A Walk through Southampton

In 1805 the antiquarian and astronomer Sir Henry Englefield wrote a beautifully illustrated walking tour leading readers through the streets of Southampton. He offered insights into the city’s fascinating historical past, including some fanciful stories about the buildings he was exploring. Since then, much of the fabric of the city has changed with many of the elements he highlighted having been removed through the slum clearances of the twentieth century and bombing during the Second World War. In this book, we retrace Sir Henry’s footsteps and examine key city sites, such as the Bargate, Watergate, the town walls, Church of All Saints, Holy Rood Church, the medieval friary and sugar house, and the medieval vaults, as well as other curiosities he mentions, such as a cannon of Henry VIII and the arms granted by Elizabeth I.

Featuring a vivid selection of fascinating illustrations and 3D images and links to the city’s museum collections, here the Southampton of the past is brought to life. Join us on a walking tour through the historic town and find out how the city of Southampton has changed over the past 200 years.

Author Biography

Richard Henry is the Finds Liaison Officer for Wiltshire with a specialism in Roman numismatics and artefacts having been involved with the Portable Antiquities Scheme since 2006. He codirects the Past Landscapes project re-evaluating South Wiltshire primarily using PAS data, the project is based at the Salisbury museum. Andy Skinner is a public historian based in Southampton. Since 2012 he has worked at SeaCity Museum and Tudor House & Garden as an education officer where he spends his time delivering tours, workshops and events to a diverse audience, including school parties and adult groups. He specialises in the rich history of Southampton and has a particular interest in the Titanic, medieval Southampton and the Second World War.