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HARBOUR, HIGHRISES AND HISTORY: our family weekend in Southampton
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outhhampton really is a city of contrasts: from its old stone ruins steeped in history to modern highrises and sprawling green spaces. We walked to the majority of the activities from our hotel, as they were all less than a 30-minute walk away. But the city has a great bus service, with buses on many routes coming every 10 minutes – and you can pick up a day pass for just £2.50 per person.
We kicked off our weekend with a visit to the SeaCity museum (seacitymuseum.co.uk), which tells the story of the people of Southampton, their lives and historic connections with the sea. You don’t have to be a ship enthusiast to enjoy the exhibitions, which include Southampton's Titanic story, the Gateway to the World and Southampton Stories. Discover what diners ate for supper on famous ships like the Queen Mary or Aquitania – fried calf’s feet anyone? A highlight for our eldest was the Titanic exhibition where you could pretend to steer a ship, work those muscles by shovelling coal into the boilers and even sit in the judge's seat in a mock courtroom to find out what happened in the aftermath of the Titanic sinking. You can also download the Titanic Trail 75-minute walking tour for free, which takes you to key locations around the city and port.
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Having worked up an appetite, we made our way to the city's Cultural Quarter for lunch at the quirky Piecaramba! (www.piecaramba.co.uk). As the name suggests, this restaurant specialises in pies – in fact, they have 20 different types, most of which are gluten free and with some great vegan options too. We ordered a Pie & Mighty meal: The Notorious P.I.G pie, filled with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and cajun potatoes topped with crispy shallots and West Country cheese, as well as classic mash and chilli minted mushy peas on the side. The portion sizes are not for the faint hearted, but it was one of the best pies we have ever tasted! Piecaramba! has fun at its heart. The restaurant is decorated with classic toys and there's even a Star Wars-themed toilet. Our daughter thought the Darth Vader hand dryer was hilarious. The indoor tables have retro games consoles, so kids and adults alike can play games while they wait for their food.
Tudor House & Garden
Georgina Probert, her husband and two daughters – aged 15 months and 5.5 years – spent the weekend in the fascinating city of Southampton to find the best family-friendly activities, restaurants and accommodation.
SATURDAY Discovering SeaCity
Lunch at Piecaramba!
SeaCity
While it may not look very big from the outside, the Tudor House (tudorhouseandgarden.com) is full of surprises. We started our tour with an immersive experience in the banqueting hall. Our guide warned us that it could be a little bit scary, but our daughters loved being in the dark, watching the video and light show, and listening to the story of the house from a selection of 'spirits'. It was the perfect time, around 10 minutes; long enough to keep their attention, but not so long that they got restless. It was a clever way of engaging kids in the history of the house. Highlights included standing next to a real Penny Farthing bike, learning about ships graffiti and looking at the huge cannon on the house ruins in the garden.
Tudor House
www.FamilyFirst.co.uk
