This is fantastic stroll through Southampton is regularly punctuated by the sight of colourful lighthouses marking out the ‘Light the South Art Trail’ this summer.

Leave Southampton Central station and head for the city, past Frobisher House with the Subway restaurant ahead.

Cross the traffic lights on Commercial Road, turn right and then the first left up Morris Road.

You’ll quickly leave behind the noise of double decker buses and heavy traffic as you follow the road up round beyond rows of semi-detached houses.

Cross at the end of the road and take a slight left before heading right into Henstead Road, opposite the Central Baptist Church.

Continue up towards the distinctive white painted pub The Bedford which will bring you onto Bedford Place.

Turn left for a short detour onto pedestrianised Carlton Place to see the first main lighthouse display, before retracing your steps down along Bedford Place past the diverse mix of eateries and convenience stores ahead of arriving at the main road.

Proceed safely through the roadworks into Watts Park where the Southampton Cenotaph stands.

Take a brief detour into adjacent East Andrews Park, before returning to Watts Park, passing the memorial and the statue of Isaac Watts and heading left out of the gate opposite Southampton City Art Gallery.

Follow the perimeter of the art gallery round until you reach the SeaCity Museum.

Take in the next exhibit, then retrace your steps back up Commercial Road until you arrive at Above Bar Street.

Turn right and progress onwards until you reach the John Hansard Gallery on your left.

Turn onto the Guildhall Square Plaza and navigate left until you reach the Civic Centre car park.

Make your way to the busy Havelock Road intersection and cross over to where the Kingsbridge Lane sculpture is located.

Cross back over the intersection to Portland Terrace and continue until you reach the subway.

Advance through the subway and climb the steps the other side of the road beside the pawnbrokers and take a left up Ogle Road.

This will bring you back out onto the main outdoor shopping area on Above Bar Street.

To view the next lighthouse on the trail, turn left and head to the entrance of Palmerston Park.

Then head towards Bargate, swinging right and follow Portland Terrace around until you reach the entrance to Westquay (where you can see Waterstones opposite as you walk through the door).

Make your way to John Lewis and on you left you will see the colourful ‘Little Lights’ display of eight lighthouses in the middle of the shopping centre.

From here exit out past M&S and Carluccio’s Italian restaurant and extract yourself from the shopping centre until you reach Harbour Parade on the ground.

Keep going beside the Westquay complex until you reach the steps outside Showcase Cinema, then walk down the ramp into the outdoor amphitheatre area beside the city walls.

Turn away from WestQuay, with the city walls on your left and head straight down the footpath, ignoring the signs for the Walls Walk and the Arcades.

Eventually the sea breeze will reveal the harbour ahead as you follow the trail around Town Quay.

Where there is an fork in the road ahead which presents an opportunity to join the Walls Walk, follow it and you will arrive around the back of the Platform Tavern.

Turn immediate left on the cobbled street here, and follow the line of Victorian lamp posts until you reach the end of the Back of the Walls path.

Head left up Briton Street and then into Old Town by turning right on High Street.

Here you will arrive at the ruins of Holyrood Church.

Take another right here along Bernard Street and follow until you can turn right up Queensway.

Keep going until you see the open black gates to Queen’s Park on your left.

Proceed through before crossing over the traffic lights at the Vokes Memorial Gardens.

Enjoy the exhibit here before crossing back into Queen’s Park and strolling in a straight line on through to Latimer Street, which leads you to Oxford Street on the right.

This is a great location to stop off for a drink with a wonderful selection of pubs to pick from.   

Continue through Oxford Street where it connects with the A33 and head left alongside it until you reach Terminus Terrace, which offers some respite from the heavy traffic beside the wall on the right.

Once you get to the end, cross the A33 and make your way to the City Commerce Centre, before taking the stairs up Chantry Footbridge over the railway line.

Once you descend the other side, take a sharp left and go towards a children’s play area.

Follow the main cycleway until you see a sign for Anglesey Terrace. Head up there, then turn left into Paget Street.

The top of St Mary’s football stadium will now be clearly visible in the distance.

Continue along Paget Street, cross Chapel Road and then follow Granville Street through the industrial area until you arrive at the football stadium.

Head right up to where the final lighthouse exhibit stands which marks the end of the trail.

  • Written by David Jones, Senior Press Officer at Ordnance Survey

Walking route at a glance

Start: Southampton Central Railway Station, Blechynden Terrace, Southampton, SO15 1AL.

Distance: 7.89 kms

Time: 2hrs 1 minute.

Difficulty: Easy

URL: https://explore.osmaps.com/route/21695245

Map: OS Explorer OL22 (Map of New Forest – Southampton, Ringwood, Ferndown, Lymington, Christchurch and Bournemouth)

Toilets: Southampton Central Railway Station (numerous others around route)

Recommended Pub: The Grapes, 41-43 Oxford Street, Maritime Quarter, SO14 3DP

OS Maps App rating: 5 stars

Three tips to navigate with OS Maps App

1. The red triangle on the OS Maps App is your friend. Hold your phone out in front of you like a torch, and if you turn 180 degrees, so will the triangle. That points you in the direction you need to go.

2. Don’t slavishly follow the red line on the route. Remember, in OS Maps App, this line is only a navigational guide. Pay close attention to the pathways (denoted by black dotted lines on the map). In practice these are the markings you’ll need to make your way around on the ground.

3. Keep an eye on the app whenever approaching forks in the route. Use common sense - if a suggested path looks untrodden or in bad condition, then stay on the main one.

Download OS Maps App from the Ordnance Survey shop. Full annual subscription is available for £34.99.