Southampton Weather

Native bluebells carpet the ground under oaks, hollies and hawthorns in Southampton Old Cemetery, alongside violets, primroses, wood anemones and celandines - one of the best free bluebell displays in the city, and a genuine ancient-woodland indicator.

Usually peaks around mid-April, next expected from around 15 March (137 days).

The Common holds one of the largest populations in Britain of the nationally rare great crested newt - the species behind much of the Common's Site of Special Scientific Interest status. They are strictly protected, so please just look, do not disturb pond edges.

Usually peaks around April-May, next expected from around 1 March (123 days).
Tonight's forecast low of 11°C is mild enough for newts to be active.

26 of the UK's 59 resident butterfly species have been recorded in Southampton Old Cemetery alone, drawn by its mix of wildflowers, scrub and mature trees.

Usually peaks around July-August, next expected from around 1 May (184 days).
Today's forecast (16°C, cloudy) is cooler/duller than butterflies prefer - they are far more active on warm, sunny, still days.

The oak-rich Old Cemetery and surrounding woodland are a reliable spot for jays - one of the Common's most striking birds, especially conspicuous in autumn while they cache acorns for winter, one at a time, often burying hundreds.

Usually runs until around 15 November.

The oaks and beeches around the lakes, and along the historic tree-lined Avenue (planted since at least 1763), turn gold, copper and red - a genuine free autumn-colour walk a short way from the city centre.

Usually runs until around 20 November.

The Ornamental Lake and Cemetery Lake carry swans, ducks and geese year-round, with numbers swelling over winter - an easy, reliable bit of birdwatching close to the city centre.

Usually peaks around December-January, next expected from around 1 November (3 days).

Built on the site of the former Southampton Zoo (open 1961-1985, closed after welfare protests over its management), the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre now has displays on the Common's natural history and how the city manages its open spaces for wildlife. It sits at the south-east corner of the Common, close to The Avenue and The Cowherds pub, with the small car parking area nearby. A good first stop for context before exploring the rest of the Common, and often runs seasonal events and activities - check the council's own page below for current opening times.

Opened in 1846 after 10 acres were split from the Common under an 1843 Act of Parliament (with further land added in 1863 and 1884), this Victorian cemetery is now as much a nature reserve as a burial ground - the volunteer Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery group manages it for both. It is the single best spot on the Common for bluebells (see Nature Diary above), has recorded 26 of the UK's 59 resident butterfly species, and its mature oaks make it one of the best places locally to see jays, especially while they are caching acorns in autumn. The main entrance, with its Grade II-listed 1880s gateway bearing Southampton's coat of arms, is on Cemetery Road to the south-east.

Formed in 1881 by tidying up a disused, water-filled gravel pit, Cemetery Lake sits right beside the Old Cemetery and is popular for birdwatching. It is one of two main lakes on the Common (the other being the Ornamental Lake to the north), both part of the same Rollesbrook stream catchment that drains much of the site.

Built in 1888, partly as a job-creation scheme, the Ornamental Lake is a crescent-shaped, two-level lake with a small dam and waterfall between the levels. It carries swans, ducks and geese year-round and is a good stop on a longer loop of the Common's north-west sector, near Copse Bushes and Big Mogshed.