Tudor House & Garden (Southampton)
I didn’t have any idea what I’d find inside the Tudor house. I just happened to be in Southampton, it’s on all the ‘to do’ lists and the location fit in with the half-day I had to fill. I assumed it would be an English Heritage kinda thing, so I figured why not. When I bought my ticket the cashier excitedly told me “Ooh! You’re just in time for the 10 minute intro video. We’ll get you right in!” I was hurriedly ushered into a pitch black room by a gentleman who whispered “there’s a bench on your right” and then just as quickly disappeared, closing the door behind me. I was expecting a dryly narrated documentary, possibly running off a DVD, to pop-up on a screen somewhere. That’s not what I got.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed candles flickering on and off as magic wand style wisps of light danced across the walls. Before you could say copyrightous infringeamanti the voices of “spirit ghosts” filled the silence and welcomed everyone to the room. It seemed a bit cheesy, but I quickly found myself amused and highly engaged by their storytelling and banter. It was a very clever way to communicate what, on paper, would be rather boring records of the ancestry and architectural enhancements to the house. I was so engrossed that after the curtains opened at the end, filling the grand room with light, I apparently lingered just a little too long trying to get a closer look at some of the details I’d just heard about. The spirit ghosts came back onto the PA to shoosh me out of the room, saying they had new guests to greet. It’s the best telling off I’ve ever received!
For the rest of the tour you’re on your own, and I suspect you’ll miss those ghosts. I find museums are most enjoyable when I focus on the things that call out to me. But Tudor house has so many artefacts and crumbling details fighting for your attention that I regretted not getting the audio guide upgrade. I just didn’t want to spend all my time reading info cards. Why is there never a helpful ghost when you need one! The highlights, though, aren’t that hard to find. They’re clearly marked with circular signs.
Because the house and grounds encompass over 800 years of renovations and upgrades, different areas are presented in the context of a specific era or occupant. You’ll learn about Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Victorian and even the 20th century inhabitants of the house. Some rooms have been faithfully recreated, while others are filled with glass cases displaying actual items discovered on site. There’s also plenty of donated local artefacts and some modern interactive touch screens. But the most fascinating aspect for me were the quirky architectural elements.
Many of the rooms have “reveal” windows that let you peek back in time at the structure of the building, or see how it was previously decorated. At one point you’ll need to lay on your stomach in order to peer into a tiny little window that shows a lingering bit of century-old wallpaper. (No. I didn’t do that myself.) You can also explore what’s left of King John’s Palace, a rather grand Norman stone home that’s now part of the site. King John was rumoured to have stayed there, hence the name. And if, unlike me, you properly plan ahead you might be lucky enough to join a special tour of the attic or the WWII air-raid shelter in the cellars.
For an 800-year old house with barely any straight walls left, the venue is highly accessible for wheelchair users, and other impairments have been thoughtfully considered as well. There’s a separate Explore Room specifically for younger visitors, and a cafe that overlooks the beautiful gardens, which contain some contemporary sculpture that manages to fit right in.
As the spirit ghosts explain when they welcome you, 800 years of occupants have used and optimised various aspects of the house and grounds to suit their needs. So there’s a wild variety of things for you to see and I suspect that, much like the previous owners, some things you‘ll like more than others. But unlike the previous owners, you’re not allowed to brick up windows you disagree with. Have fun exploring!
Plan your visit
‘Tudor House Museum’ is open Mon-Thu 10am - 3pm and weekends 10am - 5pm.
Tickets from £7 adult / £6 child / concessions & discounts available
Visit tudorhouseandgarden.com for more info about the venue and to confirm opening days & hours.
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!