When Sotonians would go for a swim in Southampton's waters

This practice was so commonplace that even the eccentric Jonas Hanway, famed for being the first male Londoner to carry an umbrella, took note during his visit in the 1700s.

“Certainly the women are well covered when they enter the sea and, as proof of the fantastical taste of the age in which we live, they flounce their pinked bathing vestments,’’ wrote Hanway.

Jonas Hanway (Image: Echo)

Over the centuries, Southampton has welcomed a diverse array of notable figures, from poets and military men to authors and artists. Each visitor left their unique imprint on the city's history.

As early as 1635, Southampton was being praised for its amenities.

Lieutenant Hammond of the Military Company described it as a town with pleasant gardens.

“Southampton has many pleasant gardens, orchards, cherry grounds, walks, and a fine bowling ground, where many Gentlemen, with the gentle merchants of this town, take their recreations.’’

Daniel Defoe, author of "Robinson Crusoe," also noted the city's "noble, fair High Street" and "spacious quay" during his visit in the early 1700s.

Daniel Defoe (Image: Echo)

“Tour through England and Wales’’, he later noted: “The town was large, with many people in it, and possessed a noble, fair High Street, and a spacious quay.’’

However, not all visitors were equally impressed.

Thomas Gray, a poet and classical scholar, found Southampton "full of bathers and lodgings, very dear" in 1764. He complained about the lack of coffee houses, booksellers, and good pastry cooks.

Just five years later, Mrs. Constantia Orlebar, a diary writer and keen meteorologist, braved the cold waters in long flannel gowns and socks, despite nearly drowning due to swallowing seawater.

“I rose above the water near strangled, by not shutting my mouth, with the quantity I inadvertently swallowed,’’ said Mrs Orlebar.

Despite the challenges faced by early visitors, Southampton's natural beauty continued to captivate those who experienced it.

The Reverend William Gilpin, an artist, was struck by the city's "picturesque appearance" in 1798.

William Gilpin (Image: Echo)

Mary Mitford, a novelist and dramatist, visited in 1812 and was so enthralled by Southampton that she compared it to "the capital of Fairyland."

Mitford wrote: “The very motion of its playful waters, uncontaminated by commerce or war, seems in unison with the graceful yachts, while the shores, fringed with oak to the very margin, and studded with the fairest vestiges of ancient magnificence and modern comfort, seem to connect the past with the present, like the wild, yet bewitching imagery of a poet’s dream.’’

Even in more recent times, Southampton has continued to evolve and attract visitors.

In more recent times, albeit 75 years ago, The Times newspaper wrote of Southampton: “It is modest in size and has a good standard of living, some skilled men are willing to make their home there.

“The problem for the planners is how to control this prosperity without creating a blackened urban sprawl across the Hampshire countryside.’’

Today, Southampton remains a vibrant city with a rich history.

Its transformation from a modest bathing town to a bustling metropolis is a testament to its enduring appeal and resilience.