England’s ancient capital, with a cathedral holding Jane Austen’s grave, King Arthur’s Round Table and the South Downs on the doorstep.
Winchester was once the capital of England. It was the chief city of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and King Alfred the Great ruled from here in the ninth century. Later kings, including William the Conqueror, were crowned or held court in the city, and the Domesday Book was kept here.
Today Winchester is a small, elegant cathedral city in Hampshire, with medieval streets, a famous school and the South Downs rising around it. It has a relaxed, prosperous feel, and it is only an hour from London. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in England, and it has the longest overall length of any medieval cathedral in Europe. It was begun in 1079 by the Normans, on the site of an earlier Saxon cathedral. Its long, low exterior hides a magnificent Gothic nave.
Jane Austen, one of the most famous English novelists, is buried in the cathedral. She died in Winchester in 1817. Her grave in the north aisle is a place of pilgrimage for her admirers.
The cathedral’s treasures include the Winchester Bible, the largest and finest surviving twelfth century English Bible, beautifully illuminated. Mortuary chests hold the bones of Anglo-Saxon kings, including Cnut. In the crypt, which often floods in winter, stands a statue by Antony Gormley, a figure gazing into water in his hands.
In the early twentieth century, the cathedral was in danger of collapse because it was built on waterlogged ground. A diver called William Walker worked underwater in darkness for years, filling the foundations with concrete, and saved the building. There is a charge to visit, and tower tours are available.
2. The Great Hall and the Round Table
The Great Hall is all that remains of Winchester Castle, which was built by William the Conqueror and later became a royal palace. The hall was built in the thirteenth century, and it is one of the finest medieval halls in England. It has hosted royal feasts and famous trials.
On the wall of the hall hangs the Round Table, a huge oak table top linked with the legend of King Arthur and his knights. It was made in the late thirteenth century, probably for King Edward I, and painted in the Tudor period for Henry VIII. The names of Arthur’s knights are painted around its edge.
Behind the hall is Queen Eleanor’s Garden, a recreation of a medieval garden with plants that would have been grown at the time. It is a peaceful spot. The hall is free to visit.
A statue of King Alfred the Great, holding a sword, stands at the bottom of the High Street. It was put up in 1899, a thousand years after his death. It is a symbol of the city.
3. Winchester College
Winchester College, founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, is one of the oldest schools in the country. It has educated pupils for more than six hundred years, and many famous people studied here. Its old buildings are beautiful.
Guided tours take visitors around the school’s medieval buildings, including the chapel, the cloisters and the old schoolroom. The tours tell the story of the school and its traditions. They run at set times.
The college chapel has a beautiful wooden vaulted ceiling. The cloisters are peaceful and atmospheric. The school’s buildings are among the finest medieval buildings in the city.
The college is a working school, so tours are the only way to see inside. Check the tour times before you go. The streets around the college are lovely.
4. The water meadows and St Cross
The water meadows, along the River Itchen south of the city, are one of the loveliest walks in England. The path follows the clear chalk stream through meadows and past old mills. The poet John Keats walked here in 1819, and it inspired his famous poem To Autumn.
The walk leads to the Hospital of St Cross, founded in the twelfth century, one of the oldest almshouses in England. It still houses elderly men, known as Brothers, who wear black or red gowns. Its Norman church is beautiful.
St Cross keeps an ancient tradition called the Wayfarer’s Dole: travellers who ask at the porter’s lodge are given a small portion of bread and a drink of ale. It has been offered for centuries. It is a charming custom.
The walk from the city to St Cross takes about half an hour each way. It is lovely in every season. Wolvesey Castle, the ruins of the medieval bishop’s palace, is at the start of the walk.
5. The South Downs and St Catherine’s Hill
Winchester sits at the western end of the South Downs, and the South Downs Way, a long distance path, begins in the city. It runs for a hundred miles to Eastbourne. You can walk a short section from the city.
St Catherine’s Hill, just south east of the city, is an Iron Age hill fort with wonderful views over Winchester and the Itchen valley. On the top is a mizmaze, a maze cut into the turf, whose origins are a mystery. The climb is steep but short.
The countryside around Winchester is lovely for walking and cycling, with chalk streams, villages and downland. The Watercress Line, a heritage steam railway, runs from the town of Alresford, a few miles east. Alresford is famous for its watercress.
Jane Austen’s House, at Chawton, about fifteen miles east, is where the novelist lived and wrote her books. It is now a museum. A car makes it easy to explore the countryside.
6. The city centre, markets and festivals
Winchester’s High Street and the lanes around it are full of independent shops, cafés and restaurants. The Buttercross, a medieval market cross, stands on the High Street. The city has one of the largest farmers’ markets in the country, held regularly in the city centre.
The City Mill, a working watermill on the River Itchen looked after by the National Trust, still grinds flour. The Winchester Military Museums, in the old barracks, tell the story of the regiments based in the city. The Westgate, one of the old city gates, has a small museum.
Every July, Winchester holds the Hat Fair, one of the oldest street theatre festivals in Britain. In the weeks before Christmas, the Cathedral Close hosts one of the most popular Christmas markets in the country, with an ice rink. The city is lively all year round.
Winchester is a compact city, easy to explore on foot. The walk from the station to the cathedral takes about fifteen minutes. The city is especially lovely in spring and autumn.
Getting there and getting around
Winchester station has fast trains to London Waterloo in around an hour, and to Southampton, Bournemouth and the north. The M3 runs past the east of the city.
Southampton Airport is about ten miles south, around fifteen minutes by road. Heathrow is about an hour away. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Winchester and the airports, and to explore the countryside.
Ride with ZeroLanes. From your door, the station or the airport to anywhere in Winchester, at a price fixed before you confirm. Travelling between cities? Get a fixed price for the journey, or keep a car and driver for the day with hourly hire.