Winchester

Warren and I spent all day Saturday in Winchester. We took the National Express coach which only took about an hour and a half each way. 

 Winchester was a really charming town that seemed very quiet compared to what we are now used to in London. 

Winchester is known as the ancient capital of Wessex and King Alfred the Great (who successfully defended his kingdom against the Vikings) is said to have ruled from here. Below is a photo of the statue of King Alfred located near the centre of the city. 

The Winchester Cathedral (built in 1079) is the longest cathedral in Europe and is the highlight of the city. 

The next photos are a few views inside the cathedral. 

The Cathedral's huge medieval stained glass windows were deliberately smashed by Cromwell's forces during the civil war in 1642. The Winchester residents kept the shards of glass so the window could be restored. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the windows were assembled randomly to resemble a mosaic. 

This next photo is a view of the crypt underneath the cathedral. It often floods due to the original design and local water table. Our guide told us that a few weeks earlier the water was about 2 1/2 feet high. 

Jane Austen died in Winchester in 1817. Her funeral was held in the cathedral and she is buried in the north aisle. The photo below is of a "window" that memorialises her and her work. 

Just outside the cathedral is a wonderful Christmas Market. This was one of the big draws for us to come to Winchester this time of year. 

We bought one of these wreaths of dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks. It smells amazing! This was by far my favourite shop in the Christmas Market. 

The arch shown below was originally built by the Romans. It was added onto during the medieval times and until the early 1900s was the only way in or out of the city. 

The Great Hall is the only room left of the medieval castle in Winchester. During the civil war the parliamentarians tore down the castle as it represented the monarchy.  

Below is a closer view of the wall painting which names the former heads of the city council.

The Great Hall is also home to the wedding gates that were created to commemorate the marriage of Prince Charles to Diana in 1981.

On the wall opposite the wedding gates hangs King Arthur's round table (although it was later discovered that it was created in the 1200s and was painted during the reign of Henry VIII). Winchester is one of several places that claims to be Camelot and home of King Arthur.

Another beautiful site in Winchester is St Cross Hospital. Retired brethren still live on the premise and cows were grazing on the grounds. 

 One of the original purposes of the hospital was to be a stopping point for crusaders en route to the Holy Land.