Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to 5pm (May-Sept also Sun 11am-4pm). Keep up with the latest local happenings
at
twitter.com/King_Alf
.
ORGANIZED TOURS
The Tourist Information Centre (see above) has a help-
ful free pamphlet,
The Winchester Walk,
that details a self-guided circuit round
the town and environs. Guided
walking tours,
which depart from the tourist
office and last 1
1
⁄
2
hours, cost £4 per person. Departure times vary by season;
check once you're in town.
Exploring Winchester
The interactive, hands-on displays at the historic
City Mill,
Bridge Street
(
&
01962/870057;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk), are especially suited to school-age
kids. Visitors can access the bowels of a working corn mill, and view displays on the
history and processes involved in flour-making. Admission costs £3.60 adults, £2 chil-
dren. Hours are 10:30am to 5pm daily between mid-March and Christmas, plus
February school vacation week (usually the third week of the month). The excellent
little
City Museum
, The Square (
&
01962/863064
), traces the history of Win-
chester from its establishment as Roman Venta Belgarum in a.d. 70 to the present day.
Admission is free. It's open April to October Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sun-
day noon to 5pm; off-season it closes an hour earlier and all-day Monday.
Castle Great Hall
HISTORIC SITE This is the only remaining part of the
castle first erected in Winchester by William the Conqueror and rebuilt by Henry III.
Dating from the 1200s, it is one of the finest examples of a medieval hall in England,
with its timber roof supported on columns of Purbeck marble. The English Parlia-
ment met here for the first time in 1246; a Victorian mural lists every Hampshire
Member of Parliament between 1283 and 1868. The castle also hosted the trial of Sir
Walter Raleigh, who was condemned to death in 1603 for conspiring against James
I. The giant painted oak Round Table hanging on the west wall doesn't in fact stretch
back to the time of King Arthur—it's been carbon dated to around 1280, and was
probably the property of Edward I.
Castle Ave.
&
01962/846476.
www.hants.gov.uk/greathall. Free admission. Daily 10am-5pm.
Hospital of St. Cross
HISTORIC SITE Founded in 1132, the Hospital (for
hospitality, not medicine) is the oldest charitable institution in England. It was estab-
lished by Henri du Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, as a link for social care
and to supply life's necessities to the local poor and famished travelers. It continues
the tradition of providing refreshments to visitors today: Simply stop at the Porter's
Lodge for a Wayfarer's Dole, and you'll receive some bread and ale. In the inner
courtyard of the hospital, you can see the Brethren's houses from 1450, the refectory,
and a church, which is a fine example of Norman architecture (ca. 1250).
St. Cross Rd.
&
01962/851375.
www.stcross.f2s.com. Admission £3.50 adults, £3 students and
seniors, £1.50 children under 13. Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; off season Mon-Sat
10:30am-3:30pm.
Winchester Cathedral
CATHEDRAL The longest medieval cathedral in
Britain dates from 1079, and its Norman heritage is still in evidence. When a Saxon
church stood on this spot, St. Swithun, Bishop of Winchester and tutor to young King
Alfred, suggested modestly that he be buried outside. Following his subsequent
indoor burial, it rained for 40 days. The legend lives on: If it rains on St. Swithun's
Day, July 15, you'll get a prediction of rain for 40 days.
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