Review of Winchester Cathedral by dmj1962

Winchester Cathedral, The Close, Winchester, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LS

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dmj1962

Brighton

QYPE NINJA 1479 reviews

Compliment

6 April 2007 (updated on 28 February 2009)

1pxt

Winchester is one of my favourite places to take foreign visitors. It’s easily accessible and makes a perfect day out from London in summer.

It’s a historic place: it was the capital of Wessex and then of England until Norman Conquest in 1066. Not surprising then, that a large cathedral was built here around 648 AD. All that remains of this is its foundations, clearly marked next to the present building.

And what a building that is. At 556ft (170m) the longest mediaeval cathedral in Europe, it illustrates perfectly the developments in mediaeval archtecture from the Norman Romanesque of its building in 1079, through High Gothic to the Perpendicular of the rebuilt west front and nave of 1400. There are several impressive chantry chapels and a beautiful 13th century retro choir. Richard I was crowned here in 1194, and Henry IV (1401) and Queen Mary (1554) were both married here.

But it is also full of other points of interest: the graves of Jane Austen, William II, and the Saxon kings Egbert, Ethelwulf and the Danish Canute; mediaeval stained glass and frescoes; pre-Raphaelite glass from Burne-Jones; and in the ancient library, the Winchester Bible, one of the pre-eminent mediaeval illuminated books in Europe.

The area around the cathedral is also delightful for a walk, and the award-winning refectory is a good place to eat. My favourite iwalk is along the lovely River Itchen to the church of Saint Cross (see separate entry). On a high summer’s day, it’s a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Modified: 03-10-2007

Mark this review as helpful 1pxt | 3 people thought this review was helpful. Who?
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Thank you for the informative review. I have added a link to it from our travel community at trivago in the believe that our visitors would also appreciate sharing your insights.
http://www.trivago.co.uk/winchester-39894/hotel/winch...

3 October 2007 by pierrejacques

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