Location: Winchester
Top Things to do in Winchester
Top 10 Things to do in Winchester, England
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 Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 278 reviews
One of Winchester's six superb Military Museums telling the story of 250 years of campaigning for peace by The Royal Green Jackets and their former regiments, the 43rd and 52nd (The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry), the 60th (The King's Royal Rifle Corps) and the 95th Rifles (The Rifle Brigade). An outstanding collection of uniforms, weapons, silver, paintings and medals set over two floors. The exhibition on the first floor, entitled 'With the Rifles to Waterloo', opened in 2015 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the 25 square metre model of the battle with light and sound commentary. The Museum is situated in Peninsula Square, formerly the barracks and the home of the Rifle Depot. The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum shares the building with The Rifles Regimental Museum.
Reviewed By Pepsmum72
On our day in Winchester, I had to visit the Royal Green Jackets Museum as my Dad was a Marksman in the 60’s. Such a wealth of information about the Rifles throughout time. The Waterloo diorama was amazing. I’d definitely recommend a visit here
3. South Downs Way
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 268 reviews
Reviewed By Highway272 - Brighton, United Kingdom
Hard to believe when you're walking this path that you are in one of the most densely populated parts of England. The rolling downlands are relaxing, at times breathtaking - the views of the the high weald and north Downs, the sea to the south. The path goes through three counties, Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex, comes ever closer to the sea until the the South Downs way becomes a coastal path from Cuckmere Haven onwards. Start at Winchester finish at Eastbourne. This way you are more likely to to have the wind on your back as well as saving the best till last. With a few exceptions it's easy walking, very few steep gradients and for long stretches softly undulating. The first few miles from Winchester pleasant enough but things don't really get going until the Meon valley, and the view from Beacon Hill is spectacular. The classic Downland structure is not evident until entering West Sussex and Harting down. From here you are aware of being on the edge of the escarpment pretty much as far as Alfriston. Much of the West Sussex section is forested, some of it rather sterile conifer plantation which also removes the views. In my opinion the East Sussex section is the most varied, beautiful and rewarding with the Seven Sisters the jewel in The crown. There are also villages on the route such as Exton, Amberley and Alfriston, beautiful villages in themselves but also offering refreshment. Between Butser hill, the highest point on the Downs, and Amberley there is nowhere are on the path to get refreshments; the same is also true from Amberley to Devil's Dyke so there are large stretches of the West Sussex path where you either need to to bring your own provisions or come down off the path. By contrast the East Sussex section has many great stop off points for coffee and and lunch. At Alfriston the the South Downs way splits into two, the northern section as far as Jevington is very rewarding but the final part to Eastbourne is fairly dismal. The southern route is thus highly recommended although the Seven Sistersisters can be the most demanding part of the whole walk. The South Downs way can be done in one go taking between 5 and 7 days or else in sections. The following are the points where the path can be picked up using public transport: Meon valley, South Harting, Cocking, Amberley (train station) Bramber, Devil's Dyke and Ditchling beacon at weekends, Southease (train station) Alfriston and Cuckmere Haven Highlights: Meon valley Butser hill Harting down Amberley Chanctonbury ring Devil's Dyke Ditchling beacon Firle beacon Alfriston Cuckmere valley Seven sisters.
4. 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!
5. 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.
6. St Catherine's Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
Reviewed By AvidTraveler12 - Winchester, United Kingdom
This is a lovely walk from the centre of Winchester, depending on how quickly you walk it is about 45 minutes each way. Climbing the hill looked daunting, but was a little easier than it looked, due to the well positioned wide steps. You need to add at least another hour for walking to the top and looking around once at the top. Very pretty views from the peak of the hill. You need a moderate level of fitness climbing the hill, when we went there was people of all ages there. Best of all it is all free!!!
7. 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.
8. Blackwood Forest
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Reviewed By CliveK52 - Abingdon, United Kingdom
What a great weekend! Nine of us stayed (or ten if you include daisy the dog) in the biggest of the forest cabins. It was a family get together and we had a wonderful time. The underfloor heating kept us all warm, along with the log burner. What is good is that you do not heed to leave the cabin if you don’t want to. We had a breakfast delivered on one day and went out to the cafe retreat for an evening neal on another. And the hot tub? Brilliant.
9. Marwell Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3,064 reviews
Marwell zoo is home to hundreds of exotic and endangered animals all within a beautiful, landscaped 140-acre park. Take a stroll around the outdoor attraction with friends and family and enjoy the fresh air while spotting their animal stars which include – Rothchild’s giraffes, white rhinos, Amur tigers, Humboldt penguins, red pandas, snow leopards and all three species of zebra (to name a few)! The zoo is owned and operated by global conservation charity, Marwell Wildlife. By visiting you’ll be making a contribution to their incredible projects to conserve species and habitats, both in Hampshire and around the world. By choosing to donate and Gift Aid your tickets when purchasing, you’ll be supporting the zoo even further! Marwell Zoo is open daily from 10am, 363 days a year. Closing times and admissions prices vary. Please check the Marwell website for full ticket prices and other details. Marwell are delighted to have been awarded the "We're Good to go" mark by Visit England.
Reviewed By Cinders1983 - Leigh-on Sea, United Kingdom
My husband, our three year old son and I had a lovely day at Marwell Zoo yesterday despite the heat! We particularly loved seeing the beautiful giraffes, red panda, hippo, leopard and the owls. The only animal that we were disappointed not to see was the tiger, but we certainly saw many other animals. The zoo was clean and we were impressed by the number of water stations - definitely needed in the heat. We also liked the road train although this got busy later on in the day so we weren't able to get on it. Lots of picnic spots as well as onsite food outlets. The lego dinosaurs (there until September) were also really good, but if we think that anyone going specifically to see them may be a little disappointed as they didn't appear to be clearly laid out. But nonetheless they were a welcome addition. Overall, a great day out!
10. Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,116 reviews
Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium is a self-funded, educational charity dedicated to sparking curiosity and building science capital for all. It is an important regional hub for informal science learning and a popular visitor attraction for families, schools and the general public. Featuring two floors of hands-on interactive exhibits, the UK’s largest standalone planetarium and an exciting events programme. The Science Centre is situated just outside of the historic city of Winchester in the South Downs National Park. Visitors can enjoy direct access to Magdalen Hill Down, the neighbouring Butterfly Conservation reserve, and make use of the Centre's own outdoor picnic and play area. A 10% discount can be obtained on general admission by purchasing tickets online at least one day in advance. Pre-booking is recommended during school holidays. A cafe, shop and onsite parking is available. During peak times a satellite car park and shuttle bus service is provided.
Reviewed By missusP1979 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
We had a fab time here with our 3 year old and wished we had somewhere like this to go near our home. The staff were fantastic.
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