London Winchester

This ancient capital of medieval England is now a modern hot spot best known for its massive cathedral. Home to Jane Austen and John Keats, Winchester was the center of the kingdoms of both Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror. During the Great Plague of 1665, the town was also a place of escape for Charles II. Winchester’s royal history continues to draw visitors during its floral summer.

Trains: From London Waterloo (1hr., 3-4 per hr., £22).
Buses: National Express (☎08705 808 080) runs from Victoria Station (2hr., 12 per day, £13).
Taxis: Francis Taxis (☎884 343), by the market. WinTaxi (☎866 208) and Wessex Cars (☎877 749) are also available.

Orientation And Practical Information

Winchester’s main commercial axis, High Street, stretches from the statue of Alfred the Great at its east end to the arch of Westgate opposite. The city’s bigger roads stem off High St., which becomes Broadway as you approach Alfred.

Tourist Information Centre: The Guildhall, Broadway (☎840 500; www.visitwinchester.co.uk), across from the bus station. Stocks free maps, helpful brochures, seasonal What’s On guides, and other city guides. Walking tours £3, children free . Books accommodations for £3 plus 10% deposit. Open May-Sept. M-Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 11am-3:30pm; Oct.-Apr. M-Sa 10am-4:30pm.
Banks: Major banks and ATMs cluster at the junction of Jewry St. and High St. Farther down is the Royal Bank of Scotland, 67-68 High St. (☎863 322). Open M-Tu and Th-F 9:15am-4:45pm, W 10am-4:45pm.
Police: North Walls (☎08450 454 545), near the intersection with Middle Brook St.
Hospital: Royal Hampshire County, Romsey Rd. (☎863 535), at St. James Ln.
Pharmacy: Boots, 35-39 High St. (☎852 2020). Open M-Sa 8:30am-6pm, Su 10:30am-4:30pm.
Internet Access: Winchester Library, Jewry St. (☎853 909). Open M-Tu and F 9:30am-7pm, W-Th and Sa 9:30am-5pm.
Post Office: Middlebrook St. Open M and W-Sa 9am-5:30pm, Tu 9:30am-5:30pm. Postal Code: SO23 8UT.

Accommodations And Camping

B&Bs are the best option in Winchester but are difficult to find and book. For last- minute bookings, the TIC is your best bet. Buses #29 and 47 (2 per hr.) make the journey from the town center to the corner of Ranelagh Road and Christchurch Road, where many B&Bs are located.

Mrs. P. Patton, 12 Christchurch Rd. (☎854 272), down the road from the train station. Elegant Victorian mansion on beautifully landscaped property. Homemade bread and preserves with breakfast. Singles £35-40; doubles £45-50. Cash only.
29 Christchurch Rd., 29 Christchurch Rd. (☎868 661), 10min. from the city center. Well-kept rooms with TV and soft beds. 2 blocks from Mrs. P. Patton. Singles from £35; doubles from £65. Cash only.
RJ and VJ Weller, 63 Upper Brook St. (☎416 560). Victorian cottage in the city center with big rooms and large English breakfast. Singles £30; doubles £55. Cash only.
Morn Hill Caravan Club Site, Morn Hill (☎869 877), 3 mi. east of Winchester off A31, toward New Forest. Mainly for RVs. Limited facilities for campers. Open Mar.-Oct. RVs £8.50-20.60. Tents (at warden’s discretion) £3-6 plus £3-4 per adult, £1-2 per child; call ahead. Cash only.

Food And Pubs

High Street and Saint George’s Street are crowded with markets, fast-food chains, and tea houses. Restaurants serve more substantial fare on Jewry Street, where you’ll find Winchester Health Food Centre, 41 Jewry St. (☎851 113. Open M-F 9:30am-5:45pm, Sa 9am-5:30pm.) For groceries, head to Sainsbury’s, on Middle Brook St. off High St. (☎861 792. Open M-Sa 7am-8pm, Su 11am-5pm.) For a fresher option, try the open-air market (open W-Sa 8am-6pm) and farmers’ market—the largest in the UK with everything from ostrich meat to locally grown watercress (2nd and last Su of every month; open early morning until 3pm).

The Bishop on the Bridge, 1 High St. (☎855 111), on the river. Enjoy a leisurely meal on the heated terrace or lounge inside on leather chairs. Students flock here and stay late. Most entrees £7-9. Open M-Th noon-11pm, F-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-10:30pm. Kitchen open M-Sa noon-9pm, Su noon-8pm. MC/V.
The Eclipse Inn, The Square (☎865 676). Winchester’s smallest pub is also one of its most popular. The 16th-century rectory has decent food (£3-7) that attracts regulars and, according to legend, ghosts. Open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su noon-11pm. Kitchen open daily noon-3pm. MC/V.
Wykeham Arms, 175 Kingsgate St. (☎854 411). A Winchester institution, this pub draws a large crowd day and night. Sit in an old school desk and check the blackboard for daily specials. Try the Wyke cottage pie ( £6) or bangers at the bar for 40p each. Open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su noon-10:30pm. MC/V.
Royal Oak, Royal Oak Passage (☎842 701). Yet another pub that claims to be the kingdom’s oldest, tracing its origins back to 1390. Squeeze into the alley by God Begot House and descend underground to enjoy the locally brewed cask ale ( £2.35 ) and pub food ( £4-7) . Open daily 11am-11pm. Kitchen open daily 11am-9pm. MC/V.
The Exchange, 9 Southgate St. (☎854 718). Sports pub with a variety of burgers (the “gourmet” has goat cheese and red onion jam), sandwiches, and jacket potatoes (all £2-5) . Tables fill quickly with students and locals, but the multi-level beer garden provides additional space. Open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su noon-10:30pm. MC/V.

Sights

Winchester Cathedral. Winchester and Canterbury, housing the respective shrines of St. Swithun and St. Thomas à Becket, were the two spiritual capitals of medieval England. Winchester Cathedral’s placement atop peat bogs has forced several reconstructions, rendering the modern structure a stylistic hybrid. The Norman transept, crypt, and tower are juxtaposed with the Gothic nave (the longest medieval nave in Europe at 556 ft.), while the oddly Cubist stained glass offsets the older architecture. Jane Austen is entombed beneath a humble stone slab in the northern aisle in the company of several English kings. (5 The Close. ☎857 200; www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk. Free 1hr. tours depart from the west end of the nave daily 10am-3pm on the hr. 1hr. tower tours also available W 2:15pm, Sa 11:30am and 2:15pm; £3. Open M-Sa 8:30am-6pm, Su 8:30am-5:30pm. East End closes at 5pm. £4, concessions £3.50, students £2. Photography permit £2.) At the south transept, the illuminated 12th-century Winchester Bible resides in the Library, and the Triforium Gallery contains several relics, including a Saxon bowl said to have held King Canute’s heart. (Open in summer M 2-4:30pm, Tu-F 11am-4:30pm, Sa 10:30am-4:30pm; in winter W and Sa 11am-3:30pm. £1.) Outside, to the south of the cathedral, tiny St. Swithun’s Chapel sits above Kingsgate. (Free.)

Great Hall. William the Conquerer built Winchester Castle in 1067, but unyielding forces (time and Cromwell) have all but destroyed the fortress. The Great Hall remains, a gloriously intact medieval structure containing an imitation (or, according to locals, legendary) Arthurian Round Table. Henry VIII tried to pass the table off as authentic to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, but the repainted “Arthur,” resembling Henry himself, fooled no one. (At the end of High St. atop Castle Hill. Open daily Mar.-Oct. 10am-5pm, Nov.-Feb. 10am-4pm. Free.)

Military Museums. From the Great Hall, cut through Queen Eleanor’s Garden to the Peninsula Barracks. Five military museums (the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, the Light Infantry Museum, the Royal Greenjackets Museum, the Royal Hussars Museum, and the Gurkha Museum) celebrate the city’s military might. The Royal Greenjackets Museum is the best of the bunch. The highlight is a 276 sq. ft. diorama of the Battle of Waterloo containing 21,500 tiny soldiers and 9600 tiny steeds. Arrive at noon at the Royal Armouries, near Fort Nelson, for the firing of the guns. (Between St. James Terr. and Southgate St. ☎828 549. Open M-Sa 10am-1pm and 2-5pm, Su noon-4pm. Hours for the other 4 museums are similar. Royal Greenjackets admission £2, families £6, concessions £1. Gurkha admission £1.50, concessions 75p. All others free.)

City Museum. The city’s history is displayed through archaeological finds, photographs, and interactive exhibits. The Roman gallery includes a complete floor mosaic from the local ruins of a Roman villa, and the Anglo-Saxon room holds a 10th-century tomb. (At Great Minster St. and The Square. ☎848 269. Open Apr.-Oct. M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm; Nov.-Mar. Tu-Sa 10am-4pm, Su noon-4pm. Free. Audio tours £2.)

Wolvesey Castle. Some may find the walk along the River Itchen to Wolvesey Castle, a previous home to the Norman bishop, more enjoyable than the site itself. Only the walls of the once magnificent castle remain. Check out the mansion next door, where the current bishop resides. (The Close. Walk down The Weir on the river or to the end of College St. ☎252 000. Open daily Apr.-Sept. 9am-5pm. Free.)

Walks. At 12 High St., the Buttercross is a good starting point for several walking routes through town. This statue, portraying St. John, William of Wykeham, and King Alfred, derives its name from the shadow it cast over the 15th-century market, keeping the butter cool. A beautiful walk runs along the River Itchen, the same route taken by poet John Keats; directions and his “Ode To Autumn” are available at the TIC (50p). For a panoramic view of the city, including the Wolvesey ruins, climb to Saint Giles’s Hill Viewpoint at sunset. Pass the mill and take Bridge St. to the gate marked Magdalen Hill; follow the path from there. The Winchester Walk, detailing various walking tours of Winchester, is available at the TIC.

Entertainment And Festivals

Weekends attract revelers to bars along Broadway and High Street. The Theatre Royal, Jewry St., hosts regional companies and concerts. (☎840 440; www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk. Box office open M-F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-5pm.) The Homelands Music Festival takes place the last weekend of May. (Buy tickets from the TIC.) In early July, the Hat Fair (☎849 841; www.hatfair.co.uk), the longest-running street theatre festival in Britain, fills a weekend with free theatre and unusually outgoing bald people.