Holiday in Historical Winchester
Historical Winchester is an essential part of any holiday in the South of England. The city's fascinating heritage spans almost 4000 years from long before the Roman invasion of AD 43, through medieval and Saxon times right up to the present.
King Arthur's Round Table
A brief visit to the City Museum located between the High Street and Winchester Cathedral provides an excellent overview of the city's history. It is a good place to start your exploration of historical Winchester. The tourist information centre in the guildhall contains a large selection of publications that will assist you in planning your activities. Fortunately you will also find more information than you need by browsing this website.
The many monuments, historic buildings and museums are all within a short walking distance of each other. A few well planned routes will allow a visitor to get maximum exposure to historical Winchester in a short time.
Important Events during the History of Winchester
| 2000 to 100 BC | Bronze Age activity followed by Iron Age Settlements |
| AD 43 to 70 | Romans created the provincial capital town of Venta Belgarum |
| 410 | Romans abandoned the town |
| 648 | King Cenwalh of Wessex founded Old Minster |
| 859 | Bishop Swithun constructed walls around Close and a Bridge over the Itchen |
| 871 to 878 | Alfred was crowned king of Wessex. He fortified the city against Viking agression. |
| 901 to 903 | King Alfred's son founded New Minster and King Alfred's widow Nunnaminster |
| 964 | Bishop Ethelwold reformed Old Minster as Benedictine priory of St Swithun |
| 970's | Bishop Ethelwold built Wolvesey palace |
| 1066 to 1067 | Winchester surrendered to William the Conquerer. He built the castle and royal palace. |
| 1079 | Bishop Walkelin began construction on present cathedral |
| 1110 | Monks of the New Minster moved to Hyde Abbey relocating the bones of King Alfred there |
| 1136 | Bishop Henry of Blois founded the Hospital of St Cross |
| 1235 | King Henry III built the Great Hall as part of the modernization of the castle |
| 1348 to 1351 | More than half of Winchester's citizens killed by the Black Death |
| 1387 | Building of Winchester College started |
| 1446 | Cardinal Beauford refounded the hospital of St Cross |
| 1538 | King Henry VIII dissolved the three monasteries in Winchester |
| 1554 | Queen Mary Tudor married Philip of Spain at the catherdral |
| 1642 | Parlementarians bombarded the castle and ransacked the cathedral |
| 1651 | The Great Hall spared during the destruction of the castle |
| 1666 | The plague hit Winchester |
| 1680's | Bishop Morley built new palace at Wolvesey |
| 1744 | The City Mill was rebuilt |
| 1817 | Jane Austen died in Winchester |
| 1901 | Statue of King Alfred erected |
| 1906 to 1912 | Cathedral foundations underpinned |
| 1993 | Queen Elizabeth opened the Cathedral Visitors' Centre |
| 2000 | The Theatre Royal reopened after extensive refurbishment |
| Present | Your visit to historical Winchester |