Historic Winchester
Winchester was once the ancient capital of England, and the modern city continues to attract visitors from across the world. Historic sites like Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College are just a few miles from the Pink House Bed & Breakfast.
Images courtesy of Visit Winchester
The area that would become Winchester was first settled around 150BC. The Romans designated it a regional capital, but it was the Saxon King Alfred (Alfred the Great) who choose Winchester as his capital city in 871. The famous Arthurian Round Table can still be seen in Winchester’s Great Hall, the last surviving part of Winchester castle.
Winchester remained a Royal residence after the Norman invasion of 1066, and the new King William (William the Conqueror) was quick to extend Winchester’s royal palace. The Normans also began construction of the present-day Winchester Cathedral in 1079, an architectural masterpiece that boasts the longest medieval nave in Europe and one of the world’s finest illustrated 12th century bibles.
The city enjoyed renewed vitality after the English Civil War, and in the Georgian period it became a flourishing trade centre. It was also a focus of literary activity: the classic novelist Jane Austen spent her last days in Winchester, and the poet John Keats wrote his ode To Autumn here.
Today, Winchester is the bustling capital of Hampshire. Alongside Winchester Cathedral and the Arthurian Round Table, other popular sites include Winchester College — founded in the 14th century by the Bishop of Winchester, William of Wykeham — and the Theatre Royal. With the Guardroom Museum, Gurkha Museum, the Rifles Museums at Winchester and the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, the city is also a centre of military heritage.
Winchester also offers excellent shopping, from well-known brands to independent stores and the largest farmers’ market in Britain. For gastronomes, the city is home to a wide range of award-winning pubs and restaurants.
More information
- For comprehensive information on things to see and do in Winchester, see the Visit Winchester website.
- For more details on the Great Hall and Arthurian Round Table, see the Hampshire County Council Great Hall website.
- For more information about Winchester Cathedral and details of services there, see the Winchester Cathedral website.
- See the Winchester College website for more information about the famous independent school.
- For current performances at the Theatre Royal Winchester, see the Theatre Royal Winchester website.
- For more details on the Gurkha Museum, see the Gurkha Museum website.
- For more details on the Rifles Museums at Winchester, see the Rifles Museums at Winchester website.
- For more details on the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, see the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum website.