Woolston Spitfire Trail: A Guided Walk on the Anniversary of the Raid

Thursday 24 September 2026, 10.00am

On the afternoon of 24th September 1940, the Luftwaffe attacked the Supermarine works at Woolston, where the Spitfire had been designed and was still being built. The bombs missed the factory, but fell short on the company’s air raid shelters and the workers leaving the factory. Two days later the bombers returned in force and destroyed both the Woolston and Itchen works, bringing Spitfire production to a standstill and forcing its dispersal into garages, a laundry and workshops across Southampton and beyond.

Eighty-six years to the day after that first raid, join Alan Matlock, Chair of the Southampton-based Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust, for a guided walk along the ground where it happened.

What the walk covers

Alan will trace the history of the Supermarine company from its beginnings, through the genius of R.J. Mitchell and his design team to the bombing of September 1940 and the extraordinary dispersal of production that followed. Along Hazel Road you will see at least six of the Spitfire Makers commemorative blue plaques, placed at Supermarine-related locations, and in some cases on the actual buildings, where hundreds of Spitfire makers worked – and where some of them died.

The walk is illustrated throughout with period photographs, and enlivened by first-hand accounts from the people who lived through those vital years in the history of Southampton, the country, and beyond.

Inside the old works

At the end of the walk you will be taken into the Landau Marine premises on Hazel Road, built on the site of the former Supermarine Woolston works. Their reception area holds an original worker’s tool chest, vintage photographs and other aeronautical memorabilia. Complimentary refreshments are included.

Practical details

• Date and time: Thursday 24 September 2026, 10.00am
• Meeting point: The R.J. Mitchell Memorial, Hazel Road, Woolston, Southampton SO19 7SP – just past the lamp post on the left, nearly under the Itchen Bridge.
• Map pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QDtMNRwz5UHCA42X9
• Duration: 90 to 120 minutes
• Distance: Just under two miles
• Cost: £15 per person, including a complimentary copy of the Woolston Spitfire Trail map and refreshments at Landau Marine. Additional copies of the map are available on the day for £1.
• Places: Limited to 20.
• Parking: Oakbank Road Car Park, 6 Oakbank Road, Woolston, Southampton SO19 9DT. Three hours £1.50, five hours £4.00.
• Accessibility: The route is level along Hazel Road, with one steep climb up Sea Road and steps down to Lower Vicarage Road at the end. A slightly longer route avoiding the steps is available – please let us know when booking so we can plan for it.

Your guide: Alan Matlock is Chair of the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust (registered charity no. 1215147), which commemorates Southampton’s Spitfire heritage through its blue plaque scheme, trail maps and education work. A contribution from every ticket goes directly to the Trust.

Book your place

Twenty places only, and this walk falls on the anniversary itself.