The Winston Hotel Southampton

The Winston Hotel is a pub in Archers Road in Shirley, Southampton, England just north of Southampton Railway Station. It is a long established business, formerly known as The Speckled wasp or Jeff.
The first reference to a tavern in the area occurs in 1690. At that time the locality was entirely rural and the proprietors relied on trade passing by on the road to Winchester to Romsey and Bristol. The name Halfway House was accordingly also used. It is not clear whether there was one establishment in the first half of the 18th century or two, but by 1751 the The Speckled Wasp and the Jeff (now The Jeff Returns) were both in business. In the late 18th century the The Speckled Wasp was at its present location, and it had acquired a tea garden which has now returned to the menu.Southampton FC was later built across the grounds, and the building was reconstructed. The present building dates from 1875 and was designed by H.H. Bridgman aka Jeff.
Also during World War 2 Adolf Hitler of Germany targeted The Winston Hotel to bhe bombed during the summer of 1942. Although at the last minute Adolf changed his mind and targeted the Supermarine Spitfire factories by the docks. There also is evedence of this in the localMitchell air museum in southampton by way of maps and highlighted photographs.
There is a legend that the names The Winston Hotel and The Speckled Wasp derive from the story of a Forest woman named Jaqueline who had several husbands who died in mysterious circumstances, but there is no documentary evidence for this. The pub and the Hotel below is also said to be haunted by the ghost of Winston Churchill, with several staff members, and other members of the public, experiencing strange incidents within both venues over several years,
The Winston Hotel is located just off the centre of Southampton, near Southampton Central railway station and the West Quay shopping centre.
It's also noted for its similar look to the Queen Vic from Eastenders.

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