Winchester, England Tourist Attractions
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Winchester, the present county town of Hampshire, was the capital of England from Anglo-Saxon times until the 13th C. The ruins of the royal castle, numerous medieval buildings and one of Europe's longest cathedrals, constructed in the neo-Gothic style, continue to bear witness to the former political and cultural center of England, as do the town's achievements in book illumination, which include the unique Winchester Bible.
Cathedral
Set amidst lush lawns, The Cathedral in Winchester was originally built in the Romanesque-Norman style. It has since undergone several modifications and now reflects a Gothic architectural style.
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City Museum
North of the Winchester Cathedral precincts lies the City Museum, which documents the town's history.The Roman 'Venta' gallery is now open.
Pilgrim's Hall
To the south of Winchester Cathedral, via the ruins of the cloister with a view of the imposing nave, whose supporting buttresses date from 1905, are reached the ruins of the medieval deanery and a charming half-timbered corner, which includes Pilgrim's Hall (late 13th century) with its interesting hammer-beamed ceiling.
James II Residence
The King's Gate leads into College Street, where Wren constructed no. 26/27 as a residence for James II; Wren also built a residence in neighboring Kingsgate Street for the Duke of Buckingham during the reign of Charles II.
Jane Austen's House
Winchester's College Street runs to the main entrance to Winchester College, passing the house (no. 8) in which the novelist Jane Austen died.
College
Winchester College was founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and has a close association with New College (1379) in Oxford. It is not only the oldest, but also the most spacious public school with 70 "scholars", who live in the college, and 500 "commoners", who attend daily from their homes.Construction of the college began in 1387, and it was opened in 1394. Two of the original houses, Flint Court and Chamber Court, have been preserved. Seventh Chamber is the oldest school room in the country. The school chapel has retained its fan-vaulted timber roof, its medieval stained glass, a reredos (1500) and the misericords. Generations of scholars have engraved their names on the pillars of the cloisters. Among its famous old boys are the authors Edward Young (1682-1765) and Anthony Trollope (1815-1882), Field Marshal Earl Archibald P Wavell (1883-1950) and the Labour politician Hugh Gaitskill (1906-1963). The War Memorial Cloister, entered from Kingsgate Street, was designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1924.
College Street Walk
College Street, with its view of the medieval wall encircling the cathedral precincts, leads to Wolvesey Palace, the remains of a bishop's palace (rebuilt by Wren), past the ruins of the castle and through attractive Abbey Gardens, relics of a ninth century abbey founded by King Alfred's wife. It leads to the memorial (1901) to King Alfred the Great (871-899) in Broadway, and to the bridge over the Itchen. Near the river is an old mill (17th century; youth hostel).
Old Bishops' Palace (Wolvesey Castle)
Old Bishops' Palace (Wolvesey) is an English Heritage property in Winchester. The site includes the ruins of what was once a fortified palace and the chief residence of the Bishops of Winchester. In 1554 Queen Mary and Philip of Spain held their wedding breakfast in the East Hall.
Catherine's Hill
A charming path continues on the east side of the river further south to Catherine's Hill, with the site of a fortress dating from the third century B.C., the foundations of a chapel, and a turf maze over 82ft/25m long.
High Street
Walk west from the river via Broadway, with the Guild Hall (1871-1873, tourist information), the High Street and the pedestrian precinct, with its colonnade of shops, to the 15th century. Butter Cross, which features niches containing statues of saints, King Alfred and Bishop Wykeham.
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Hospital of St Cross
England's oldest almshouse, situated about 1mi/2km south of Winchester's town center, was founded in 1136 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and grandson of William the Conqueror, for 13 poor and pious men. Cardinal Beaufort extended the establishment in 1445 for impoverished nobles. The black robe with a silver crook cross and the purple-red with cardinal's emblem worn by the inhabitants continues to bear witness to the endowments. Their homes are grouped around an inner courtyard, entered through a gate house.The 15th century Hall of the Brothers and the kitchen, dating from a later period, should be visited, as should the chapel. The interior of this late Norman-early Gothic sacral building (east choir 1160, west choir 1290) is decorated in the Norman style, and has an original window decorated with a bird's beak in the north transept, and an oak lectern (1507) with a parrot and a heart, symbolizing that the preachers of the gospel do not repeat themselves parrot-fashion, but should read with the heart.At the exit of the Hospital of St Cross visitors can still request the traditional Wayfarers' Dole.
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle, near Winchester, was the ancestral home of the Earls of Carnarvon. It was designed by Sire Charles Barry who also was the architect of the Houses of Parliament. The mansion is set in an 18th century park with superb views over the North Hampshire Downs.
City Mill
The Winchester City Mill was built over the River Itchen in 1744. At the site you will find activities for children, informative videos and the restored water wheel and a mill-race.
Royal Green Jackets Museum
The Royal Green Jackets Museum is home to a wide variety of uniforms and medals, along with a highlighted diorama of Waterloo, that covers the history of the regiment and the involvement of Britain in a long succession of wars.
Westgate
Westgate is one of two surviving fortified gateways in Winchester. Evidence of 12th C construction, with modifications in the 13th and late 14th C are visible. The Westgate was used as a prison in the 17th C and interesting graffitti remains.
Gurkha Museum
The Gurkha Museum is dedicated to the elite troops from Nepal who were famed for their deadly silence and terrifying assassin skills.
King's Royal Hussars Museum
The King's Royal Hussar's Museum displays the history of three famous Cavalry Regiments, including the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War.
Light Infanty Museum
The Light Infantry Museum tells the story of a modern regiment through significant events like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War.
