Southampton
The history of Southampton, as a settled site, reaches back in time almost 2000 years. In the 1st century AD the Romans established a harbour at modern-day Bitterne on the eastern bank of the River Itchen, one of the two rivers that flow into Southampton Water. This Roman port was called Clausentum and by the 4th century it had been reduced in area and surrounded by a defensive stone wall - excavations in 1951-4 revealed the remains of a number of stone buildings from the Romano-British period, including a bathhouse.
The next recorded settlement on the site is the Saxon port of Hamtun, important enough in the 8th century to give its name to the county of Hamtunsiir, thus Hampshire, while the Domesday Book version Hantescire provides the modern abbreviation of Hants. It is here at the site of the future Southampton that King Canute (1017-35) is reputed to have ordered the tide to recede. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, William had landed more of his troops at Southampton, and the township grew rapidly under Norman rule, as the port of convenience situated between Normandy and the then English capital of Winchester.
During the Norman period the northern entrance to Southampton was the famous Bargate, one of the best preserved medieval gatehouses in Britain. It is an elaborate structure cluttered with lions, classical figures and machicolations; having served as a medieval guildhall and court house, it is now home to a splendid museum. Shakespeare is said to have presented his new plays to his patron, the Earl of Southampton, at Bargate. Dating from about the same period is St Michael's Church, situated in the old French quarter and founded around 1070, it is the oldest church in Southampton.
Despite suffering hugely at the hands of the Luftwaffe in World War II, Southampton still possesses some of the best-preserved medieval town walls in England. They were built to encircle the town in the 12th century as protection against French sea raiders, who frequently burnt down coastal towns. In 1338, the latter had attacked Southampton, laid it waste and slaughtered many of its inhabitants. France was punished for these incursions in 1346 when Edward III led an army from Southampton and ultimately to victory at Crecy. By 1385 the stone walls were rebuilt and incorporated 29 towers and 7 gateways, of which 4 only survive - Southampton was now one of the strongest fortified towns in England.
The wall on the south side of Bargate Street leads to Arundel Tower, the remains of the Norman Castle, evocatively nicknamed 'Windwhistle' and its neighbour is 'Catchcold'. These chilly names were apt because until the 19th century the sea lapped the entire length of the western wall, which felt the full force of westerly winds - this stretch of wall is the best surviving part.God's House Tower, on the corner of the south-east wall, was built in the 15th century and is one of the earliest examples of artillery fortifications in Europe - it houses the Museum of Archaeology.
Other surviving ancient buildings include the Tudor House, a typical 16th century structure with half-timbered walls, overhanging gables, mullioned windows and oak-panelled rooms, furnished in the style of the period. The house also has a reconstructed Tudor garden - both house and garden are open to visitors. Holy Rood Church was damaged beyond restoration during air-raids in 1940, but the 600-year-old tower has been preserved as a memorial to dead merchant seamen. By the sea front, the Wool House is a fine 14th century testament to Southampton's historical importance as an exporting port for wool; the building now houses a Maritime Museum but was formerly employed as a gaol for Napoleonic prisoners in the 18th century, some of whom carved their names on the crossbeams. Southampton's oldest tavern, the 'Red Lion' dates from the 12th century; the 'Dolphin', built in 1432 and rebuilt in 1760 with elegant bow windows, and 'The Star', a late Georgian structure, were both originally coaching inns.
The success of modern Southampton has been made by its docks and its strategic maritime location on a triangular peninsula, between two rivers giving easy access inland, and on a deep-water natural harbour with the benefit of double high tides. Everyday, crafts of all types sail from the famous dockyards on the peninsula up the 8-mile stretch of Southampton Waters to the Solent and beyond - liners to America, cruise ships to the Mediterranean, car ferries to Europe and hovercraft & hydrofoils to nearby Isle of Wight.
Southampton Docks have been home to the world's greatest ocean liners, The Mauretania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and latterly Queen Elizabeth II. These liners have plied the Atlantic Ocean from late Victorian times onward, reaching their heyday in the 1920's and 1930's. The voyages to New York have taken on a legendary air - before air travel everyone needing to cross the Atlantic had to do so by sea.
Outside the West Gate in Western Esplanade stands the Mayflower Memorial, a tall stone column commemorating the spot from which the Pilgrim Fathers departed for the New World in 1620 in their ship Mayflower. A sadder maritime memorial stands in East Park, a white-marble sculpture is dedicated to the engineer officers of the ill-fated Titanic, all of whom died when the liner struck an iceberg in 1912, four days after leaving Southampton Dock on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The Maritime Museum contains various mementoes from the Titanic.