Each year, far more tourists visit Stratford-upon-Avon than do Winchester. Why this should be so can only be because of marketing. Winchester has so much more to offer the visitor.
There is no denying the charms of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is a beautiful town, nestled in the countryside of middle-England. However England is blessed with many beautiful old towns and villages. The main reason that coach-loads of tourists descend upon the town is because of the life and works of one man; William Shakespeare. And, there is no doubting his importance in history and the great gifts of his writings. But, apart from the cottage of his birth and the cottage of his wife, Ann Hathaway, there remains very little left for the visitor to see, apart from the RSC theatre - the great majority of visitors never actually go inside, never mind watch a Shakespeare play.
In the south of England there lies another beautiful town; one that has far more history for the visitor to explore. The town is Winchester. It's actually a city but its size and the compactness of its centre lend it a feel of no more than a country town.
Winchester cathedral is undeniably England's most beautiful. Its setting is sublime, surrounding by parks. The present day plan of the cathedral was laid out in 1079 AD by Walkelin, the first Norman Bishop. The cathedral has witnessed the coronation, marriages and burials of many English kings and queens. The cathedral saw the coronations of Edward the Confessor (1043), of Matilda of Flanders as queen consort (1068), of Henry the Young King and his queen, Marguerite (1172) and the second coronation of Richard I of England (1194), as well as the marriages of Edward the Confessor and Edith (1045), King Henry IV and Joanna of Navarre (1403) and finally Queen Mary I and King Philip II of Spain (1554). King William II (son of William the Conqueror) is buried in the cathedral.
Winchester has had many famous residents but surely, its most famous of all was that of King Alfred the Great. It was this Anglo-Saxon king who withstood and then finally defeated the Vikings and saved the south from their pagan rule. He made Winchester his capital of England. He married, lived and died in the city. He was also much more than just a military genius; he was a codifier of law, a promoter of education and a supporter of the arts. He, himself, was a scholar and translated Latin books into the Anglo-Saxon tongue. He is the only English king ever to be given the epitaph, "the Great".
Winchester had many other famous residents and visitors. St Swithin was Bishop of Winchester and was tutor to King Alfred the Great. Most of us have heard of the legend 'that if it rains on St Swithin's day (15 July), then it will rain for forty days'. The legend says that as he lay on his deathbed, he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on. For nine years, his wishes were followed, but then, the monks of Winchester attempted to remove his remains to a splendid shrine inside the cathedral on 15 July 971. According to legend there was a heavy rain storm either during the ceremony or on its anniversary.
Keats and Trollope were just two of many writers who visited Winchester and based their works on the places and people they met whilst staying there. But perhaps the most famous writer to have lived (and died) in Winchester is Jane Austen. She was buried inside the cathedral. Today, a black plaque is to be found on the wall of the house in which she died; the house is a private residence.
Winchester has a rich history. Today, many Roman artifacts are dug up from the Roman period; Winchester being an important Roman town. Its past is clearly visible to the visitor today in its buildings. Within a five minute walk you can see beautifully preserved buildings from Anglo-Saxon through to Medieval, Georgian and Victorian. But Winchester is not a museum piece. The ancient buildings are still lived in and traded in. The city is a vibrant place that many people have discovered and some are lucky enough to call home. |
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