The sure sign that any city is worth visiting is the presence of a Pig.

Not the pink, squealing type – although I’m sure plenty of them once ran through the medieval streets of Southampton – but the oh-so-cool hotel chain that signifies a destination has truly made it.

So it’s a nod to the history and modern-day vision of the Hampshire port city that it was chosen as a base for one of the boutique venues.

Step inside The Pig In The Wall – so named because it is built into the city’s medieval wall – and you enter a shabby chic country house setting.

It’s like stepping back in time, which is fitting as Southampton itself is a haven for anyone who wants to enjoy more than just the spectacle of the giant cruise liners coming in to dock.

There’s history here dating back centuries and you don’t have to walk far to find it.

I stroll into the high street and close to Poundland and Burger King sits the famous, castle-like Bargate, complete with arrow slits and turrets.

This served as the main entrance to the walled town when it was built around 1180.

It also served as an air-raid shelter during the frequent bombings in World War II.

God’s House Tower, built in 1189, was at one time a defence against attacks by sea.

It later became a storehouse for gunpowder and cannons, then a prison, then a mortuary.

Right now, it is a museum as well as an art gallery and cafe.

Sadly, Titanic exploration has figured highly in the news recently.

But Southampton’s exhibition about the transatlantic liner serves as a timely reminder that it was from these docks that the doomed ship set sail.

Here you can listen to audio interviews with survivors of the tragedy and read newspaper headlines from when news broke in 1912.

On a lighter note, it’s move over Bath – because Southampton has its own Jane Austen trail for fans to follow, marking the time the author spent living in Castle Square.

A thriving student population, meanwhile, feeds into a buoyant live music scene, with the O2 Guildhall for headline acts, and smaller venues such as The Joiners and a jazz club held at the Stage Door theatre.

Students and hipsters flock to the busy vegan Cafe Thrive, while those with the fattest wallets can park their yachts at Ocean Village, the waterfront area redeveloped from commercial dockland in the 1980s.

In the evening, as lights sparkle on the harbour, it becomes a bustling destination where visitors dine, go to the cinema, or bed down in five-star splendour at the Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa, which was built six years ago in the shape of a large cruise ship.

Locals, tourists, tired Londoners and cruise ship passengers flock here to dine and enjoy cocktails with a spectacular riviera-style view.

It’s the perfect place to dock.

What you need to know

Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa, from £185pn standard double with breakfast,

Pig In The Wall, double rooms from £170pn.

The White Star Tavern, from £120pn with breakfast.

For more information go to Visit Southampton.

Source: Read Full Article