Winchester Accommodation

The Gothic spires of Winchester Cathedral at the centre of the city
King Alfred who ruled the Kingdom of Wessex when Winchester was it's capital
Regular street markets in Winchester's town centre
Winchester's main shopping area viewed from Westgate
Waterfield Bridge over the River Itchen in Winchester
Winchester is an excellent shopping centre
Both historic attractions and modern shopping centres in Winchester
Henry VIII's replica of the Round Table hangs in the Great Hall

Winchester Tourist Information Visitor Guide Things To Do Hampshire

Winchester is the county town for Hampshire. It's also one of the most historic with many of its medieval buildings still intact. As you stroll around you'll still see plenty of medieval timber framed buildings and Georgian fronted houses. Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College are fantastic examples of medieval and Gothic architecture.

Winchester is a beautiful place to wander around. It's easy to stroll around the streets and attractions with enough time for a quick coffee in one of the many cafes. The main shopping centre is also full of traditional buildings and is pedestrianised meaning you can take your time to browse the great range of high street and independent shops.

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Winchester Tourist Office

A first stop on your visit to Winchester should be at the Winchester Tourist Office in the Guildhall. Here you will be able to pick up leaflets for self-guided town walks such as The Winchester Walk, The Sunset Walk and Keats Walk as well as leaflets and maps on how to get around the city either by foot or wheelchair. Some of the walks and maps are available to download from the Visit Winchester website, link right.

A wide range of books about Winchester as well as information on guided tours are also available here. You can book guided tours from the Tourist Information Centre as well as the Bikeabout Loan Service where for an annual subscription you can borrow a bike as often as you like to explore the city and surrounding countryside. Although there is a range of car parks around Winchester there is also a Park and Ride service from the M3 motorway. Check the link right for up-to-date information.

Winchester's Tourist Information Centre is open May to September Mon-Sat: 9.30am-5.30pm. Sun: 11am-4pm. Bank Holidays: 10am-4pm. October to April Monday to Saturday: 10am-5pm.

Tourist Information Centre, Winchester Guildhall, High Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9GH. Tel: 01962 840 500. Fax: 01962 850 348. Email: tourism@winchester.gov.uk

Winchester Cathedral Tourist Information

Winchester Cathedral is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in the country. It dates back to at least the seventh century when a Christian church stood on the site. The Saxons developed the Winchester Cathedral to be the ecclesiastical centre for the Wessex Kingdom

The Cathedral has several literary connections with Jane Austen being buried here, John Keats having found inspiration on his walks through Cathedral Close for "An ode to Autumn" and more recently the cathedral was used as a location for the film adaptation of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" in 2005.

Winchester Tourist Attractions King Arthur Round Table Winchester College Military Museums

Winchester is an historic city having first been settled at St Catherine's Hill prior to the Iron Age hill fort that followed. Since then successive settlements have been made in and around Winchester until it became the major religious capital of the Saxon Kingdom of Wessex.

Due to its historical importance there is a whole host of tourist attractions relating to its importance as a religious and military centre.

Tours around Winchester College, the oldest school in the country, with its original medieval architecture at the core is always popular. The Great Hall, the only part of Winchester Castle that remains, is home to the replica of King Arthur's Round Table made for King Henry VIII in the fourteenth century.

Peninsula Barracks is one of the main centres in the country for military museums. The complex houses six museums that tell the stories of six different regiments.

Winchester Shopping Farmers Markets Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market

Winchester's historic streets are beautiful for sightseeing but also good for window shopping and browsing. Winchester specialises in boutique and specialist shops, art galleries and antiques.

The weekly city market and twice-monthly farmers markets also mean there are plenty of opportunities for picking up local and fresh produce. The festive Christmas market makes Christmas shopping a joy and really gets you in the spirit of Christmas.