Win a pair of return flights to Southampton with Aer Lingus on WLR thanks to Cork Airport.

Aer Lingus Regional flies to Southampton all year-round from Cork Airport. Southampton itself is an attractive port city that is also the ideal gateway to discovering the unique charms of the English countryside and the truly gorgeous towns and villages of Hampshire. Nearby attractions include the New Forest, the picturesque cathedral towns of Winchester and Chichester, and the idyllic lanes and fields of the South Downs National Park.

Top Ten Things to do in Southampton

1. Visit Tudor House and Garden

The magnificent Tudor house in St. Michael's Square was built in the late 15th century for a wealthy merchant family. Now a museum, it displays exhibits from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, as well as periodic exhibitions encompassing more than 900 years of local history. Visitors can use free audio guides while enjoying the reconstructed kitchens and numerous artifacts, including Georgian and Victorian jewelry, and archaeological finds from the medieval and Tudor periods.

Tudor House gives a unique and atmospheric insight into the lives and times of both its residents through the years, and of Southampton itself. It appeals to visitors of all ages and interests, who find the family-friendly activities, interactive technology and fascinating displays a winning combination.

For more information on Tudor House click here.

2. SS Shieldhall

Part of Britain's National Historic Fleet, SS Shieldhall is the largest surviving working steamship of her type in Europe. Built in 1954 as one of the Clyde sludge boats, this impressive vessel has been fully restored and provides a working example of the machinery typical of the great ships that plied the world's oceans between the 1870s and 1960s.

In addition to educational and sightseeing outings, the ship regularly appears in the Southampton Maritime Festival, a two-day heritage event held each summer that brings together a host of activities, displays, and attractions, including historic vessels, vehicles, and fly-overs by vintage aircraft.

For more information on SS Shieldhall click here.

3. Solent Sky

Solent Sky uses a fantastic collection of models and photographs, as well as 19 magnificent flying machines, to tell the story of Southampton's aviation heritage. The region is famous for its experimental and development work between 1908 and the late 1960s, the most famous being the iconic Spitfire. Showpieces of the museum are the huge Sandringham flying boat and the Supermarine racing seaplane (the predecessor of the Spitfire) that won the Schneider Trophy in the early 1930s.

For more information on Solent Sky click here.

4. Ocean Village

East of Southampton's old town, Princess Alexandra Dock has been transformed into a modern leisure and shopping center. Smart yachts are moored in the harbor in front of Canute's Pavilion, with its designer boutiques, gourmet restaurants, cinemas (including one for art house and foreign-language films), boat trips, sailing facilities, and great views of the cruise ships moored in the Eastern Docks.

For more information on Ocean Village click here.

5. Sea City Museum

SeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of Southampton and their role in Britain's rich maritime history, including the stories of those who departed from (or arrived in) the port over the centuries. It also tells the story of Southampton's connection to the ill-fated Titanic, which sailed from the port in 1912.

The 1930s art deco Civic Centre that houses this fascinating museum is also home to the Southampton City Art Gallery, with its interesting selection of some 3,500 works, including old masters and English artists from 1750 to the present, as well as a valuable collection of ceramics.

For more information on Sea City Museum click here..

6. The Titanic Trail

The Titanic departed Southampton on her doomed maiden voyage to New York, and as a result numerous sites around the city are associated with the vessel. One of the best ways to learn about the city's connections to the ship is through the informative Titanic Trail (maps are available from local tourism offices and many popular tourist attractions across the city).

Along the way, you'll visit the remarkable Titanic Engineers' Memorial in East Park, a beautiful bronze and granite monument unveiled in front of a crowd of 100,000 Southampton residents in April 1914 (none of the ship's 35 engineers survived). Nearby is the Titanic Musicians' Memorial, dedicated to the ship's musicians.

For more information please click here.

7. Visit Bargate

The Bargate is very much ‘The Story of Southampton’ – an iconic landmark that has graced the town then city for over 800 years. On this visit, you will explore the Bargate interior and roof, and learn of its role as a Guildhall, Prison and Museum.

survivor of the 2nd World War bombing raids that saw over 3500 Southampton buildings and homes destroyed, the Bargate has been described by architectural historian Pevsner as ‘probably the finest town gateway in Britain’. Both an entrance and exit to the medieval walled town, hear tales of how the Bargate has played a pivotal role in Southampton’s history, welcoming the Kings and Queens of England from Henry II to Elizabeth I. In more recent times the Bargate became a thoroughfare for traffic, including Southampton’s much-loved trams, which had to be especially designed to pass through the Bargate’s central arch!

On this visit, you will explore the Bargate interior, seeing the famous Queen Anne statue (why is she missing an arm?!) and age-worn paintings of Southampton’s legendary Bevis and Ascupart.

For more information please click here.

8. St Mary's Stadium

St. Mary's Stadium in Southampton, England, has been the home stadium of Premier League club, Southampton F.C. since 2001. The stadium has a capacity of 32,505 and is currently the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London. Since the 1980's, when Southampton regularly challenged the best sides in the English league, there had been talk of the club relocating to a new stadium to replace The Dell due to the old stadium's cramped location which made it unsuitable for major expansion work.

For more information please click here.

9. Mayflower Theatre

Be part of a 2,300-strong crowd, and watch a spectacular UK touring musical, opera, ballet and/or musician at the Mayflower. The theatre offers you an award-winning restaurant, VIP boxes and meeting rooms, as well as two fully licensed bars, perfect to enjoy a quick vino before the show starts.

10. Netley Abbey

The magnificent ruins of Netley Abbey, founded in 1239, have inspired many English writers, poets, and artists over the years, most notably the painter John Constable. The village of Netley is also worth visiting and is associated with famous people such as Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, which Florence Nightingale helped design. It's also where Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional Dr. Watson was said to have trained. Nearby is the Royal Victoria Country Park, which covers some 200 acres of woods and parkland, as well as a small shingle beach.