Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Southampton Ruins of Holyrood Church

Ruins of Holyrood Church

Now a memorial to merchant sailors and Titanic victims, this medieval church was destroyed by bombing raids in 1940.

Southampton, England

Added By
E Capemarsh
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Interior of the ruins with anchor memorial.   Jim Linwood
Holyrood Church Ruins   Richard Nevell
Memorial to those who lost their lives at sea.   Christophe.Finot
Interior   Christophe.Finot
Ruins of Holyrood, with St Michaels’ easily spotted spire in the background.   southpix
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  Lana Velkov / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  Lana Velkov / Atlas Obscura User
  Lana Velkov / Atlas Obscura User
Memorial wall   jooniur / Atlas Obscura User
Color & Texture   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Southampton city center is a strange mixture of medieval relics and 1950s architecture, a legacy of World War II bombs and often misguided 20th-century town planning. The tragic ruins of Holyrood Church, first built in 1320, are a permanent reminder of this history. In November 1940, using the recognizable white-painted spire of neighboring St. Michael's Church as a guide, the German Luftwaffe dropped 800 high-explosive bombs and 9,000 incendiary bombs on the blacked-out port city. Much of the historic city center and dockyard, including seven churches, were badly damaged or destroyed, yet nearby St. Michael's, with its easily spotted spire, was saved.

After the war, Holyrood Church was spared the fate of other historic buildings damaged in the "Southampton blitz" bombing raids. Rather than removing the remains, the bombed-out ruins were dedicated in 1957 as a memorial garden to the memory of merchant sailors who used to worship there, including the 549 Southampton-resident sailors killed on board the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Holyrood Church was restored in 2004, when the whole structure was once more at risk of collapse. Around £670,000 of U.K. Heritage Lottery Fund money was secured to preserve the ruins.

Embedded in the pavement just outside the church is a metal cross. The main story associated with this cross is that during the 1862 opening of the Hartley Institution, people lined the road to observe the event and some spectators even climbed the church to get a good viewpoint. A stone was dislodged from the church as it was climbed and tumbled to the ground below, luckily, no one was injured or killed, but a cross was installed to mark the impact point and remember the close call.

Related Tags

Bombs Ruins Churches Memorials Sailors Titanic Medieval World War Ii Sacred Spaces Military

Know Before You Go

The Holyrood Church ruins are on the corner of High Street and Bernard Street,  adjacent to the large anchor. When open, the inner courtyard is fully accessible.

Southampton has numerous other medieval relics spread throughout the otherwise modern city, and it's worth taking the time to seek them out.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Edited By

jooniur, willfaulkner, SEANETTA, rbenn250...

  • jooniur
  • willfaulkner
  • SEANETTA
  • rbenn250
  • Lana Velkov

Published

June 28, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton_Blitz
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyrood_Church
  • http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/titanic/trail/locations/9443605.Holyrood_Church/
  • http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/15198967.Funds_raised_to_build_memorial_for_Southampton_sailors_killed_in_Titanic_sinking/
Ruins of Holyrood Church
42A High St
Southampton, England
United Kingdom
50.89956, -1.403688
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The D-Day Wall

Southampton, England

miles away

Southampton Wall Cannonballs

Southampton, England

miles away

Pilgrim Fathers Memorial

Southampton, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Southampton

Southampton

England

Places 11

Nearby Places

The D-Day Wall

Southampton, England

miles away

Southampton Wall Cannonballs

Southampton, England

miles away

Pilgrim Fathers Memorial

Southampton, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Southampton

Southampton

England

Places 11

Related Places

  • Inside the old cathedral.

    Coventry, England

    Coventry Cathedral Ruins

    The bombed out remains of the old church were kept intact next to the new one, as a reminder of the futility of war.

  • The head of Virgin Mary.

    Nagasaki, Japan

    Head of the Virgin Mary

    The statue's head is one of the few fragments of the original Urakami Cathedral to survive the atomic bomb.

  • Old and new churches side by side.

    Berlin, Germany

    Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

    An imperial church bombed to ruins during WWII now stands as a jagged memorial.

  • Montcassino Abbey.

    Cassino, Italy

    Montecassino Abbey

    This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

  • The Rotunda of Mosta.

    Mosta, Malta

    Rotunda of Mosta

    This spectacular dome managed to survive after being bombed in World War II, in an event known as the "Miracle of Mosta."

  • The church ruins serve as a symbolic reminder about the casualties of war.

    Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France

    Ruined Church of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire

    The 16th-century church was kept in its ruined state as a reminder of the casualties of World War I.

  • Church of St. Mary in Luebeck, the bells, partly melted during the fire in WWII.

    Lübeck, Germany

    The Broken Bells of St. Mary's

    The bells remain in a shattered heap exactly as they fell when the church was bombed in World War II.

  • London, England

    The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

    One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.