Southampton

Southampton stands at the head of a sheltered inlet on England's southern coast. Its medieval merchants traded wool and imported wine through a port linked to France and the Mediterranean. The Bargate, the principal entrance to the old walled town, recalls the wealth and importance of a harbour that served both commerce and the Crown.

A French raid in 1338 devastated Southampton and prompted the strengthening of its walls and other defences. In 1415 Henry V's army embarked here for the campaign that culminated at Agincourt. Two centuries later, in 1620, the Mayflower and Speedwell sailed from Southampton with a group of passengers bound for North America; the ships were forced to put in at other English ports when the Speedwell proved unseaworthy.