A day in Winchester, England’s former capital

Today, we are taking you to Winchester, the former capital of England, located in Hampshire. Whether for a pleasant walk through a historic city full of character or for a good restaurant, we regularly go to Winchester because our village is only half an hour from this charming city. We have a usual route that we like to do with friends or family when they come to visit us. I am sharing it with you in this article because you may want to visit Winchester as part of a train escape from London or during a road trip in the south of England. For one day, or why not two, Winchester is a lovely little English stop!

So, what to see and what to do in Winchester?

The whole programme below is possible in one day, and the entire city is very easy to visit on foot.

High Street

High Street is Winchester’s main shopping street. It crosses the city centre from the Westgate entrance gate to the River Itchen. All along the street, you can admire old half-timbered buildings as well as other historical and architectural details:

• The Buttercross, which dates from the 15th century: in the Middle Ages, merchants gathered around this market cross to sell their goods.
• A large clock dating from the 19th century.
• Westgate, the western entrance gate, dating from the 12th century.

A market is held on High Street from Thursday to Saturday, with a few food stalls, craftspeople and sellers of retro items.

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral is one of the most important cathedrals in England. Its construction began in the 11th century, just after the Norman Conquest, and continued until the 16th century. It is the longest medieval cathedral in the world. Its architecture is a mix of Norman Romanesque and Gothic styles.

I recommend visiting the inside: it is magnificent! The visit is paid – see information and prices on their website. The novelist Jane Austen is buried there, in the north aisle.

If you do not visit the cathedral, you can enjoy the green spaces around it before continuing the walk along the right-hand side of the building, under the arches:

The Inner Close

Once you have passed under the arches, you are in Inner Close, where St Swithun’s monastery once stood. This spot has a great deal of charm. You will come across the statue of Jane Austen, then more old half-timbered buildings by another gate: Priors Gate.

College Street: Winchester College and Jane Austen

Next, go through Kingsgate, where there is an adorable bookshop, Kingsgate Books & Prints, selling modern illustrations and old postcards from all over the United Kingdom, perfect for bringing back a little souvenir.

Then you arrive on College Street.

At number 11, you will pass a very old bookshop that my Titpuce loves: P&G Wells. They have a very complete section on Jane Austen.

Then, at 8 College Street, you will find Jane Austen’s final home, where she spent a few weeks trying to be treated by Winchester doctors before dying of an unidentified illness at the age of 41.

Then, continuing along College Street, you pass the famous Winchester College, hence the name of the street. A little reminder: in English, “college” here is not a middle school, but a secondary school or part of a university. Winchester College is an elite private school. There is usually a guided tour in the early afternoon. I visited it a long time ago on a school trip and it really impressed me. Back then, Harry Potter did not exist yet; otherwise I could have said it felt like being in Harry Potter :-). It is a good option for seeing a typical, historic school. On the other hand, I would say it is not essential if you are already planning to visit Oxford or Cambridge, because the buildings are even more spectacular in those two university cities.

The ruins of Wolvesey Castle and the River Itchen

Continuing along College Street, on the right you come across a few ruins of Wolvesey Castle, which was the residence of the bishops of Winchester in the Middle Ages. Entry is free. So you can make the little detour to these ruins before continuing the walk along the River Itchen. This river is incredibly clear! The walk becomes very bucolic. At this point, I recommend a break on the terrace of The Bishop on the Bridge pub if the weather allows.

Winchester City Mill

Winchester Mill is one of the oldest working watermills in England. It is small and quick to visit, but it is lovely if you are with young children because they can watch the wheel and make flour. Ticoeur and Titpuce enjoyed this visit when they were 6 and 8. Entry is paid or included in National Trust membership (a pass I recommend because it quickly pays for itself if you visit several historic sites managed by the National Trust).

St Catherine’s Hill

Before looping back towards High Street, I suggest taking a step back and heading first to St Catherine’s Hill. It climbs a little, about 70 m of elevation gain, but it is not very long: allow around fifteen minutes to reach the top. From there, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama over Winchester.

The Great Hall

On the way back down, head towards High Street and, if you did not already do so at the beginning when you arrived, walk all the way up the street to Westgate. To the left of this gate is the Great Hall, a remnant of William the Conqueror’s former castle. The hall itself is a vast room dating from the 13th century and housing an immense Round Table, a representation of the Arthurian legend.

When I visited as a teenager, I really enjoyed it, especially because of this table. When I went back recently, I found the entry fee expensive for such a short visit. So it depends on your taste for history.

Winchester with children:

Winchester is a good city to visit as a family. First of all, because it is a calm, residential city, home to many families. There are lots of former Londoners who moved to Winchester once they became parents because it is a more child-friendly, and less expensive, city.

Depending on the age of your children, here are the visits not to miss in Winchester:

With young children:

• The mill: this is the place our Ticoeur and Titpuce liked most when they were small because they could see a mill in action and make flour.
• Children will all enjoy the outdoor spaces for running around: the lawns around the cathedral, the ruins of Wolvesey, the riverside and Abbey Gardens, located between the pretty Guildhall and the cathedral.
• The Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium is an interesting outing in case of rain.

With older children and secondary-school age kids:

• The Round Table in the Great Hall makes an impression if your pre-teens are interested in the Arthurian legend.
• Winchester College, to see the inside of this elite school whose architecture will appeal to Harry Potter fans.
• My Titpuce really likes the city’s different bookshops: Kingsgate Books & Prints, P&G Wells and Waterstones.

Our good pub and restaurant addresses

• The Bishop on the Bridge: for a drink by the river.

• The Chesil Rectory: a gastronomic restaurant located in Winchester’s oldest commercial building.
• The Square: for a snack on a terrace just a stone’s throw from the cathedral.
• Josie’s: for a delicious breakfast or brunch.
• Marse: for excellent Nepalese momos to take away, with a few tables on the terrace.
• Piecaramba! A restaurant serving savoury pies in all sorts of flavours! Very English.
• The Old Vine: a pretty pub opposite the cathedral.

Practical information for visiting Winchester

Transport:

• By train: from London, it is only 50 minutes by train from Waterloo station. You can book your tickets on the Southwestern Railway website.

• By car: Winchester is 1 hr 30 min from London or 30 minutes from Portsmouth.

• Parking: we always park at St Peter’s car park on weekdays or Saturdays. It is paid, but not very expensive, and well located for reaching the centre on foot. On Sundays, there is a large free car park at Chesil Street multi-storey car park.

What to see nearby:

• The village of Alresford, for a bucolic walk along the river in a charming little village.

• The village of Chawton, where Jane Austen’s main home is located, 30 minutes from Winchester.

• The New Forest, a magnificent forest with free-roaming horses, 30 minutes from Winchester.

Which season is best for visiting Winchester?

• Spring and autumn are the most beautiful seasons, I think, for enjoying the nature that is so present in Winchester, with lovely flowers in spring and the warm golden colours of the trees in autumn.

• Summer is pleasant for enjoying all the terraces and visiting the region during a road trip in the south of England.
• I do not recommend winter, except in December for the pretty Christmas market. It is small but authentic and picturesque, at the foot of the cathedral. It is the most beautiful one I have seen in England.

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And you? Tempted by Winchester?