Southampton Common

The Common is a much loved and well used green space and in 2007 the Common received a Green Flag Award for the first time, recognising its excellent standards of green space maintenance and management. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest it is unique and requires specialist management to ensure that its status and biodiversity is maintained.

The Green Flag also covers the Old Cemetery and the Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery (FoSOC) hold many walks, talks and tasks where you can find out more about this historical site.

The Common is a great venue for events and the Hawthorns Wildlife Centre is open all year round to visitors. The Common is one of the UK’s most important wildlife sites, and internationally listed as a site of excellence… So caring for it is one of Southampton City Council’s most important jobs.

The Paddling Pool

The Common is also home to the Paddling Pool facility, which is a free facility to enjoy over the summer months. Under normal circumstances the pool will be open at the following times:

24 May to 23 July: Monday - Sunday 10am-6pm
23 July to 5 September: Monday - Sunday 10am-7pm

Paddling Pool opening may be subject to change due to adverse weather conditions. For more details about the paddling pool, please contact the Outdoor Sports Centre on 023 8079 0693.

Southampton Common map

Southampton Common is situated approximately 2 miles north of the city centre. The Hawthorns Urban Wildlife centre can be found at the southern end with parking on Cemetery road.

Follow this link for a more detailed view of The Common. (note: large file therefore download speeds will vary. Typically 17secs on 56k dialup and 1sec on 1mb broadband).