Winchester Cathedral

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Culture-Cathedral Culture-Historical Building Culture-Landmark Exhibition-Architecture Exhibition-History Nature-Gardens Settlement-City

Winchester Cathedral is one of Europe's largest cathedrals and boasts the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in the world. Marvel at its stunning architecture and soaring arches set amongst the leafy green Cathedral grounds. Built in 1093 this building officially elevates Winchester to the status of a city despite its relatively small size. It's a burial site to a range of famous figures including Jane Austen, the celebrated British novelist. Other prestigious names include: St Swithun - patron saint of the cathedral, Josephine Butler - social reformer and women's rights advocate, Bill Wilson - co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. My personal favourite is William Walker, the man who spent 6 years diving beneath the cathedral to pump out water and rebuild the foundations. Over the years he deposited 25,800 bags of concrete, 114,900 concrete slabs, and around 900,000 bricks. His monumental efforts nearly single-handedly saved the cathedral from sinking into the ground beneath its stone structure. If you're a film fan you may recognise some of the building's features from a selection of Hollywood movies. The cathedral was used as a filming location for movies such as The Da Vinci Code, Les Miserables, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. TOP TIPS - If you’re visiting the cathedral, make sure you take a 5-minute detour to the King Alfred the Great statue at the bottom of Winchester high-street. This statue pays homage to the Saxon King who ruled over Britain and made Winchester his capital nearly 1,000 years ago. - The Winchester Cathedral grounds transform into a sensational Christmas market every December. There are numerous stalls selling hot food, local produce, and seasonal goods. On top of this, the stalls surround a large ice rink right beside the cathedral. It's a very special time of year to visit. FOOD & DRINK -Winchester has plenty of great restaurants and cafes to visit. If you're looking for a quick snack and a cup of coffee head to The Dispensary Kitchen right beside the cathedral grounds. Further into the city are Cafe Monde and Forte Kitchen, both very popular brunch/snack spots. -For a more refined dining experience there is The Chesil Rectory which is a historic restaurant set in a gorgeous 600-year-old Grade II listed building. In addition to this, there's the Michelin Star restaurant The Black Rat with its counterpart pub The Black Boy located a few steps downhill from the restaurant.