The suburb is situated to the north of the city centre, and is bounded by (clockwise from West) Southampton Common, Bassett, Swaythling and Portswood.

Some of these buildings, including Ivy Bank and Oak Mount, still stand, albeit in somewhat altered surroundings.

[1] Highfield House had a number of naval connections in the 19th century, being owned by Vice-Admiral Foote, Rear-Admiral Morier and then William Ogden.

It was occupied by Revd Thomas McCalmont, a Church of England cleric whose family originated from Ireland.

The school was founded in 1752 because of a bequest left by Richard Taunton, a wine importer and merchant and cousin of Isaac Watts.

A number of factors, not least World War I, delayed the laying of the foundation stone of the new building in Highfield until 1925.

Collins made use of a stream that runs through Highfield, making it a feature of his open green areas and using it to feed an ornamental pond.

The Highfield site was sold to the University of Southampton who moved their arts faculty into the building, extending it and renaming it Avenue Campus.

The Avenue Campus also occupies the land which previously housed the Highfield tram depot; the archaeology building now stands there.