Southampton Port History

In 1014 Viking Canute defeated Ethelred The Redeless and was pronounced King of England. After it was conquered by the Normans Southampton Port became a rich and prosperous area and the entire town was fortified with magnificent walls which were deemed necessary after the French invasion of 1338. When this work was complete Southampton became one of the strongest fortresses in England and was a mighty and formidable structure.

From the mid 1700's to the early 1800's Southampton was a popular spot for bathing and many tourists flocked to drink the mineral drink of the famous spa town and enjoy the sea. Southampton is also famous for being the port that the legendary Titanic sailed from on her doomed maiden voyage.

The Second World War was a bad time for Southampton as the Luftwaffe levelled 630 buildings and damaged a further 3500, however the D-Day landings were partly launched from Southampton with more than three million troops departing.

In the last few years Southampton Port has seen many alterations and modifications to keep it in touch with modern demands and today is one of the UK's premier ports.