Medieval town
Historic Medieval Southampton
Start at the Bargate and follow the stones of the old walled town, from merchant vaults and defensive gates to stories of trade, raids, civic pride, and everyday life.
Walking tours in Southampton
History told where it happened.
Explore Southampton's medieval streets, port stories, literary landmarks, and wartime memory with Kay, a knowledgeable local guide with proper sparkle.
Next confirmed date
Historic medieval town of Southampton
Saturday 25 July 2026, 1:00pm
Meet at the Bargate, by the lions
Pay what you want
Explore the old walled town through its gates, vaults, merchant streets, and stories of medieval Southampton.
Local, lively, researched
Southampton is not a footnote.
The city has been a Norman port, a medieval walled town, a Georgian resort, an ocean liner gateway, and a critical embarkation point in wartime. Kay's walks turn that layered history into an afternoon on the streets, with the odd surprising detour when the stones start talking.
Tour programme
Different walks, different days
Each theme is a separate Southampton walking tour, exploring a different strand of the city's history on foot.
Wartime city
Southampton & the Second World War
Trace the port's wartime role through bombing, air-raid shelters, Spitfire production, D-Day preparation, and the service personnel who moved through the docks.
Literary streets
Jane Austen's Southampton
Walk the old town streets Austen knew as a schoolgirl, holiday visitor, and resident, including the city where she lived from 1806 to 1809.
Maritime memory
The Titanic
Explore Southampton's deeply local Titanic story, from the liner's 1912 departure to the crew families, memorials, and city-wide grief left behind.
Why walk Southampton?
A port city with layers under every pavement
Bargate becomes the main entrance
The Bargate was built as the principal entrance to Southampton's medieval walled town, later serving civic, commercial, and wartime shelter roles.
Walkable medieval walls
Southampton's old town still has a pedestrian circuit of medieval walls, with interpretation panels and views across the historic waterfront.
Jane Austen lives in the city
Austen's Southampton years connect the novelist to the old town, the Dolphin, Castle Square, and the Georgian resort city by the water.
Titanic sails from Southampton
The disaster hit Southampton especially hard because so many members of Titanic's crew gave local addresses when they signed on.
Your guide
Walk with Kay
Kay brings Southampton history out of the archive and onto the street: vivid, well-researched, warm, and tuned to the people in front of her. She is also a very experienced primary school teacher, and is happy to lead school groups interested in Southampton history. Expect careful facts, big local energy, and room for questions.
What guests say
Warm words from recent walks
Kay was excellent and very knowledgeable. Saw a lot of places I have never been before and learnt a lot!
It was a fabulous informative tour, I can't wait to learn more.
Highly recommended!
Booking
Come curious. Wear good shoes.
Ask Kay about public walk dates, private tours, primary school visits, community groups, or a custom Southampton history theme. As an experienced teacher, she can adapt the route, length, and level of detail so the walk works for your group.