakers on a range of subjects. Contact us for details. Jane Austen 250 and VE/VJ Day 80th 2025 sees many events taking place to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. Our rota walks will reference Jane’s connections with Southampton, and visit a number of the locations she would have known well – and we’re also running special, dedicated Sunday morning Jane Austen in Georgian Southampton tours, starting at 11am from the Westgate, Westgate Street, on 9 March, 6 April, 4 May and 8 June 2025. Weekend See Southampton walks will also mention the role that Southampton played during the 2nd World War, and will stop at the famous American Wall / D-Day Wall throughout 2025, close to the Westgate Exhibition. There remains an opportunity to view our free-to enter 80th anniversary D-Day exhibition at the Westgate, and to learn of the 80th anniversary of VE/VJ Day in 2025. Map and Tour – “From Parks to Port” See Southampton’s Accessible Guided Tours We ensure that our Accessible Guided Tours are accessible to those with (visible or non-visible) physical and learning difficulties, and are wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly. Accessibility Information “From Parks to Port” – See Southampton’s map with Accessible Trail See Southampton have produced a map that details accessible places of interest, and includes lifts, toilets, ramps and facilities that can be easily accessed by wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Information & Map Award Beautiful South Award See Southampton has won a prestigious accolade at the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2023. Read the full article in the Southern Daily Echo Reviews Click here to leave us a review!