Five historic Southampton pubs you can visit this weekend

But for the moment, going to a pub is a much different experience to before, with strict social distancing rules and other measures in place.

Southampton is a city full of history, and that includes some of our favourite pubs.

Here are just five of the charming and historic pubs in Southampton that might be worth a visit:

The Red Lion Inn

The Red Lion Inn.

Built in the late 15th century, The Red Lion Inn on High Street is believed to be one of the city's oldest pbs.

Local legend says that the half-timbered room - known as 'the court room' - was the location of the trial of the conspirators in the Southampton Plot, which took place in 1415, about 75 years before the foundation of this building.

It's told that Henry V held the trials Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, who were all charged with conspiring to kill the King. All three were found guilty and condemned to death.

The pub is also supposedly haunted, with locals claiming it is home to 21 ghosts. This includes a grey-haired woman who is often seen standing behind the bar.

The Juniper Berry

The Juniper Berry.

This pub on Castle Square was once the home of Jane Austen, world-famous author of classic works such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

Jane and her widowed mother came here in 1807 to stay with her brother, Frank, a naval captain, and his wife.

Jane lived here until early 1809. She and her family moved to the village of Chawton, where she lived for the remainder of her life.

The Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington.

This historic building dates back to 1220 and can be found on Bugle Street.

It was built on top of Norman vaults and cellars and was owned by one of the city's first Mayors, Benedict Ace.

In 1338, a French raiding party made up of thousands of soldiers, sailors and pirates set upon Southampton. The ransacked and damaged several buildings including this pub, which needed extensive repair.

In 1494 the venue was bought by Dutch brewer Roland Johnson, who came over to the UK and opened up a brewery and pub for the first time.

It has remained an Inn ever since and has bore silent witness to some of the city’s most historical events.

In 1771, it was renamed The Shipwright's Arms after the many ship workers and sailors that lived in the area. Finally in June 1815, it was named The Duke of Wellington, to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Waterloo.

The Grapes

The Grapes

Found on Oxford Street, The Grapes is a grade II listed building that was built during the early 19th century.

The Grapes is a popular city pub affectionately nicknamed the Titanic Pub because of its collection of Titanic photographs and memorabilia. This includes a full-sized blueprint of the ship's design.

It was formerly a haunt for sailors and crew of all type due to its location close to Southampton Docks.

The Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis

The Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis on Canute's Pavillion was formerly the official headquarters of the Eastern Docks, Southampton’s first purpose built dockyard.

The foundation stone for the new dock was laid on October 12, 1838, by Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis in front of a crowd of around 20,000 people.

Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis was a career Naval man, who rose quickly through the ranks and became the Captain of the HMS Magicienne at 24-years-old.

He served in the Napoleonic War, most notably during the blockades of the French-held islands of Ile Bonaparte and Ile de France in the Indian Ocean.

Once he returned to England, he was made a Companion of the Order of Bath in 1815, a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath in 1862 and then Admiral of the Fleet, the Navy’s highest rank, in 1864.

The venue is now a JD Wetherspoon.