A little history for Tudor fans
On 20th July 1554 Southampton port was full of ships bringing the royal bridegroom Philip of Spain to marry Mary Tudor. He stayed in Southampton for three days before travelling to Winchester Cathedral where he married Mary Tudor. Unsurprisingly it rained for the full three days of the king's visit. In St Michael's church Philip of Spain's chest which was placed some 34yrs later.
In 1588 England and Spain were at war. A mighty armada was launched against Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I. As part of the defence fleet Southampton provided a ship called The Angel. The Spanish fleet was repelled off the Isle of Wight and their tight formation was finally broken when Sir Francis Drake sent in ships which had been set on fire and were sent into the midst of the wooden Spanish ships whilst they were at anchor. With fire being the biggest fear when at sea the Spanish were forced to cut their anchors and flee. One of those fire ships was The Angel.
Many soldiers and sailors were injured and ventured to return home. Admiral Hawkins arranged for a chest to be set up in Chatham to collect alms for them. Many churches around the country followed his example. These boxes were called Philip of Spain's chests.
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| Tudor House & Garden, Southampton |
Tudor House & Garden
Tudor House, built by John Dawtrey, is Southampton's most important historic building, covering 800 years of history on this one site. As you can see from the picture I took above, the house has a very impressive timber frame facing ST Michaels's Square and was built at the end of the C15th.
Both the house and Westgate Hall have been renovated thanks to a £3.5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a further £1.8 million from the Council.
Each room within the Tudor House is set in a different historical context, allowing the story of the house unfold as you walk through the house. In each of the rooms objects from various collections are on display and some of them are even available to handle.
After a tour of the house you can enjoy a cream tea in the cafe whilst enjoying the view of the garden which has been lovingly renovated with guidance from the original designer, Dr Sylvia Landsberg.
The cafe, garden and function room may be booked for weddings and corporate events.
Places to eat in Southampton
I'd recommend heading to Holyrood Place and along East Street for the best variety of restaurants and bistros. There are two pubs vying for the title of the oldest in the city. The Red Lion on the High Street and the Duke of Wellington on Bugle Street (pictured below). The Red Lion has the longest history as a pub dating back to the C12th. However, The Duke of Wellington pub has vaults and a cellar dating back to the C12th even though the rest of the pub is C13th. Saying that though, both are certainly worth a visit. I sat outside in the sunshine at The Duke of Wellingtons. Log fires are available in both pubs during the winter months.
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| The Duke of Wellington Pub, Bugle Street, Southampton |
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| Dolphin Hotel, High Street, Southampton |
The picture of The Dolphin Hotel above looks fabulous. Unfortunately that was the view of the hotel from my window. My part of the hotel was red brick. The room was modest and the bathroom had had a basic over.
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| Bathroom,The Dolphin Hotel, Southampton |
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| Twin Room, The Dolphin Hotel, Southampton |
