Southampton: The City that Crewed the Titanic

By the time my train pulled into Southampton Central Station, I had been awake for nearly two days. After two flight legs and three train rides, I was utterly exhausted. But I was also exhilarated, eager to discover what stories Southampton had in store for me. My first lesson of the trip? To pack lightly! Never again will I travel with a large suitcase and 2 carry-on bags when three train connections stand between me and my destination.

Waterloo Station in London

The journey from London’s Waterloo Station to Southampton felt almost like traveling back in time. The train follows nearly the same route the Titanic passengers took in 1912 — the only difference being that their famous "boat train" continued all the way to the dockside platform, delivering the travelers directly to the ship. My journey, however, ended at Southampton Central Station. As the towns passed by my train window, I tried to imagine which of the old buildings those earlier passengers might have glimpsed along the way. It was a fascinating exercise—one whose answer I’ll never truly know.

Much of the view was hidden by tall trees lining the tracks. It struck me that some of them may well have stood there in 1912, shading the same rails that once carried Titanic’s passengers south toward the sea. It's almost as if, over the years, they've grown to form a living veil between past and present.

The White Star Tavern is a bar and restaurant with hotel rooms upstairs.

By the time I arrived in Southampton, the rain was coming down steadily. I quickly grabbed a taxi before I could get too wet. Soon after, I was checked into my charming room at the White Star Tavern — named for the company that owned the Titanic. The old building, with no elevator, had me once again regretting my choice of luggage. Posters of the great ship adorned the walls, hailing her as “The Queen of the Ocean.” Even in my tired daze, I paused to take them in — fascinated by these relics of hope and pride from a world that could not yet imagine what was to come.

A poster advertising the Titanic's maiden voyage

That evening, I crossed the street for dinner at The Grapes — the 19th-century pub where several Titanic crew members famously stopped for a last drink before their departure. Outside the pub, a plaque tells the story of the Slade brothers — three men who missed the ship after lingering a bit too long over their pints. They left with only ten minutes to spare, and when a passing train delayed their walk to the docks, they were denied boarding — a twist of fate that may well have saved their lives.

The Grapes is a Southampton tavern established in 1855.

Inside, the walls were covered with more Titanic posters, newspaper headlines, and other nautical memorabilia. On the TVs, Manchester United was playing, drawing in a lively Sunday crowd. While most were absorbed in the match, I was captivated by the ship’s relics, drinking in every detail I could. It struck me what an intriguing mix of past and present existed within that old pub that night.

The tavern walls are adorned with Titanic memorabilia including early headlines of the disaster.

The next morning, I was determined to brave the rain and visit some of the historic Titanic sites I'd traveled over 5,000 miles to see. The downpour continued as I made my way toward Canute Chambers, the old White Star Line offices, where families once gathered for news after the disaster. I managed to snap a single photo before the wind decided to make things more interesting. I struggled as it tugged at my umbrella. I thought I could win until a stronger gust proceeded to grab it, turn it inside out, and bend the handle beyond repair. With no working umbrella and sheets of sideways rain soaking me, I surrendered to the weather and returned to my hotel, dripping and temporarily defeated.

Families gathered outside White Star offices located here to learn news of their loved ones.

Later, determined not to waste the day, I took a taxi to the SeaCity Museum. Inside Southampton’s maritime museum, it was warm and dry  — a welcome escape from the storm outside. Southampton’s Titanic Story exhibit begins with an impressive model of the ship built entirely from LEGO. The display focuses on the role the city and its people played in the Titanic story.

The RMS Titanic built entirely of LEGO.

Of the 885 crew members aboard the Titanic, 724 were from Southampton; 549 of them died in the tragedy. A particularly moving exhibit was on the floor — a massive map of Southampton showing every household that lost someone aboard the Titanic. Standing over it was one of the most sobering moments of my trip. Each tiny mark represented a home with a family whose loved one did not return. It wasn’t just the number of deaths that struck me — it was how close together the names were, street after street, block after block. There was one street where every second house had suffered a loss. The numbers were staggering: 227 widows were left behind and 363 children under the age of fourteen no longer had a father. I could feel the loss woven into the fabric of the city, living on in her history today.

I didn’t make it to the docks or the memorials. The rain never let up, and my time in the city was limited. But in an unexpected way, that felt fitting. My brief time in Southampton wasn’t grand or cinematic; it was quiet, reflective, and deeply human. It reminded me that history doesn’t always greet us in sunshine — sometimes it meets us in fatigue and rain, and that’s when it feels most real.

Do you enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process? Subscribe to the blog for more posts like this, and follow along on Instagram @traveling_author_amy as I share updates from my journey.