A walk around Winchester cathedral
Introduction
The county town of Winchester in Hampshire contains one of the world's
great cathedrals. In a few hours gentle walking we will explore this historic
building, its surroundings, and 900 years of history.
We can look on it in different ways....
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as art history
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as a technological achievement
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as a historical artefact
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as a cultural and religious symbol
The walk is in four parts
It starts with a general orientation, moves into the cathedral grounds
to examine the outside of the building, continues with the main details
of the interior, and ends by looking at the relationship between the cathedral
and the city of Winchester.
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General Orientation. Once England's capital, but
now a quiet market town, Winchester is built on the banks of the river
Itchen in Hamphsire. The cathedral lies to the south of a high street which
was originally laid out before the Romans came to Britain.
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The cathedral exterior. A walk round the exterior
of the cathedral shows how it has been modified over the years, and how
building techniques and architectural ideas evolved over the 800 years
between the original construction (shortly after the Norman conquest),
and the substantial repair work which became necessary in the 20th century.
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The cathedral interior. The motivation of the
original builders can best be understood inside the building, which contains
the graves of Saint Swithun, King Canute, Jane Austen, and Isaac Walton,
among others.
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The environs of the cathedral. Nearby we find
a number of historic buildings, some of which have close associations with
the cathedral.
Navigation
The relationship between the cathedral, the city, and the valley is
best understood from the surrounding hills
St. Catherine's hill, on the edge of the city, to the south is more
than walking distance from the cathedral, but is itself a popular spot
for a country walk, and provides a general view of the Itchen valley, and
the location of the town and the cathedral.
St. Giles' hill, to the east of the town centre is a short, but steep
walk from the end of Winchester high street. The view from a high vantage
point shows the relationship between the cathedral and city, as well as
the overall structure of the cathedral itself.
Click on the picture for more information on orientation.
Up to Introduction
Back to Introduction
Forward to Orientation
Down to Practicalities
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