The old city
By WAYNE JOHNSON
For hundreds of years, while London remained a relative backwater, Winchester was the proud capital of England.
Made famous by King Alfred the Great, who made it his base as he fought back the Viking invaders, it may have relinquished its capital city status but remains a majestic and quintessentially English city.
Nestling in the middle of the rolling countryside of the South Downs, alongside the gently flowing River Itchen, Winchester inspired both kings and writers.
One of its most famous residents was Jane Austen, who spent her last few years in Winchester, which in the early 19th century was one of England’s leading medical centres.
Winchester Cathedral is where author Jane Austen is buried
In healthier times, Austen’s home was in the village of Chawton, some 17 miles (27km) outside the city.
It was here between 1809 and 1817 that she penned some of her most famous works such as Emma and Sense and Sensibility.
Her house is now a very popular tourist attraction, and many enthusiasts visit here before going on to see her final resting place in Winchester Cathedral.
Here, one of the most influential female writers of all time is buried beneath the paving stones, with a brass plaque marking her grave and a nearby memorial listing her literary achievements.
However, the cathedral is much more than just a memorial to Austen.
King Arthur’s ‘round table’ hanging in the Great Hall
It is one of the most impressive medieval structures of its kind and still towers over the modern city. One its most interesting features are the coffins containing the remains of England’s earliest kings.
These Anglo-Saxon leaders with names like Edbert and Edmund pre-date the Norman Conquest of 1066 and ruled England from Winchester.
However, no-one is really sure whose remains are in which casket, as in the 17th century Oliver Cromwell’s troops smashed them open and scattered the bones across the cathedral floor.
And in the days before CSI forensics, the poor priest responsible for gathering them up just put them into different boxes and hoped for the best.
The cathedral is a fascinating place to wander around un-aided for a couple of hours, but the guided tours are recommended.
The local volunteers’ knowledge of the building and Winchester is immense, and you will hear tales like the above and those of the diver, William Walker, who worked in freezing black water in total darkness under the cathedral’s foundations for six years between 1906 and 1912, to save it from total collapse.
Winchester High Street
All the city’s attractions are easily reachable on foot, and while walking through Winchester, one will find it impossible to ignore the towering statue of Alfred the Great. His presence still looms large more than 1,100 years after his reign, but other than the statue there is little left of his period for visitors to see.
Instead, it is Winchester’s rich medieval heritage that draws most of the crowds, including what some still insist is the original round table used by King Arthur and his knights.
Located in Winchester’s Great Hall, it is undoubtedly a fake, considering that King Arthur most likely never existed, and, if he did, probably never visited Winchester.
But the 1,200kg, 14th century table still cuts an impressive figure as it hangs from the wall of the grand old building.
And whatever its authenticity, you will not be able to resist craning your neck to look for the names of Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad and, of course, King Arthur himself, in this most democratic of seating plans.
Winchester is also the home to one of the most famous public schools (private schools in the US) in the country.
Founded in 1382, Winchester College requires that its students dress in their Victorian-styled uniforms — a common sight around town.
Its ancient dorms, courtyard and chapel can be viewed by guided tour only, with the students seemingly unperturbed by the sight of tourists peering through windows into their dormitories or classrooms.
When you have tired of traipsing around the city’s historical sites you can take advantage of one of Winchester’s main plus points — namely its position in the middle of some of England’s most picturesque countryside.
Only five minutes from the city centre is a place called the Water Meadows, where a scenic footpath heads out into open fields following the meandering of the shallow River Itchen.
Many tourists and locals follow this path out to the Hospital of St Cross.
This monastic hospital dates from 1132 and its medieval buildings are remarkably intact.
In the past, its role was to provide food and assistance to the poor, and visitors today can still partake in the traditional alms of bread and beer (although now you have to pay).
The grounds of St Cross are popular with families and groups having picnics.
It is a very easy place to relax for an afternoon, and especially if you have had too much of the beer on offer and find it difficult to motivate yourself to make the 30-minute walk back to Winchester.
GETTING THERE
BY TRAIN: Trains leave regularly (every 30 minutes) from London’s Waterloo train station, and the journey takes one hour.
BY BUS: Buses leave from London’s Victoria Bus Station, with the journey taking just over two hours.
FOOD: The Wykeham Arms is a traditional pub near the school which uses the original student’s desks as dining tables (http:// www.fullershotels.com/rte. asp?id=135). And Loch Fyne is where you can get seafood and a good wine selection in a medieval building. (www.lochfyne. com/Restaurants/Locations/ Winchester.aspx)
WHERE TO STAY: The Wykeham Arms, Hotel Du Vin (http://www. hotelduvin.com/winchester/) or The Winchester Hotel (http:// www.pedersengroup.co.uk/index. asp?HotelId=6&PageNameId=1)
USEFUL WEBSITE: http://www. visitwinchester.co.uk
The Star
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