The First Capital of England
Aline writes: On Wednesday Bill and I visited Winchester. It has many claims to fame: as the fifth-largest Roman town in Britain, as the first capital of England where many Saxon kings are buried, and as William the Conqueror’s seat of government. It was a wonderful town to visit, and it has something from every period of history, plus it is a vibrant modern town. This town is one of many that we have visited over the years thanks to our bible, Daytrips London, which we have been working our way through for over 20 years. Thanks to our favorite tour book, we knew what rail station to start from, how long it would take to get there, had a walking tour map and descriptions of places of historical interest. Just a small plug in case anyone is planning to come over here!
Anyway, we began at the Westgate, one of two remaining medieval gatehouses, built in the 12th century. Be sure and spot the fellow walking though it to get an idea of the scale.
Just around the corner is the Great Hall, the only remaining part of Winchester castle, built at William the Conqueror’s behest. It’s imposing from the outside
But amazing from the inside. Many important events took place here, including Sir Walter Raleigh being sentenced to death. As you can see, it has a fabulous roof.
Also inside it is what used to be considered King Arthur’s round table. It has now been dated to the 13th century, so it’s too late for King Arthur, but it’s a beautiful and fascinating object nonetheless. It’s inscribed with “This is the round table of Arthur with 24 of his named knights.”
But for me the highlight was Winchester Cathedral.
I have always wanted to visit it since I heard Graham Nash sing, “I'm flying in Winchester cathedral / Sunlight pouring through the break of day” on the “No Nukes” record I had as a teenager (I know at least Eric remembers it). But it surpassed all my expectations. Begun in 1079, there was a purity about this cathedral that most others I have visited don’t have (this especially struck me after the chaos of Westminster Abbey that I saw a few weeks ago). It may be that with the longest nave in England, and with a screen that was perforated so you could really see the whole length, it felt like a cohesive whole.
Or it may be that the simple unadorned Norman section, reminiscent of the Templar church in London, evoked a beauty all its own, including the wonderful medieval paintings that have been uncovered.
Or maybe it was because it not only houses the bones of many early Saxon kings and the site of the shrine of St. Swithun (that end of the cathedral was trampled by so many medieval pilgrims that, in conjunction with the high water table, the floor visibly tilts down and was only saved by a diver who managed to dive down and repair the pylons under the crypt), but also the grave of Jane Austen.
Even the crypt was beautiful, adorned by a single modern statue of a figure that holds a cup of water, which fills up during the winter when the crypt floods since the Winchester water table is so high.
In any case I was completely enchanted.
And it doesn’t end there! Next to the cathedral is the city museum, that has a wonderful little collection of roman archeological finds, including whole mosaic floors, and statuary and paintings (shown in pics below) from the old Minster, which dated from the 8th century and was torn down when the new cathedral was built.
The second medieval city gate, the kingsgate, isn’t quite as grand, but as you can see by my shivering self in the picture, it is imposing enough! And check out my first ever winter hat from Marks and Spencer. ☺
Like many other English towns, it still has a wonderful market cross within its pedestrianized downtown, which is also charming.
As you can tell, I really loved this town!
Anyway, we began at the Westgate, one of two remaining medieval gatehouses, built in the 12th century. Be sure and spot the fellow walking though it to get an idea of the scale.
Just around the corner is the Great Hall, the only remaining part of Winchester castle, built at William the Conqueror’s behest. It’s imposing from the outside
But amazing from the inside. Many important events took place here, including Sir Walter Raleigh being sentenced to death. As you can see, it has a fabulous roof.
Also inside it is what used to be considered King Arthur’s round table. It has now been dated to the 13th century, so it’s too late for King Arthur, but it’s a beautiful and fascinating object nonetheless. It’s inscribed with “This is the round table of Arthur with 24 of his named knights.”
But for me the highlight was Winchester Cathedral.
I have always wanted to visit it since I heard Graham Nash sing, “I'm flying in Winchester cathedral / Sunlight pouring through the break of day” on the “No Nukes” record I had as a teenager (I know at least Eric remembers it). But it surpassed all my expectations. Begun in 1079, there was a purity about this cathedral that most others I have visited don’t have (this especially struck me after the chaos of Westminster Abbey that I saw a few weeks ago). It may be that with the longest nave in England, and with a screen that was perforated so you could really see the whole length, it felt like a cohesive whole.
Or it may be that the simple unadorned Norman section, reminiscent of the Templar church in London, evoked a beauty all its own, including the wonderful medieval paintings that have been uncovered.
Or maybe it was because it not only houses the bones of many early Saxon kings and the site of the shrine of St. Swithun (that end of the cathedral was trampled by so many medieval pilgrims that, in conjunction with the high water table, the floor visibly tilts down and was only saved by a diver who managed to dive down and repair the pylons under the crypt), but also the grave of Jane Austen.
Even the crypt was beautiful, adorned by a single modern statue of a figure that holds a cup of water, which fills up during the winter when the crypt floods since the Winchester water table is so high.
In any case I was completely enchanted.
And it doesn’t end there! Next to the cathedral is the city museum, that has a wonderful little collection of roman archeological finds, including whole mosaic floors, and statuary and paintings (shown in pics below) from the old Minster, which dated from the 8th century and was torn down when the new cathedral was built.
The second medieval city gate, the kingsgate, isn’t quite as grand, but as you can see by my shivering self in the picture, it is imposing enough! And check out my first ever winter hat from Marks and Spencer. ☺
Like many other English towns, it still has a wonderful market cross within its pedestrianized downtown, which is also charming.
As you can tell, I really loved this town!
posted by Bill | 11:50 PM
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