Location: Winchester
Top Things to do in Winchester
Things to do in Winchester, England: The Best Historic Sites
Winchester is a city and the county town of Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs National Park, along the course of the River Itchen. It is situated 61 miles (98 km) south-west of London and 13.6 miles (21.9 km) from Southampton, its closest city. At the time of the 2011 Census, Winchester had a population of 45,184. The wider City of Winchester district which includes towns such as Alresford and Bishop's Waltham has a population of 116,800.
Restaurants in Winchester
1. Winchester Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,333 reviews
Winchester Cathedral is one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Europe, nestled at the heart of historic Winchester. It has been a place of worship and welcome for over 900 years and is one of the most historically significant buildings in Britain. Step inside to marvel at the longest medieval Nave in Europe, admire stunning architecture and encounter priceless treasures including the 12th-century Winchester Bible. Winchester Cathedral is the resting place of Saxon royalty and Jane Austen, the much-loved English novelist. Don't miss the new exhibition Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation which takes visitors through 1,000 years of history from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day. One of the best ways to explore is with a guided tour, available from 10am - 3pm Monday to Saturday. After your visit, take time to enjoy delicious home-cooked food in the Cathedral Refectory with its medieval walled garden or browse the Cathedral Shop for souvenirs and exclusive gifts.
Reviewed By JaneB2282
We visited Winchester Cathedral today and can throughly recommend the 1 hour guided tour, it gave great insights into the history and stories behind this beautiful Cathedral and our tour guide Lorraine Estelle was wonderful and definitely deserves a special mention ..
2. The Great Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,201 reviews
The Great Hall is one of the finest surviving medieval aisled halls of the 13th century and is all that remains of Winchester Castle. The Great Hall is open daily to the public offering a unique historical experience and the chance to see the greatest symbol of medieval mythology: King Arthur's Round Table. Visitors can also see Queen Eleanor's garden, a recreation of an enclosed medieval garden, providing an injection of nature. Entry charges apply, please visit our website for further details.
Reviewed By Stylish60 - Folkestone, United Kingdom
The Great Hall was stunning. The Table was very interesting but so were the stained glass windows. Lovely adjacent medieval garden and the Long Gallery was informative although it jumped around chronologically!
3. Flowerdown Barrows
4. Hospital of St Cross
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 357 reviews
Reviewed By Journey18475752684 - Burnham-On-Sea, United Kingdom
Lovely church, gardens and hall to visit. I enjoyed the kitchen by the hall and a good way to spend and hour having a good look around.
5. Saint Lawrence Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By paultX473WT - Winchester, United Kingdom
Small church just near the Buttercross. Sort of Georgian feel to it, although it is much older. Contains a memorial to Dr Lyford who tended Jane Austen prior to her death. Also an etched glass entrance screen by Tracey Shepherd (local world renowned artist). This church is where the new Bishops go to be dressed in all their regalia before processing to the cathedral to be enthroned.
6. Winchester City Mill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 726 reviews
Winchester City Mill is a working watermill dating back to at least Saxon times; now fully restored by the National Trust, the City Mill is probably the oldest working watermill in the UK. Inside visitors can discover more about the mill’s long and fascinating history as well as see the mill in action and learn how we produce traditional stone-ground wholemeal flour using the power of the River Itchen. Our team of volunteer millers provide flour milling demonstrations every Saturday and Sunday as well as Wednesdays during the summer months. The City Mill is also home to a wide variety of wildlife including kingfishers, grey wagtails, wild trout, water voles and even otters which can be viewed from our on-site observation cameras.
Reviewed By stewartc640 - Chatham, United Kingdom
We visited the City Mill in Winchester on a short break to the city with friends. The mill is owned by the National Trust and entry is free to members. There is no car parking directly associated with the attraction but there are (pay & display) car parking in the city itself. The mill building is not large but is fully operational and there is a tremendous amount to see if you are interested in how these old industries operated. Entrance to the mill is via a small shop and here the visitor may purchase all manner of souvenirs and mementoes of their visit. After entering the mill ‘proper’ the visitor finds themselves in a large barn like area that contains the mill machinery that would have ground wheat to make flour. There is a lot of useful information concerning the history of the mil and the milling process and we also noticed that there was things for children to read and participate in, and these are set at a lower height level. Of additional interest was ‘recent’ video footage, of a family of otters that frequent one of the channels passing through the mill. Steps lead down to the water wheel itself, and on the day of our visit the river was in full flow and the mill wheel turned industriously whilst overflow water literally raced through a separate channel. Once again there was some explanatory information about the wheel including explanation of the different types of water wheel complete with interactive demonstrations. This area was truly atmospheric and as an engineer I could appreciate the amount of potential energy passing under the building and the mechanical workings of the mill harnessing this power. Another area off of the mill interior is the mill garden where the visitor may view the river passing though the mill though being a December afternoon we did not stay here too long. There is a café area off of the mill interior and this had a reasonable amount of seating for customers and also a toilet. The café served hot and cold drinks and also a good choice of snacks and our party’s spent some time her enjoying a coffee together before leaving. We enjoyed our visit here to the City mill and would recommend it to others particularly of you are interested in witnessing a working water mill or as an educational visit for school; children.
7. St Bartholomew's Church
8. Winchester Buttercross
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 179 reviews
Reviewed By 923Dan - Swindon, United Kingdom
The Winchester Buttercross is a stunning piece of stone carving in the heart of Winchester's shopping precinct. Easy to find and useful focal point to meet up with friends. Live musicians and food vendors next to the carving.
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