How to get to Romsey

How to get to Romsey

The historic market town of Romsey is well connected with the rest of England by road, rail and, indeed, air. The centre of Southampton, the major economic centre of the region, is just seven miles away.

A map of the area is provided at the foot of the page, prefaced with suggestions of other places to visit whilst you’re here..

Travellers by car from London, eighty miles away, should follow the M3 to Southampton and then take the M27 Westbound at Junction 13. Turn off the M27 a mile after the Services at Junction 3 and then take the third exit at the roundabout.

You should now find yourself on the M271, heading towards Romsey. At the the roundabout at the end of the motorway spur, take the A3057 and, two miles further on at the next roundabout, turn left onto the A27 and cross the railway bridge for the final approach to Romsey.

Shortly after a pedestrian crossing, a mile later, you will come to another roundabout . Take the first exit left and at the next roundabout – quite a small one – take the third exit.

The town square, Romsey
The town square

The Abbey is signposted. Follow the road left around a sharp corner and past the rear of the Dukes Mill shopping centre and you will arrive in the town square as shown in the picture. The Abbey is just around the corner as shown.

Travellers by car from Oxford (seventy miles) and the North should follow the A34 to Winchester and then join the M3 to Southampton, taking the M27 Westbound and then following the instructions above.

Travellers by car from either direction along the South Coast should join the M27 and then leave it at Junction 3, taking the M271 Northbound towards Romsey. Subsequent instructions then apply.

Travellers by car from Bristol (eighty miles) and Bath (seventy miles) should follow the A36 via Warminster and Salisbury and then turn onto the A27 at a set of traffic lights seven miles to the South of Salisbury. Follow the road for ten miles until you arrive at a T-junction at a foot of a hill just outside Romsey. Turn left and then left at a small roundabout four hundred yards further. The road is signposted for the town centre and will take you to the Market Square.

Travellers by rail from London, the North and elsewhere on the South Coast should travel to Southampton Central and then catch a connecting service to Romsey provided by Alphaline Trains. Passengers from London and the North could, alternatively, alight at Winchester and catch the SouthWest Trains’ RailBus directly from the railway station to the bus station in Romsey. Travellers to Romsey from Salisbury and Bristol benefit from a direct service. The national rail timetables can be consulted online to plan your journey at www.railtrack.co.uk

Southampton has its own airport, primarily serving business travellers, with a station on the mainline rail network. Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with their worldwide connections, are sixty and a hundred miles away respectively.

Where else to visit

King John’s House, a Thirteenth century merchant’s house just a few yards away from the Abbey. It boasts early Fourteenth century wall grafitti, original roof timbers and also serves as a town museum.

Broadlands
Broadlands viewed from the West

Broadlands, the former home of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma and initial destination of the Prince and Princess of Wales on their honeymoon in 1981. The house and museum is open during the summer months only.

Mottisfont Abbey, a National Trust property renowned for its rose garden and a room decorated by Whistler. Open from March until November, it is situated three miles to the North of Romsey.

Full details of these and many other places of interest, concerts and attractions can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre (tel. 01794 512987), just off The Hundred and nearly opposite the Waitrose supermarket in the town centre.

Map of the Romsey area

Ordnance Survey Landranger mapping is now available on the Streetmap site. To download a map on which the Abbey is clearly marked, which you can then print for reference, click here.