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Nowadays a tranquil, handsome market town, set amid docile hay-meadows and watercress beds, WINCHESTER was once one of the mightiest settlements in England. Under the Romans it was Venta Belgarum, the fifth largest town in Britain, but it was Alfred the Great who really put Winchester on the map when he made it the capital of his Wessex kingdom in the ninth century. For the next couple of centuries Winchester ranked alongside London, its status affirmed by William the Conqueror's coronation in both cities and by his commissioning of the local monks to prepare the Domesday Book . It wasn't until after the Battle of Naseby in 1645, when Cromwell took the city, that Winchester began its decline into provinciality.
Hampshire's county town now has a scholarly and slightly anachronistic air, embodied by the ancient almshouses that still provide shelter for senior citizens of "noble poverty" - the pensioners can be seen wandering round the town in medieval black or mulberry-coloured gowns with silver badges. A trip to this secluded old city is a must - not only for the magnificent cathedral , chief relic of Winchester's medieval glory, but for the all-round well-preserved ambience of England's one-time capital.
The first minster to be built in Winchester was raised by Cenwalh, the Saxon king of Wessex in the mid-seventh century and traces of this building have been unearthed near the present Cathedral (daily 7.30am-6.30pm; £3.50 donation requested), which was begun in 1079 and completed some three hundred years later, producing a church whose elements range from early Norman to Perpendicular styles. The exterior is not its best feature - squat and massive, the cathedral crouches stumpily over the tidy lawns of the Cathedral Close. The interior is rich and complex, however, and its 556-foot nave makes this Europe's longest medieval church. Outstanding features include its carved Norman font of black Tournai marble, the fourteenth-century misericords (the choir stalls are the oldest complete set in the country) and some amazing monuments - William of Wykeham's Chantry , halfway down the nave on the right, is one of the best. Jane Austen, who died in Winchester, is commemorated close to the font by a memorial brass and slab beneath which she's interred, though she's recorded simply as the daughter of a local clergyman. Above the high altar lie the mortuary chests of pre-Conquest kings, including Canute; William Rufus, killed while hunting in the New Forest in 1100, lies in the presbytery. Beyond the impressive Victorian screen at the end of the presbytery, look out for the memorial shrine to St Swithun: originally buried outside in the churchyard, his remains were later interred inside the cathedral where the "rain of heaven" could no longer fall on him, whereupon he took revenge and the heavens opened for forty days - hence the legend that if it rains on St Swithun's Day (July 15) it will continue for another forty. His exact burial place is unknown. Accessible from the north transept, the Norman crypt is only rarely open, since it's flooded for much of the time - the cathedral's original foundations were dug in marshy ground, and at the beginning of the twentieth century a steadfast diver, William Walker, spent five years replacing the rotten timber foundations with concrete (Deep Sea Adventure in Weymouth gives the full story). If it's open, you'll see two fourteenth-century statues of William of Wykeham as well as Antony Gormley's standing figure, "Sound II", one of the country's most adventurous ecclesiastical commissions in recent years. more
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Lainston House Hotel and The Avenue Restaurant |
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| Rooms From
: £ 99
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| Sparsholt, Winchester, SO21 2LT, England
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This elegant William and Mary house was built in the 17th century and is set in 63 acres of Hampshire's downland countryside, situated on the outskirts of the historic city of Winchester.
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| Rooms From
: £ 50
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| St Peter Street, Winchester, SO23 8BS, England
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The Winchester Royal is a charming 75 bedroom hotel situated in the heart of historic Winchester. Its origins date back to 1530 and it has been a hotel for a century and a half.
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| Rooms From
: £ 69
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| Thompsons Lane, Winchester, SO21 1JY, England
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Marwell Hotel offers the warmest of welcomes combined with a convenient location. A colonial-style, safari lodge, opposite Marwell Zoological Park. Ideal for touring Winchester and New Forest.
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| Rooms From
: £ 130
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| Paternoster Row, Winchester, SO23 9LQ, England
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The Wessex Hotel was built in 1964, and is situated in the heart of Winchester City Centre. The hotel runs alongside the famous Winchester Cathedral and within walking distance are the shops.
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| Rooms From
: £ 80
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| Worthy Lane, Winchester, SO23 7AB, England
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This popular hotel situated close to the centre of the historic Cathedral city, provides all the facilities needed for the Business and Leisure traveller.
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Marwell Hotel (Leisure rates) |
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| Rooms From
: £ 45 - 55
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| Thompsons Lane, Winchester, SO21 1JY, England
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Marwell Hotel, built in the style of a colonial safari lodge is set in tranquil forested grounds, opposite the world famous Marwell Zoological Park. Within easy reach of the motorway network, the hotel has ample free car parking and is an ideal base for touring the South. Sixty-six comfortable, en-suite bedrooms, Zavanna Restaurant and bar. Zsa Zsa Spa health and leisure club boasts a swimming pool, sauna, spa bath, mini gym and two beauty treatment rooms offering pampering treatments for men and women.
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Mercure Wessex Hotel (Leisure rates) |
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| Rooms From
: £ 56 - 68
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| Paternoster Row, Winchester, SO23 9LQ, England
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The Wessex overlooks Winchester's magnificent 900 year old Cathedral, where the famous remains laid to rest include St. Swithin, Jane Austen and many of the ancient Kings of England. The Wessex's central location is ideally suited for strolling and soaking up the historic atmosphere of this city. The hotel's restaurant 'Walker's at the Wessex' serves quality fresh food, and the cream teas are excellent.
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The Winchester Hotel (Leisure rates) |
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| Rooms From
: £ 45 - 55
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| Worthy Lane, Winchester, SO23 7AB, England
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Conveniently situated within walking distance of Englandā%80%99s ancient capital with its historic cathedral, yet close enough to explore the New Forest, Salisbury and Portsmouth, the home of Victory and the Mary Rose. The Summer House Brasserie, friendly bar and the health & fitness centre ensure your stay is a relaxing one.
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The Winchester Royal (Leisure rates) |
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| Rooms From
: £ 45 - 55
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| St. Peter Street, Winchester, SO23 8BS, England
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The Winchester Royal is a quality hotel with character and history quietly located near the famous cathedral, shops and riverside walks in England's ancient capital. The hotel's Conservatory Restaurant overlooks the garden. Ideal base for touring the central south and the hotel offers a free guided tour every Saturday.
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