Setting & Character
The marina occupies a working stretch of the Itchen opposite Kemps Marina, with heavy-duty pontoons, dry-stack activity and the unmistakable silhouette of a large boat hoist. St Mary’s spire and city roofs sit behind the yard, but the immediate mood is industrial and purposeful rather than promenade. This is a service centre first: secure lift-outs, storage ashore and marine trades clustered around boats that need work done.
Arrival by Sea
Treat Southampton Water as a commercial approach from the outset. Keep clear of commercial shipping and beware of cross-Solent high-speed and Ro-Ro ferries, keep a listening watch on Southampton VTS (VHF Channel 12), and follow current port directions.
MDL’s published directions: at the Weston Shelf green buoy, near the junction of the Rivers Itchen and Test, keep to starboard up the Itchen and observe the 6-knot speed limit. Pass under the Itchen Bridge and past Shamrock Quay, then follow the left bend. Saxon Wharf is to port, opposite Kemps Marina.
Call on VHF Channel 80 or by telephone for a berth before the final approach. Check depths and bridge clearance with the marina before arrival, especially with a tall mast or a deep keel on low tides. This Guide does not reproduce turn-by-turn pilotage: live charts, almanacs, ABP information and marina instructions govern the day.
Berthing Experience
MDL offers visitor and short-stay berthing on fully serviced, heavy-duty pontoons, including three-phase electricity, for vessels up to 40 metres. Berths are allocated by the marina, so this is not a casual drop-in quay: call ahead.
Expect a working-yard atmosphere. Lift movements, dry-stack activity and trade vehicles are part of the place. Take the assigned berth and any assistance offered.
Facilities Afloat
MDL lists showers and toilets, Wi-Fi, CCTV, car parking and a service centre, and the site is staffed 365 days a year. Confirm fresh water and power for your allocated berth on arrival.
Fuel and pump-out are not available on site. MDL directs boats to Hythe Marina Village or Port Hamble Marina for fuel, and to Hythe for pump-out. For a café, laundry and chandlery, sister marina Shamrock Quay is a short distance downriver.
Marine Services
Saxon Wharf’s identity is the yard. MDL publishes a 200-ton boat hoist, storage ashore, heavy-duty pontoons for craft up to 40 metres, and a dry-stack facility for boats up to 13 metres with on-demand launch and lift. Many marine trade businesses are based on site.
That suits owners planning lift-outs, repairs or full refits as much as overnight visitors. Confirm length, beam, displacement and the work required directly with the marina or the relevant trade.
Ashore
Northam and the city centre are close by road. Westquay, the cultural quarter and the wider Southampton waterfront are within easy reach, and Shamrock Quay and Ocean Village are short hops for food, chandlery and a change of scene. Southampton Central station and the motorway network make crew changes and contractor visits practical.
Check a live journey planner and opening hours for the dates of your stay.
Best For
Owners planning lift-outs, refits or dry-stack use; larger craft needing heavy-duty pontoons; crews wanting a working bolt-hole up the Itchen with the Solent a marked river passage away.
Less Suitable For
A town-quay night out beside restaurants; skippers who need fuel or pump-out alongside; anyone seeking a quiet rural river mooring.
History & Local Character
The Itchen’s banks have mixed city, industry and seafaring for centuries, and Saxon Wharf continues that working tradition. What matters to a visiting skipper is continuity of work: boats still come here to be lifted, stored and put right, close to one of Europe’s great commercial ports.
Nearby Cruising
Downriver lie Shamrock Quay, then Ocean Village and the junction with Southampton Water. The River Hamble, Hythe, Cowes and the central Solent are natural next legs once clear of commercial traffic, with Portsmouth Harbour a few miles east. Shape every leg with current charts, forecasts, VTS information and harbour directions.
Skipper's Notes
Call Saxon Wharf on VHF Channel 80 or 023 8033 9490 before the final approach and follow berth instructions. Monitor Southampton VTS on Channel 12 through Southampton Water. Check depths and bridge clearance with the marina before arrival. Plan fuel and pump-out separately via Hythe or Port Hamble, and book lifts, dry-stack or refit work ahead with accurate vessel dimensions.
Old Sea Dogs View
Saxon Wharf is where Southampton still builds and mends boats. Come when the job list is longer than the wine list.
Information checked against official sources
The practical information in this Guide was checked against the official source record below on 6 October 2026. Operational details can change.
- MDL Saxon Wharf official information
- Southampton VTS
