A Brief History of Winchester
People have been settled in Winchester since ancient times. The town sits on the banks of the Itchen river, surrounded by chalk down-land and was a natural place for human settlement.
First settled by Celts, Winchester was later colonized by the Romans. Not much remains to be seen from the Roman period as settlements from this time are 12 feet below present-day street level, however there is still a section of the original Roman wall which can be seen. Also, the layout of the main roads that approach the city were first laid out by the Romans.
When the Romans departed, the city was briefly governed by the original British settlers (Celts) before being conquered by the Saxons during the 6th century. It's rise to prominence, which began with the Roman occupation, reached it's zenith in Saxon times. It's most famous citizen, King Alfred the Great, saving the town and half of England from Viking rule.
During the English Civil War (1642 - 1651), Winchester sided with the Royalists; it paid for this dearly when Cromwellian troops ransacked the cathedral.
After the Restoration of the monarchy, Charles II began construction of a new royal palace in Winchester. Sir Christopher Wren (the man who designed St Pauls Cathedral, London) was commissioned to design the grand palace. Sadly, the king died before it was built and the project was abandoned and the buildings fell into ruin. Since then, the town has slipped quietly into what it is now; a prosperous, market town.
Through the ages, the people who settled in the area, built buildings and structures that are still visible today. Over 5,000 years of history can be seen and touched. For centuries visitors have come to Winchester, not only for it's beauty but also for the history that is on display in abundance. All of these treasures are within easy walking distance from the town centre. Very few towns can offer the visitor palpable insights into our ancient history.
Famous residents and visitors
King Alfred the Great (c849-899). Winchester's most famous resident. He rebuilt the town after the 'Dark Ages' and made it his home. After his death, he was buried in his capital city of Winchester, and is the only English monarch in history to carry the title, "the Great."
St Swithun (d.862). Bishop of Winchester and tutor to King Alfred. Pilgrims visited his shrine in the Cathedral, which was destroyed by Henry VIII’s commissioners during the Reformation. According to the legend, if it rains on St Swithun’s Day, it will rain for a further 40 days and nights!
Queen Mary Tudor (1516-1558). Married Prince Philip of Spain on 25th July 1554 in the Cathedral. The wedding feast was at Wolvesey Castle. Her marriage chair is in the cathedral’s Triforium Gallery. The city was given the site of St Mary’s Abbey, today Abbey Gardens, as a token of the Queen’s gratitude for the hospitality provided.
Sir Walter Raleigh (c1552-1618). Tried for treason and condemned to death in the Great Hall in 1603. Scaffolds were erected on the Castle Green for the execution, but he was reprieved at the last moment.
Jane Austen (1775-1817). Born in Hampshire, in the near-by village of Steventon, Jane Austen is considered to be one of the best writers in the English language. Her novels achieved a measure of popular success and esteem, yet her anonymity kept her out of leading literary circles. Although all her works are love stories and although her career coincided with the Romantic movement in English literature, Jane Austen was no Romantic. Passionate emotion usually carries danger in an Austen novel and the young woman who exercises rational moderation is more likely to find real happiness than one who elopes with a lover.
Not everyone has been a fan of her work; Mark Twain once said: "Jane Austen? Why, I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book."
Jane Austen came to Winchester in the last few months of her life. Her grave and a memorial are in the Cathedral.
John Keats (1795-1821). In 1819 the poet stayed in Winchester and wrote the ode ‘To Autumn’ inspired by a walk through the Cathedral Close and the water meadows to St Cross. He was one of the few poets I could bring my self to read when I was in school - poetry was never my favourite subject. I can still recite most of 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'.
Winchester's name through the ages
Wenta (British); Caer Gwent (traditional Celtic); Venta Belgarum (Roman); aet Wintan ceastre (ix century); Winteceastre (x century); Winton, Wyncestre (xiii century).