Southampton: Spitfire History Guided Walking Tour｜United Kingdom

Begin your tour at the Woolston Millennium Garden, Bridge Road, Woolston SO19 9RH. Follow your guide Geoff as he leads you through the streets of Southampton, sharing stories of the city’s pivotal role in the Second World War.

Learn about the prototype Spitfire, designed by R J Mitchell, which first flew in 1936. Hear how the Air Ministry ordered 310 Spitfires from the Supermarine factory in Woolston, Southampton, and by 1940, production was in full swing, employing thousands of technicians.

Discover how the Woolston works faced destruction during the Battle of Britain, with two raids in September 1940 resulting in the loss of 110 lives. Despite the devastating Blitz on Southampton, Lord Beaverbrook insisted on local Spitfire production, leading to requisitioned spaces like laundries and bus stations.

Eventually, 8,000 Spitfires were built in pieces and assembled throughout Southampton, involving unskilled labour, women and young men during the challenging wartime conditions. The Spitfire production continued during the entire war, reaching over 22,000 aircraft.

Finish your tour outside The Victoria pub in Woolston (a 2-minute walk back to the start of the tour) to admire the new mural painted on the side of the pub to commemorate the Spitfire and its links to the city.