Lesley Bellew finds a pre-cruise stay that floats her boat
After driving into Southampton to board a cruise ship at the same time as tens of thousands of football fans flooded into the city to see a home match at St Mary’s Stadium, I vowed that next time I would book a pre-cruise hotel stay to avoid the stress of being late.
And what a stroke of genius that turned out to be.
I stayed at THE PIG-in the wall, the smallest in The Pig Hotel group’s litter. The public space is a cleverly curated all-in-one living and dining room/reception/open kitchen and deli counter where you could happily spend many hours.
There are books, antiques and china on the dresser, nick-nacks on the fireplace, windowsills crammed with geraniums in terracotta pots – and the smell of freshly baked bread.
However, I was on a mission to see explore Southampton so see ‘Late to the party’ below for more on THE PIG-in-the-wall.
Although the Daily Telegraph recently gave the city 1/10 for visitor appeal I found the hotel’s position alone was 10/10 for cruise passengers, on the edge of the Western Esplanade, a five to 10-minute drive or taxi ride to the cruise terminals – and within a walk of all the attractions.
THE PIG-in the Wall is next to the town’s medieval walls (the third longest in the country bar York and Chester), built after King Edward III gave orders to enclose the city following a raid in 1338 by the French and Genoese, who snatched valuable wine and wool.
My bedroom window overlooked Westgate, one of the city’s principal Norman arches which led to what was bustling West Quay with boatbuilders at work and ships loading and unloading cargo.
Henry V led his troops through the gate to board ships to France for the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and in 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers walked through before setting sail on The Mayflower to the New World.
The hotel is also next to the ruins of King John’s Palace, one of the finest examples of 12th century domestic architecture in the UK. It no longer has a roof but is filled with picnic benches for an exceptional al fresco experience.
I entered King John’s Palace via the Tudor House & Garden Museum which takes visitors through centuries of life in Southampton and offers workshops, activities and walking tours specific to visitors’ interests including The Mayflower, novelist Jane Austen (who lived in Southampton for three years from 1806 and enjoyed walking the walls for her daily constitutional) and Southampton during the Blitz.
During my walk around the walls, including a climb up 13th century God’s House Tower at Town Quay for views over The Solent, I found Southampton an exceptionally friendly city, not just the staff at every attraction but local people who are proud of their heritage as so many still have links to the docks, cruise lines and ferries.
Twice, while stopping to take photographs, someone stopped to point out places of interest; a cyclist showed me graffiti on the brick wall opposite King John’s Palace where US soldiers carved their names before crossing to Normandy in 1944, and next to Westgate, a dog walker gave me a potted history of the Old Town and Southampton’s association with RMS Titanic.
Southampton’s biggest tragedy
RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton for New York on April 10, 1912 and at the SeaCity Museum the scale of loss, after the ship hit an iceberg. Numbers are not exact but from a total of around 900 crew, some 714 were from Southampton and it is thought 549 perished, making it the city’s biggest single tragedy.
Next to the SeaCity Museum is the Southampon City Art Gallery which has undergone a multi-million refurbishment. Its freshly painted echo of deco arched ceilings with colourful stripes by French artist Daniel Buren, and a large arched window, make it a bright and inviting space.
Only a fraction of the 5,000-strong art collection is on display but I am impressed to find Early Renaissance triptychs to contemporary art by leading British artists.
I loved ‘Loading Timber at Southampton Docks’ by Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson (1889-1946) – you can almost hear the cranes and blasts from ships’ funnels in this futurist painting.
Frank Auerbach (1931-2024), who became one of Britain’s leading post-war painters, features with ‘JYM1’, his friend and model Juliet Yardley Mills, while Anthony Gormley’s Untitled (Diving Figure) 1963 adds to a pleasing visit.
I crossed the road to the Mayflower Theatre to find a huge auditorium and almost every one of the 2,271 seats full for the To Kill a Mockingbird matinee. The programme ahead includes Cats, Six, Back to the Future and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Maiden of Venice which could add nicely to a pre-cruise stay.
90th anniversary of the Spitfire
You can’t write about Southampton without mentioning the Spitfire, the British fighter aircraft developed and produced at the Supermarine Spitfire factory in Woolston, a suburb of Southampton. Designed by local engineer Reginald J. Mitchell, the prototype K5054 made its maiden flight from Eastleigh Aerodrome (now Southampton Airport) on March 5, 1936 and went on to represent the Royal Air Force’s finest hour in the Second World War Battle of Britain.
A host of events, including flypasts, commemorative flights and walking tours, will mark the 90th anniversary. For details read this blog post.
There’s a full-size model of the Supermarine Spitfire F.24 PK683 and a 1:5 scale model MK IX MJ250 at the Solent Sky aviation museum, with enthusiastic volunteers ready to share their knowledge.
The museum is a hanger crammed with about 20 aircraft including sea-planes from when Southampton was the only UK port where passenger-carrying flying boats operated. I loved boarding the giant 1943 Beachcomber flying boat (originally a Sunderland III and converted into a Sandringham four years later). The passenger compartments, comprising six seats with leatherette armrests and built-in ashtrays, were big enough to walk around to enjoy the views. Those were the days.
Late to the party
So, you know that feeling when meeting old friends you haven’t seen for a while but pick up where you left off? That’s the vibe back at THE PIG-in the Wall. Enter the all-in-one living room to be greeted by friendly staff who are both efficient and knowledgeable, not only about the hotel but the local area. They make time to chat in a relaxed, natural manner and nothing’s a rush or too much trouble.
My room is painted in restful lavender-grey with heavy patterned curtains and shutters for the sash windows. The bed is huge and comfortable with quality linen.
However, eating at The Pig is the real treat. Home-grown fruit and vegetables to produce including honey and eggs from the hotel group’s gardens, plus locally sourced slow-reared meat make all the difference. The heavenly breakfast buffet was just the start before a full ‘PIG-out’ of bacon, sausage, eggs, tomatoes and potatoes cooked to perfection in one pan and washed down with a seriously good coffee.
As for dinner, the lamb meatballs with onion gravy on mashed potato were a triumph and, yes, I caved in to a soft, warm treacle tart with cream.
Find out more
A night’s stay for two on a room-only basis at THE PIG-in the wall starts from £145 including parking. If you can stretch to two nights, do so because while Southampton does not have a showstopper cathedral, castle or royal crescent, it has, by smaller increments, all the components that add up to a 10/10 city stay before your cruise. If you are not cruising, just visit anyway!
