The Area
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Southampton's Cruise Terminal & Prices - For everything you'll need to know about Southampton's Finest cruises
Things to do in Southampton & the surrounding areas:
If you are visiting the City of Southampton, you will not be short of things to do and see. As a coastal city with a thriving port and rich heritage, Southampton is an interesting place to visit. Stay in Southampton for a week and, after a busy seven days, you will find that you have eaten at some great restaurants and that there are enough attractions and activities for a return visit.
Musical Theatre
If you enjoy musical theatre, a visit to The Mayflower should feature on your list of things to do in Southampton. The theatre has developed a reputation for hosting many of the top touring musicals – some straight from the West End. Book in advance to secure the best tickets.
Ballet, opera, live music and comedy shows are also regularly performed at the theatre.
Look out for the special restaurant nights hosted in the Wessex Suite at the theatre. Combined packages – dinner plus a ticket - are available.
Southampton Hall of Aviation
You do not need to be to be an expert in aviation history to enjoy a visit the Southampton Hall of Aviation where you can follow the story of 26 aviation companies and the development of the legendary Spitfire. The Spitfire was designed in Southampton at Supermarine by RJ Mitchell and played a significant role in the defence of the UK during WW2.
Southampton and the surrounding area have played an instrumental part over the years in the development and design of military and civil aircraft and the museum brings this fascinating slice of history to life with an impressive range of exhibits.
The Boat Show & Cruises
If you are lucky enough to visit Southampton during the Boat Show (11th – 20th September 2009), do not miss the opportunity to visit the show with over 600 exhibitors featuring over 850 boats.
Visitor numbers easily exceed 100,000 and the show provides an excellent day out for the family whether you are experienced sailors, newcomers to boats or simply interested spectators.
One of Southampton’s other claims to fame is that it is home to many cruise ships and superliners. During the year, there are over 165 visits by cruise liners to the Port of Southampton. Visitors include the QE2, Queen Mary 2, members of the P&O fleet including Arcadia, Artemis, Aurora, Oceana and Oriana. In April 2006, the Southampton docks also hosted Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas which set sail from the port for its naming ceremony in New York. The ship can accommodate up to 4,375 passengers and has its own surfing pool complete with wave machine, a rock climbing wall and a skating rink.
To see the ships, consider going to the western bank of Southampton Water or Hythe Marina village for a really good view or, if any of the Cunard fleet are in dock, take the ferry from Hythe to Southampton. The ferry goes directly passed the Cunard berth.
Southampton Sea City Museum
Based at the heart of Southampton, SeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of the city, their fascinating lives and historic connections with Titanic and the sea. Visit SeaCity Museum and Southampton to discover how we bring maritime history to life through an interactive experience designed for all ages.
The museum is open 6 days a week (closed Mondays). For further details go to www.seacitymuseum.co.uk
Shopping
If you enjoy a little retail therapy, then head for West Quay shopping centre.
At the time of its opening in 2000, West Quay which boosts 800,000 sq ft of retail space, was the largest City Centre shopping mall in Europe.
The shops include an M&S and a John Lewis department store. The centre has a wide range of places to eat and lots of parking spaces. The parking spaces are generous in size.
For more information go to the West-Quay website
Adjacent to West Quay is The Mall. This shopping arcade has few major chain
stores but does feature some local shops and services which provide variety.
If you are in Southampton on a Sunday check whether the Hampshire Farmers’ Market is running on that day. It is close to West Quay in the Bargate area. To check dates for the markets, go to Hampshire Farmers’ Market
Swimming
After a little shopping indulgence, you may want to check out The Quays Swimming and Diving Complex. With 3 pools – including special diving facilities - it is a modern and conveniently located complex. A gym is also available on the same site.
Contact details are:
27 Harbour Parade
off West Quay
Southampton
SO15 1BA
Hampshire
Tel: 02380 72 0900
Southampton City Art Gallery
If funds are getting low, the final activity is absolutely free. Spend some time at the Southampton City Art Gallery and enjoy around 200 pieces from its internationally renowned collection.
The Gallery holds over 3,500 works covering 6 centuries of European art history. Its earliest work is by Allegretto Nuzi and dates back to the Italian Renaissance in the 14th century. More recent artists whose work is included in the collection include Sir Stanley Spencer, Matthew Smith, Anthony Gormley, Tony Cragg, Richard Long, Liam Gillick, Fiona Rae and Dan Hays.
The Gallery also hosts a range of exhibitions and offers fun activities for children. Call 023 8083 4563 for further details.
Food and Drink
With two Universities, a thriving business community and a tourist population, Southampton has a wide range of restaurants and places to eat. Click on the link to view some of our favourites – restaurants in Southampton.
Further Afield
For a great family day out close to Southampton visit Paultons Park. This theme park is located close to the New Forest – just off exit 2 of the M27.
The park caters for the whole family but it is especially suitable for families with children up to the age of 12. There are over 50 rides and attractions within the park and almost every activity is included within the entrance price.
Even the very young children are catered for with inflatables, train rides, feeding the penguins, a playground and a whole range of roundabouts. Changing facilities are located throughout the grounds.
If you have a full day (or even a few days) to spare, then hop on a Red Funnel ferry across to the Isle of Wight. There you will find great beaches, fantastic walks, golf, Carisbrooke Castle, Osborne House (Queen Victoria’s summer home) and Ventnor Botanic Gardens.
Southampton University
The University of Southampton was originally the Hartley Institute, founded in 1862. The University was granted Royal Charter in 1952. Today Southampton is a top 10 UK research university, ranked 80th in the world – among only 19 UK universities to make the top 100 (The Times Higher Education Supplement 2007).
Living and learning at Southampton is a unique, exciting experience. Our state-of-the-art facilities and supportive environment create an impressive recipe for personal success and rich opportunities for the future. We have five campuses in Southampton and our School of Art in nearby Winchester. The main campus is just two miles from the city centre.
On England’s south coast, around one hour from central London and Heathrow Airport, within easy reach of open countryside, the University enjoys an outstanding location. Major European cities are just a short flight from Southampton Airport. This cosmopolitan city provides a warm welcome to our 20,000 students, including 3,250 international students from 130 countries. The city offers a vibrant mix of recreation, culture and entertainment, from cinemas, theatres, concert halls and art galleries, to a wide variety of sporting facilities and one of the UK’s top 10 shopping centres
Academic strengths
Ranked 13th in The Guardian (online) and 14th in The Times league tables, Southampton has a worldwide reputation for academic excellence and leading-edge research. In the last government Research Assessment Exercise, 24 out of 34 subject areas obtained the highest possible ratings of 5/5*. We are the leading UK university for engineering, with all departments rated 5*. The latest assessment of UK teaching standards awarded us the highest level of achievement for our educational provision.
Facilities
Sustained investment across the University (£200 million over four years) ensures that all our students benefit from world-class facilities.
A room in halls is guaranteed for all first-year students and all unaccompanied non-EU international students for the full normal duration of your studies (conditions apply). Most rooms are single study-bedrooms, with phone, internet connection and university network access. There are around 1,700 computer workstations throughout the University.
There are six University libraries, housing 2.6 million books, journals and reports. Our Centre for Language Study offers pre-sessional summer English courses. Throughout the academic year there is a varied programme of English language and study skills support classes.
Student life
The student scene is based around the main campus, although Southampton city centre is nearby – one of southern England’s top leisure and cultural destinations.
The Students’ Union supports more than 120 clubs and societies, covering areas such as politics, sport, culture and religion, and including Chinese, Singaporean, Mexican and Thai societies. The University’s Chaplaincy Centre welcomes people of all faiths, and has a separate Muslim prayer room with washing facilities.
The Jubilee Sports Centre is an £8.5 million complex, with a 25m, six-lane swimming pool, eight-court sports hall and 160 fitness stations.
Our two International Student Advisers at the Students’ Union Advice and Information Centre offer assistance with practical issues like finance, immigration and visas. Our two Academic International Student Advisers provide advice on academic matters. We provide a free Meet and Greet service from London Heathrow Airport for our international students, plus a Welcome Programme to help you settle in. We offer a large number of subject-specific scholarships.
Enjoy your time in Southampton and the surrounding area.
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