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Winchester

Coordinates:51°03′48″N1°18′29″W/ 51.0632°N 1.308°W/51.0632; -1.308
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This article is about the English city. For other uses, seeWinchester (disambiguation).

Winchester
City
Clockwise from top left:Winchester Cathedral,Great Minster Street,Great Hall of Winchester CastleandWinchester Guildhall
Coat of arms of Winchester
Winchester is located in Hampshire
Winchester
Winchester
Location withinHampshire
Population48,478[1]
OS grid referenceSU485295
•London60 miles (97 km)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWINCHESTER
Postcode districtSO22, SO23
Dialling code01962
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
51°03′48″N1°18′29″W/ 51.0632°N 1.308°W/51.0632; -1.308

Winchester(/ˈwɪntʃɪstər/,/-tʃɛs-/)[2][3][4]is acathedral cityinHampshire,England. The city lies at the heart of the widerCity of Winchester,a local governmentdistrict,at the western end of theSouth DownsNational Park, on theRiver Itchen.It is 60 miles (97 km) south-west ofLondonand 14 miles (23 km) fromSouthampton,its nearest city. At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Winchester had a population of 48,478. The wider City of Winchester district includes towns such asAlresfordandBishop's Walthamand had a population of 127,439 in 2021.[5]Winchester is thecounty townof Hampshire and contains the head offices ofHampshire County Council.

Winchester developed from theRomantown ofVenta Belgarum,which in turn developed from anIron Ageoppidum.Winchester was one of the most important cities in England until theNorman conquestin the eleventh century. It has since become one of the most expensive andaffluentareas in the United Kingdom.

The city's major landmark isWinchester Cathedral.The city is also home to theUniversity of WinchesterandWinchester College,[6]the oldest public school in the United Kingdom still using its original buildings.

History

[edit]

Prehistory

[edit]

The area around Winchester has been inhabited sinceprehistoric times,with threeIron Agehillforts,Oram's Arbour,St. Catherine's Hill,and Worthy Down all nearby. In theLate Iron Age,a more urban settlement type developed, known as anoppidum,although the archaeology of this phase remains obscure.

The settlement became an important centre for theBritish Belgaetribe; however, it remains unclear how the Belgae came to control the initial settlement. Caesar recorded the tribe had crossed the channel as raiders (probably in the 1st century BCE), only to later establish themselves.[7]The Roman account of continental invaders has been challenged in recent years with scientific studies favouring a gradual change through increased trade links rather than migration.[8][9][10]

To the Celtic Britons, the settlement was probably known asWentāorVenta(from a commonCeltic wordmeaning "tribal town" or "meeting place" ).[11]An etymology connected with the Celtic word for "white" (Modern Welshgwyn) has been suggested, due to Winchester's situation upon chalk.[12]It was the Latinised versions of this name, together with that of the tribe that gave the town its Roman name ofVenta Belgarum.

Roman period

[edit]
Main article:Venta Belgarum

After theRoman conquest of Britain,the settlement served as the capital (Latin:civitas) of the Belgae and was distinguished asVenta Belgarum,"Venta of the Belgae". Although in the early years of the Roman province it was of subsidiary importance toSilchesterandChichester,Venta eclipsed them both by the latter half of the second century.[13]At the beginning of the third century, Winchester was given protectivestone walls.[14]At around this time the city covered an area of 144 acres (58 ha), making it among the largest towns in Roman Britain by surface area.[15]There was a limited suburban area outside the walls.[16]Like many other Roman towns however, Winchester began to decline in the later fourth century.[15][17]

Medieval period

[edit]

Post-Roman Winchester

[edit]

Despite theRoman withdrawal from Britain,urban life continued much as it had done into the mid fifth century. The settlement reduced in size, but work was carried out to improve the city's defences. The city may have functioned as a centre for a religious community or a royal palace, as they continued to use the Christian cemeteries established in the Roman period.

Winchester appears in earlyWelsh literatureand is commonly identified as the city ofCair Guinntguiclisted among the28 cities of Britainin theHistory of the Britons(commonly attributed toNennius).[18][19]The city is known asCaerwyntinModern Welsh.

Between 476 and 517 AD, the town and surrounding areas seems to have been fortified by severalJutishsettlements[20][21][a]and to have operated as part of a larger polity.[22]

Kingdom of Wessex

[edit]
Statue of Alfred the GreatbyHamo Thornycroftin Winchester
A mention of Wintanceaster (here spelledǷintan ceastre) in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle

The city became known asWintanceaster( "Fort Venta" ) inOld English.[23]In 648,King Cenwalh of Wessexerected the Church of St Peter and St Paul, later known as theOld Minster.This became a cathedral in the 660s when the West Saxon bishop's see was transferred fromDorchester on Thames.The present form of the city dates from reconstruction in the late 9th century, whenKing Alfred the Greatobliterated the Roman street plan in favour of a new grid in order to provide better defence against theVikings.The city's first mint appears to date from this period.[24]

In the early 10th century there were two new ecclesiastical establishments: the convent ofNunnaminster,founded by Alfred's widowEalhswith,[25]and theNew Minster.BishopÆthelwold of Winchesterwas a leading figure in the monastic reform movement of the later 10th century. He expelled the secular canons of both minsters and replaced them with monks. He created the drainage system, the "Lockburn", which served as the town drain until 1875, and still survives. Also in the late 10th century, the Old Minster was enlarged as a centre of the cult of the 9th centuryBishop of Winchester,SaintSwithun.The three minsters were the home of what architectural historian John Crook describes as "the supreme artistic achievements" of theWinchester School.[24]

The consensus among historians of Anglo-Saxon England is that the court was mobile in this period and there was no fixed capital.[26][27][28][29]Martin Biddlehas suggested that Winchester was a centre for royal administration in the 7th and 8th centuries, but this is questioned byBarbara Yorke,who sees it as significant that the shire was named after Hamtun, the forerunner ofSouthampton.[30]However, Winchester is described by the historian Catherine Cubitt as "the premier city of the West Saxon kingdom"[31]andJanet Nelsondescribes London and Winchester as Alfred the Great's "proto-capitals".[32]

There was a fire in the city in 1141 during theRout of Winchester.In the 14th century,William of Wykehamplayed a role in the city's restoration. AsBishop of Winchesterhe was responsible for much of the current structure of the cathedral, and he founded the still extant public schoolWinchester College.During theMiddle Ages,the city was an important centre of the wool trade, before going into a slow decline.[citation needed]Thecurfew bellin the bell tower (near the clock in the picture), still sounds at 8:00 pm each evening.

Winchester High Street in the mid 19th century.

Jews in Winchester

[edit]

Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community in the city was one of the most important in England. There was anarchain the city, and theJewish quarterwas located in the city's heart (present day Jewry street). There were a series ofblood libelclaims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which was probably the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue of which he was the head.Simon de Montfortransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews wereexpelledfrom England.[33]A statue ofLicoricia of Winchester,described as "the most important Jewish woman in medieval England", located in Jewry Street, was unveiled by the then Prince of Wales on 10 February 2022.[34][35]

Modern period

[edit]
The WinchesterButtercross

The City Cross (also known as theButtercross) has been dated to the 15th century, and features 12 statues of theVirgin Mary,other saints and various historical figures. Several statues appear to have been added throughout the structure's history. In 1770,Thomas Dummerpurchased the Buttercross from the Corporation of Winchester, intending to have it re-erected atCranbury Park,nearOtterbourne.When his workmen arrived to dismantle the cross, they were prevented from doing so by the people of the city, who "organised a small riot",[36]and they were forced to abandon their task. The agreement with the city was cancelled and Dummer erected alath and plasterfacsimile, which stood in the park for about sixty years before it was destroyed by the weather.[37]The Buttercross itself was restored byGeorge Gilbert Scottin 1865, and still stands in the High Street. It is now aScheduled Ancient Monument.[38]

Surviving part of thecity wallsbetweenWolvesey Castleand theRiver Itchen.This section retains some battlements.

Thecity wallswere originally built in the Roman period covering an area of around 138 acres (56 ha), and were rebuilt and expanded in sections over time. A large portion of the city walls, built on Roman foundations, were demolished in the 18th and 19th centuries as they fell into ruin and the gates became a barrier to traffic and a danger to pedestrians, with only a small portion of the original Roman wall itself surviving.[39][40]Of the six gates (North, South, East, West, Durn, and King's Gates), only theKingsgateandWestgatesurvive, with sections of the walls remaining around the two gates and near the ruins ofWolvesey Castle.[41]

Three notable bronze sculptures can be seen in or from the High Street by major sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries, the earliest a monumental statue ofQueen Victoria,now in theGreat hall,by SirAlfred Gilbert(also known as the sculptor of 'Eros' in London's Piccadilly Circus),King Alfred,facing the city with raised sword from the centre of The Broadway, byHamo Thornycroftand the modern strikingHorse and RiderbyDame Elizabeth Frinkat the entrance to the Law Courts.

The novelistJane Austendied in Winchester on 18 July 1817 and is buried in the cathedral.[42]While staying in Winchester from mid-August to October 1819, the Romantic poetJohn Keatswrote "Isabella", "St. Agnes' Eve", "To Autumn","Lamia "and parts of"Hyperion"and the five-act poetic tragedy" Otho The Great ".[43]

In 2013, businesses involved in the housing market were reported by a local newspaper as saying that the city's architectural and historical interest, and its fast links to other towns and cities, had led Winchester to become one of the most expensive and desirable areas of the country and[who?]ranked Winchester as one of the least deprived areas in England and Wales.[44]

Geography

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Winchester is situated on a bed ofCretaceouslower chalk with small areas of clay and loam soil, inset with combined clay and rich sources offuller's earth.[citation needed]

Climate

[edit]

As with the rest of the UK, Winchester experiences anoceanic climate(KöppenCfb). The nearest Met Office station is inMartyr Worthy,just outside the city.

Climate data forMartyr Worthy,Winchester (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.8
(46.0) 		8.4
(47.1) 		11.1
(52.0) 		14.2
(57.6) 		17.9
(64.2) 		20.5
(68.9) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.6
(72.7) 		19.7
(67.5) 		15.2
(59.4) 		10.9
(51.6) 		8.3
(46.9) 		15.0
(58.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7) 		1.4
(34.5) 		2.7
(36.9) 		4.2
(39.6) 		6.9
(44.4) 		9.6
(49.3) 		11.5
(52.7) 		11.8
(53.2) 		9.5
(49.1) 		7.3
(45.1) 		4.0
(39.2) 		1.9
(35.4) 		6.0
(42.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 82
(3.2) 		58
(2.3) 		51
(2.0) 		51
(2.0) 		49
(1.9) 		45
(1.8) 		53
(2.1) 		58
(2.3) 		55
(2.2) 		86
(3.4) 		91
(3.6) 		76
(3.0) 		755
(29.8)
Average rainy days 13 10 9 10 9 8 9 9 9 12 13 13 124
Mean monthlysunshine hours 57 80 116 168 200 191 201 186 147 108 70 50 1,574
Source: Met Office[45]

Governance

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Main article:City of Winchester § Governance
Winchester Town Forum
Coat of arms or logo
Logo
City wards in dark red; parished part of St Barnabas in light red
Type
Type
Area Committee
Leadership
Chair
Cllr Mark Reach
Structure
Seats14
14 / 14
Elections
Indirect election,ex officioward councillors from town wards
Meeting place
Guildhall,The Broadway, High Street, Winchester, SO239GH

From 1835 to 1974, Winchester was governed as amunicipal boroughof Hampshire.[46]Until 1902 the city's affairs were also administered partly by its parishes: St Lawrence, St Mary Kalendar, St Maurice, St Michael, St Peter Colebrook, St Swithin, St Thomas, St John, St Bartholomew Hyde, Milland, St Faith, and St Peter Cheesehill, and its extra-parochial areas: Cathedral Precincts, St Mary's College Precincts, St Cross Hospital Precinct, and Wolvesey.[47]Historically, the south of the city had come under the "Libertyof theSoke",and was thereby self-governing to a large extent.[48][49]

In 1889, the city came under the newHampshire County Council,and the city was later administered by WinchesterUrban District.Since 1974 the area has been governed as part of the widerCity of Winchesterdistrict ofHampshire.The district has 16 electoral wards, five of these cover the former Urban District itself: St Barnabas, St Paul, St Luke, St Bartholomew, and St Michael;[50]they have three councillors each apart from St Luke, which is a two-member ward. ForHampshire County Councilelections, the City of Winchester district is made up of 7divisions,with Winchester Westgate and Winchester Eastgate covering the town area.

Whilst the remainder of the district is parished, most of the five city wards constitutes anunparished area.As a result, they now make up Winchester Town Forum, which matches the former Winchester Urban District. Legally an area committee, it oversees the Town account and acts as a council committee to steer some decisions affecting the town. Unlike parishes, members are not directly-elected, but instead are the city councillors who were elected to the respective wards, who sitex officioon the town forum.[51][52]

The current ward boundaries were adopted in2016,when all seats were up for election. Since then,Winchester City Council electionstake place in three out of every four years, with one third of the councillors elected in each election. From the2006 electionuntil the2010 electionthe council was led byConservatives.[53]In 2010 it was controlled for a year by theLiberal Democrats,before being led again by the Conservatives from 2011 until2019,since when the Liberal Democrats have again been in control. The wards are:

  • St Barnabas (part under Littleton and Harestock Parish)
  • St Bartholomew
  • St Luke
  • St Michael
  • St Paul

St Barnabas predominantly coversHarestock,Weekeand Teg Down. Harestock is part ofLittleton and HarestockParish whilst the remainder is part of the unparished area, but the entire ward is part of the Town Forum. The remaining wards are all completely unparished; St Bartholomew is predominantly composed ofAbbotts Barton,Hyde,andWinnall;St Luke is predominantly composed ofStanmoreand Winchester Village; St Michael is predominanlty composed ofBar End,Highcliffe, Saint Giles Hill,St Cross,and much of the city centre including theCathedralClose; St Pauls is predominantly composed of Fulflood, Sleepers Hill, and West Hill.

Winchesteris currently represented in theHouse of CommonsbyDanny Chambers,of the Liberal Democrats, who in the2024 General ElectionbeatFlick Drummond,the Conservative candidate, by 13,821 votes (a margin of 24.2%).

The office ofMayor of Winchestercurrently exists as a ceremonial role, but dates back at least as far as the late 12th century.[54]The mayoral term length is currently one year, and is the chair ofWinchester City Council,covering the wider district since 1974.

Landmarks

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Cathedral

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Main article:Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral,showing its long nave

Winchester Cathedralwas originally built in 1079 and remains the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. It contains much fine architecture spanning the 11th to the 16th centuries and is the place of interment of numerousBishops of Winchester(such asWilliam of Wykeham),Anglo-Saxonmonarchs (such asEgbert of Wessex) and later monarchs such as KingCanuteandWilliam Rufus.[55]It was once an importantpilgrimagecentre and housed theshrineofSaint Swithun.The ancientPilgrims' WaytoCanterburybegins at Winchester. The plan of the earlierOld Minsteris laid out in the grass adjoining the cathedral. TheNew Minster(the original burial place ofAlfred the GreatandEdward the Elder[55]) once stood beside it. The cathedral has a girls choir and a boys choir, who sing regularly in the cathedral.

Winchester Cathedral Close contains a number of historic buildings from the time when the cathedral was also apriory.Of particular note is theDeanery,which dates back to the 13th century. It was originally the Prior's House, and was the birthplace ofArthur, Prince of Walesin 1486. Not far away isCheyney Court,a mid 15th-centurytimber-framedhouse incorporating the Porter's Lodge for the Priory Gate. It was the Bishop's court house.

The earliesthammer-beamedbuilding still standing in England is situated in the Cathedral Close, next to the Dean's garden. It is known as thePilgrims' Hall,as it was part of the hostelry used to accommodate the many pilgrims to Saint Swithun's shrine. Left-overs from the lavish banquets of the Priors (the monastic predecessors of the later Deans) would be given to the pilgrims, who were welcome to spend the night in the hall. It is thought by Winchester City Council to have been built in 1308. Now part ofThe Pilgrims' School,the hall is used by the school for assemblies in the morning, drama lessons, plays, orchestral practices, Cathedral Waynflete[clarification needed]rehearsals, the school's Senior Commoners' Choir rehearsals etc.

Entrance for pedestrians to the Northgarthof the cathedral is via the Norman arches of Saint Maurice's tower, in the High Street.[56]

Wolvesey Castle and Palace

[edit]
Main articles:Wolvesey CastleandWolvesey Palace

Wolvesey Castlewas theNormanbishop's palace, dating from 1110, but standing on the site of an earlier Saxon structure. It was enhanced byHenry de Bloisduringthe Anarchyof his brother KingStephen's reign. He was besieged there for some days. In the 16th century, QueenMary Tudorand KingPhilip II of Spainwere guests just before theirwedding in the cathedral.The building is now a ruin (maintained byEnglish Heritage), but the chapel was incorporated into the new palace built in the 1680s, only one wing of which survives.

Castle

[edit]
Main article:Winchester Castle
TheWinchester Round Tablein the Great Hall ofWinchester Castle

Winchester is well known for the Great Hall ofits castle,which was built in the 12th century. The Great Hall was rebuilt sometime between 1222 and 1235, and still exists in this form. It is famous forKing Arthur'sRound Table,which has hung in the hall from at least 1463. The table actually dates from the 13th century, this it is still of considerable historical interest and attracts many tourists. The table was originally unpainted, but was painted forHenry VIIIin 1522. The names of the legendaryKnights of the Round Tableare written around the edge of the table surmounted by King Arthur on his throne. Opposite the table arePrince Charles's 'Wedding Gates'. In the grounds of the Great Hall is a recreation of amedievalgarden. Apart from the hall, only a few excavated remains of the stronghold survive among the modern Law Courts. The buildings were supplanted by the adjacentKing's House,now incorporated into thePeninsula Barrackswhere there are five military museums.[57](The training that used to be carried out at the barracks is now done by theArmy Training RegimentWinchester, based at theSir John Moore Barracks,2 miles (3 km) outside the city).[58]

Hospital of St Cross

[edit]
Main article:Hospital of St Cross
Hospital of St Cross,Winchester

Thealmshousesand vastNormanchapelof theHospital of St Crosswere founded just outside the city centre byHenry de Bloisin the 1130s. Since at least the 14th century, and still available today, a 'wayfarer's dole' of ale and bread has been handed out there. It was supposedly instigated to aid pilgrims on their way toCanterbury.

City museum

[edit]

The City Museum, located on the corner of Great Minster Street and The Square, contains much information on the history of Winchester. Early examples ofWinchester measuresof standard capacity are on display. The museum was one of the first purpose-built museums to be constructed outside London.[59]Local items featured include the RomanVenta Belgarum[60]gallery, and some genuine period shop interiors taken from the nearby High Street. Other places of cultural interest include the Westgate Museum (which showcases various items ofweaponry), and the Historic Resources Centre, which holds many records related to the history of the city. In 2014 ownership of the City museum was transferred to the Hampshire Cultural Trust as part of a larger transfer of museums fromHampshire County CouncilandWinchester City Council.[61]

Other buildings

[edit]

Other historic buildings include theGuildhalldating from 1871 in theGothic revivalstyle,[62]theRoyal Hampshire County Hospital,designed byWilliam Butterfield,andWinchester City Mill,one of the city's severalwater millsdriven by theRiver Itchenthat runs through the city centre. The mill has recently been restored, and is again milling corn by water power. It is owned by theNational Trust.[62]

Castle Hillis the location of the Council Chamber forHampshire County Council.[63]

Between Jewry Street and St Peter's Street isSt Peter's Catholic Church.It was built in 1924 and designed byFrederick Walters.Next to it is Milner Hall, built in the 1780s it was the first Catholic church to beconsecratedsince 1558.[64]

The old VictorianCorn Exchangeis now used as a cultural hub.[65]

Painted bollards

[edit]
Bollard in the style ofDavid Hockney'sA Bigger Splash

A series of 24bollardson the corner of Great Minster Street and The Square were painted in the style of famous artists, or with topical scenes, by The Colour Factory between 2005 and 2012 at the behest of Winchester City Council.(51°03′43″N1°18′55″W/ 51.062°N 1.31525°W/51.062; -1.31525(The Square))

Education

[edit]

State-funded schools

[edit]

Primary schools

[edit]

Winchester has a variety ofChurch of Englandprimary schools, including both state and private provision schools. St Peters Catholic Primary School had the highest SATS results, after achieving a perfect score of 300 in 2011.[66]

Secondary schools

[edit]

There are four state comprehensive secondary schools in Winchester; theHenry Beaufort School,Kings' School Winchester,andThe Westgate Schoolare all situated in the city. A fourth state school, theOsborne School,a community special school is also located in Winchester.[67]

Independent schools

[edit]
Winchester College's medieval Chamber Court, 1394

Independent junior/preparatory schools areThe Pilgrims' School Winchester,the Prince's Mead School andTwyford School,which is just outside the city and claims to be the oldest preparatory school in the United Kingdom.[68]There are two major independent senior schools in Winchester,St Swithun's(a day and boarding school for girls from nursery to sixth form) andWinchester College,a boys'public school.[69]Both schools often top the examination result tables for the city and county.[70]

Special schools

[edit]

Osborne Schoolis a state-fundedspecial schoolfor pupils aged 11 to 19 which is located in Winchester. Shepherds Down Special School is a state funded special school for pupils aged 4 to 11, located just outside of the city in the boundaries ofCompton.

Tertiary, further and higher education

[edit]

TheUniversity of Winchester(formerly King Alfred's College) is a public university based in Winchester and the surrounding area. It is ranked 10th for teaching excellence in The Times and The Sunday Times 2016 Good University Guide, with a 92% rating, and fourth for student satisfaction in England in the National Student Survey 2015.[71]The university origins go back as far as 1840, originally as a Diocesan teacher training centre. King Alfred's, the main campus, is located on a purpose-built campus near the city centre. The West Downs campus is a short walk away, and houses student facilities and accommodation and the business school.[72]

TheWinchester School of Artwas founded in the 1860s as an independent institution and is now a school of theUniversity of Southampton.The School of Art is complemented by the University of Southampton's Erasmus Park student accommodation in Winnall.[73][74]

Peter Symonds Collegeis a college that serves Winchester. It began as aGrammar schoolfor boys in 1897, and became a co-educational sixth-form college in 1974.[75]

Sport

[edit]

Winchester hasWinchester City FCwho currently play in the Southern League andWinchester Castle FC,who have played in the Hampshire League since 1971. The local Saturday football league, the Winchester & District League, folded in 2010. The city also has awalking footballclub, Winchester Walking Football, which was established in April 2021 and plays at the University Sports Ground.[76]

Winchester City Flyers are a girls' and women's football club[77]established in 1996 with nearly 200 members, playing from U9 to ladies football. They play in theSouthern Region Women's Football League.[78]

The St Cross Symondians Cricket Club is one of the firstcricketclubs in Hampshire, and, with 5 men's sides, 2 women's sides, a successful junior's side, and weekend sides, is one of the largest as well.

Winchester has arugby unionteam,Winchester RFC,and anathleticsclub, Winchester and District AC. The city has afield hockeyclub, Winchester Hockey Club.[79]

Lawnbowlsis played at several clubs. The oldest bowling green belongs to Friary Bowling Club (first used in 1820),[80]while the oldest bowls club is Hyde Abbey Bowling Club (established in 1812).[81]Riverside Indoor Bowling Club remains open during the winter months.

There are three 18-holegolf courses.Royal Winchester Golf Club is on downland adjacent to theClarendon Way.John Henry Taylorwas the club professional when winningthe Open Championshipin 1894 and 1895, and there is a room with memorabilia named after him. Hockley Golf Club is located onSt Catherine's Hill.South Winchester Golf Club is another downland course, designed byDavid ThomasandPeter Alliss.The club was established in 1993.[82]

Winchester College invented and gave its name toWinchester College football.[83]

Transport

[edit]

Road

[edit]

Winchester is located near theM3 motorwayand at the meeting of theA34,A31,A3090andA272roads. Once a major traffic bottleneck, the city still suffers from congestion at peak times. It is just to the south of theA303andA30.

Roman road

[edit]

ARoman roadoriginating inSalisburyends in Winchester.[citation needed]The road is now a recreational footpath known as theClarendon Way.[84]

Bus services

[edit]
Winchester Bus Station

Local, rural and Park and Ride bus services are provided byStagecoach South,who run toAndover,Alton,Basingstoke,Petersfield,RomseyandFareham.Bluestarprovide services toEastleighand Southampton. Many services are subsidised byHampshire County Counciland community transport schemes are available in areas without a regular bus service.[85]National Express coachesprovide services mainly to Bournemouth,Poole,Portsmouth and London.

Megabusalso provide long-distance services.[86]

Community Transport Schemes

[edit]

Three different community transport schemes are on offer by Winchester City Council, those offerings are as follows:

  • Dial-A-Ride - A service available from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm within the Winchester City Council district for those with a mobility or sensory impairment that would make it uncomfortable or impossible to ride in a taxi or bus. The minibuses the service use are fully wheelchair accessible and do not require that you be registered as disabled.[87]
  • Voluntary Car-Share - These schemes are not exclusive to Winchester area, with many such schemes being offered throughout Hampshire and indeed the UK. This is where a group of volunteer drivers with their own vehicles offer transport to people in their area that're in need such as the vulnerable, those with low incomes (to provide an alternative to expensive taxi fares) or taking people to medical appointments when they otherwise couldn't get there themselves.[88]
  • Wheels to Work - A scheme for use across Hampshire which is designed to allow people without access to public or private transport to find work, to go to vocational trainings or to attend interviews. The scheme offers a moped (50cc, 110cc or electric) on loan to those 16-25 for anywhere from 3-12 months depending on one's circumstances. The scheme requires that the individual already hold a provisional drivers license and have passed theirCompulsory Basic Training(which the scheme also offers to cover the cost for should the individual not have passed yet).[89]

Rail

[edit]

Winchester railway stationis served bySouth Western Railwaytrains fromLondon Waterloo,Weymouth,PortsmouthandSouthampton,as well as byCrossCountrybetweenBournemouth,and eitherManchesterorNewcastleviaBirmingham.Historically it was also served by a line to London viaAlton,which partially survives as theWatercress Line.The closure of this line removed an alternative route between London and Winchester when, due to engineering works or other reasons, the main line was temporarily unusable. There was a second station calledWinchester Chesilserved by theDidcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway;this closed in the 1960s.[86]This line provided a link to theMidlandsand the North, bypassing the present longer route throughReading.

Law courts

[edit]

Winchester Combined Court Centre hosts both theCrown Courtand theCounty Court.It is administered byHis Majesty's Courts Service,anexecutive agencyof theMinistry of Justice.Winchester is a first-tier court centre and is visited byHigh Court judgesfor criminal and for civil cases (in the District Registry of the High Court). One of the most high-profile cases to be heard here was the murder trial ofRose Westin 1995.[90]

Winchester has a separate districtprobateregistry, which is part of theHigh Court.[91]This court is separate from the main court establishment at the top of Winchester High Street and deals only with probate matters.

There is a heavily populated Victorian prison,HMP Winchester,opposite the hospital, on the B3040 heading up west from the town centre.[92]

Media and culture

[edit]

Since 1974 Winchester has hosted the annualHat Fair,a celebration ofstreet theatrethat includes performances, workshops, and gatherings at several venues around the city.[citation needed]

Winchester is the home ofBlue Apple Theatre,a theatre company that supports performers with learning disabilities to develop theatre, dance and film productions. It won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2012.[93][94]Founded in 1997,Platform 4is a National performance and visual arts company based in Winchester.[95]

Winchester hosts one of the UK's largerfarmers' markets,with about 100 stalls. The market takes place on the second and last Sunday of the month in the city centre. The city also hosts the annualWinchester Cathedral Christmas Market,which runs from mid-November to just beforeChristmas.[96]

Four newspapers are published for Winchester. The weekly paid-forHampshire Chronicle,which started out in 1772 reporting national and international news, now concentrates on Winchester and the surrounding area. TheSouthern Daily Echomostly concerns Southampton, but does also feature Winchester. It has an office shared with sister paper the Hampshire Chronicle. TheMid-Hants Observeris a free, weekly independent paper for Winchester and nearby villages. Its sister paper, the weeklyHampshire Independent,which covers the whole county, is also based in Winchester. The freeWinchester News Extraclosed in 2017. Winchester had its own radio station,Win FM,from October 1999 to October 2007.[citation needed]

In October 2006, theChannel 4television programmeThe Best And Worst Places To Live In The UK,the city was celebrated as the "Best Place in the UK to Live in: 2006".[44]In March 2016, Winchester was named as the best place to live in Britain by the "Sunday Times Best Places To Live" guide.[97]

International relations

[edit]
See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom

Winchester istwinnedwith:[98]

TheWinchester districtis twinned with

Winchester, Virginia,is named after the English city, whose Mayor has a standing invitation to be a part of the American city'sShenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.Winchester also gave its name (Frenchified toBicêtre) to a suburb ofParis,from a manor built there byJohn of Pontoise,Bishop of Winchester,at the end of the 13th century. It is now the commune ofLe Kremlin-Bicêtre.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^At Kings Worthy, Abbots Worthy, Martyrs Worthy, Itchen Abbas and Itchen Stoke.

References

[edit]
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[edit]
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