Winchester Area
This description of the Winchester area has the following headings; Introduction, Landscapes, Cities and Market Towns, and Villages
Introduction
In 871 Alfred the Great, the Saxon ruler of Wessex, chose Winchester as the capital of the newly formed kingdom of England. Although later rulers chose to move the capital to London, Winchester has to this day retained the special character of a medieval capital. To quote the Lonely Planet guide: “If one place lies at the centre of English history and embodies the romantic vision of an English heartland it is Winchester”. Winchester appealed to Alfred because of its strategic position on the Itchen River, allowing ready access to the principal Wessex port of Hamwic, today’s Southampton. The broad course of the Itchen Valley forms the curving core of this region as it flows gently from the Hampshire Downs towards the south coast. To the west lies its meandering sister river, the Test, famed among anglers. To the south- west lies the royal hunting ground of the Saxon and Norman Kings, the New Forest.The region is also famed for three local authors: Jane Austen, Gilbert White and Izaac Walton. Jane Austen was born at Steventon close to the source of the Test. She spent most of her short working life at Chawton, not far from the source of the Itchen. This area provided the material for many of her novels. Gilbert White spent his life near Chawton. His life’s work, the Natural History of Selborne, has also always attracted readers to this quiet corner of the Hampshire Downs. Near Selborne is the Meon Valley: this was the favourite haunt of Izaac Walton and the source of much of the material for his classic “The Compleat Angler.”
Landscapes
The Test and Itchen Valleys
The countryside around Winchester is dominated by the Test and Itchen valleys which offer a charming countryside experience, only an hour’s drive from London.
The varied landscape and gentle climate of the area creates a relaxed all year round location for walking, cycling and exploring its history and heritage. The Test and Itchen rivers are crystal-clear chalk streams,fringed by reed beds and water- meadows. Although some exclusive reaches are reserved for fishing, an extensive system of footpaths attracts walkers. The upper waters of the Test, upstream from the river’s principal town, Romsey, are celebrated for trout. The river downstream from Romsey is favoured for salmon. No less celebrated among anglers are the upper waters of the Itchen, most notably the stretch from Winchester to the village of Itchen Abbas. Yet another celebrated chalk stream, the Meon, flows southward from the
Hampshire Downs to join Southampton Water near Portsmouth. It was highly praised by Izaac Walton in his Compleat Angler and its lower waters still yield sea trout. Down the scenic Meon Valley also runs a disused railway track; this has now become a popular route for country-loving walkers.
The New Forest
A very different world is to be found beyond the narrow industrialised shore of Southampton Water. This is the world of the curiously named New Forest which was created in 1079 by William the Conqueror as a hunting area, principally of deer. This is neither new nor – in its modern sense – forest. "Forest" in a medieval sense was a legally defined area - subject to special laws - where the "beasts of the chase" (deer & wild pig) and their food were protected for the pleasure of the monarch. It was not necessarily a wooded area and nearly half the New Forest is open heath and grassland. In Saxon times the lower slopes were well populated. But in Norman times the villages were cleared to allow the area to become England’s largest royal hunting ground.
It retains many of the rural practices conceded by the Crown in medieval times to local people. Principal of these is the pasturing of ponies, cattle, pigs and donkeys in the open areas by local inhabitants known as Commoners. The remnants of the ancient Forest Law courts that controlled the local population and their animals (to ensure they did not interfere with the deer and its food) still administer the Forest. In 2003, it was designated as a National Park in recognition of its special qualities and its special protected status. Although there are some areas where modern tree plantations have been permitted, most of the lower lying areas remain as wild forest, renowned for their extraordinary variety of both trees and wildlife. Interspersed are small working farms and sheltered villages. The busy town of Lyndhurst is the administrative centre of the district. The New Forest is unique in Britain and attracts many visitors. Besides its historic connections, there is the appeal of the forest and heath landscape itself, of the villages and the varied wildlife, especially the well known New Forest ponies. It particularly attracts walkers, cyclist and those interested in horse riding.
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Cities and Market Towns
Winchester
Hemmed in by the Itchen River to the east and the railway to the west, Winchester is surprisingly small for a place with so much for the visitor. It can be comfortably explored on foot. From the imposing bronze statue of King Alfred, boldly waving his massive sword, all points of interest are within a half-hour’s easy walk. On the Broadway, yards from the statue, is the town’s Victorian guildhall. Here is the city's excellent tourist information centre, deservedly voted the best in Britain. Among their many useful items is the outstanding Visitor Guide 2006. A footpath from the TIC leads directly to the extensive cathedral close and its splendid cathedral, with the longest nave of any in Europe. Its treasures include Bede’s 10c history of England and the 12c Winchester Bible. Its tombs include those of the early English kings, together with those of Jane Austen and Izaak Walton. Evensong is 5:30pm daily except Wednesdays; the cathedral choir is widely regarded as among the best in Britain. Don't miss the cathedral café.
Other historic buildings in the close include the 13c deanery, the Pilgrims Hall and timbered Cheyney Court. Just off the close is the city museum, well worth a visit to discover the town’s history. Immediately south of the close are the historic grounds of Winchester College (open to the public) and Jane Austen’s House (where she spent her final year). From here a footpath leads south across the water meadows to the nearby Hospital of St Cross, a beautifully preserved 12c almshouse. Beyond Broadway is the pedestrianised High Street, at the top end of which is the spectacular 11c Great Hall, renowned for its Tudor version of King Arthur’s Round Table. Close by is a cluster of military museums devoted to the history of local regiments.
Southampton
Since Saxon times, Southampton has been the region’s principal commercial and trading port. Since Tudor times, Portsmouth has been the principal naval base. Both centres have grown into large modern cities. Although the area between has become heavily built up, the entire coast-line retains a strong maritime flavour. Seldom out of sight, Southampton Water provides a non-stop spectacle of nautical activity ranging from huge cruise liners and container ships to private yachts and sailing dinghies. Heavily rebuilt after severe WW2 bomb damage, Southampton still retains much of historic interest, including the port’s ancient ramparts and city walls. Most buildings of special interest - the Guildhall, the Tudor House, God’s House Tower, the Wool House – have been converted into museums. Heavy road traffic and parking problems favour use of local bus service by visitors.
Portsmouth
Much of Portsmouth’s marine heritage also vanished in WW2, but again there remains much to attract those with an interest in naval history. Top of the list must be Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, HMS Victory, together with the Victory Museum, devoted to the exploits of the vessel and her commander. Another historic vessel is early iron-clad HMS Warrior. Southsea Castle, a Tudor fortress, is now a museum devoted to the history of the naval base. An even earlier fortress, Portchester, includes another Tudor castle (maintained by English Heritage), in this case surrounded by huge stone walls built on the waterfront by Roman invaders. Portsmouth was also the place where Charles Dickens was born. His home escaped the bombs and is now a museum devoted to his life and work
As thriving ports and commercial centres, with large local resident communities, both Southampton and Portsmouth offer visitors a wide choice for hospitality and entertainment. Portsmouth is the main gateway for cross- channel ferry services from France. Southampton is the main gateway for cruise liners and also for air services. Both are well connected by rail and road to London and to the entire Wessex region.
Lymington (25 miles/40k SW of Winchester)
On the southern edge of the New Forest and also on a picturesque estuary leading into the Solent, this ancient town appeals to prospective residents, to yachtsmen, to holiday- makers (ferries leave from here for the Isle of Wight) and to those touring the New Forest. Its cobbled streets and quays have inspired artists and photographers. Its church, dedicated to St Thomas, reflects its history from the 13 to the 19c. Its Saturday market is well worth attending.
Lyndhurst (15 m/ 24 k SW of Winchester)
The administrative centre of the New Forest and also the transport centre from which the local roads radiate. A convenient base from which to explore the New Forest. The Verderers’ Court meets to administer the ancient forest laws at the 17c Queens House. There are impressive beech forests nearby (Mark Ash Wood) and a huge 600-year oak (Knightwood). The
parish church has remarkable Pre- Raphaelite items by Burne-Jones, Leighton and Millais.
Ringwood (25 m/40k SW of Winchester)
Lying just outside the western boundary of the heavily protected New Forest, Ringwood has been allowed to develop as an expanding residential centre. Although the town itself has little of touristic interest, its location is convenient to many visitors, giving easy access to the attractive valley of the Hampshire Avon (also good for trout) and to the nearby New Forest where accommodation is limited. It is also a convenient transport base, lying on the junction of two main local highways, the A338 from Salisbury to Bournemouth and the A31 from Southampton to Dorchester.
Romsey (10m/16k SW of Winchester)
An old market town, with a well preserved market centre, built around its 10c Saxon cruciform abbey. Originally a nunnery, the church escaped the Dissolution of Henry VIII and still contains several important items from the Saxon period (such as a sculpture and a carving of the Crucifixion). It is conveniently sited for exploring both the New Forest and the Test Valley. Close to the town is Broadlands, a fine Georgian country house with park laid out by Capability Brown, now the home of the Mountbatten family and where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent their honeymoon, as did also Prince Charles and the late Diana Princess of Wales.
Stockbridge (9m/14k NW of Winchester)
Stockbridge grew at an important junction point where the historic highway from London to Salisbury crosses the River Test. The town’s broad high street is a lovely example of a Georgian market town, a major staging point for 18c stage-coaches. The town’s central feature, the Grosvenor Hotel, has a special porch designed to provide coach passengers with weather- proof cover. The hotel is still popular with anglers, attracted by the highly esteemed local reaches of the Test. Across the river are two nearby villages - Broughton and Longstock - which deserve a special visit to admire how well the old homes fit in to their river setting.
Whitchurch (10m/16k N of Winchester)
Although sometimes overwhelmed by traffic, this little town is a good base for exploring the upper waters of the Test. It is the site of another historic coaching inn, the White Hart. Its mill, once used for producing silk, was mentioned in the 11c Magna Carta. A short walk downstream is the hamlet of Tufton, known for its manor house, its huge barns, its little church and its watercress beds. A few miles to the east of Whitchurch is the tiny village of Steventon. It was here that Jane Austen spent the first 27 years of her life at her father’s rectory, during which time she wrote the first three of her six major novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Northanger Abbey.
Villages
New Forest VillagesBucklers Hard
Standing at the foot of the Beaulieu estuary, this attractive village played an important role in Britain’s maritime history. From here oak was brought from the New Forest for ship- building. The Master Builder’s House Hotel was indeed the home of Henry Adams, maker of fighting ships for Lord Nelson. The maritime museum tells the story. The village has long belonged to the Montagu family who still live a few miles upstream in the Palace House at Beaulieu, part of the old abbey (another part has been converted into a restaurant). Since 1952, here in Beaulieu, the present Lord Montagu has been patiently building up the National Motor Museum which now houses several hundred historic cars, motor cycles and cycles.
Burley
Hunting people still gather at the village pub, the Queens Head. Visitors come to admire the pub’s collection of hunting trophies. This compact little village nestles among the trees of the forest. The spectacular beech forest of Ridley Wood lies immediately to the south. To the north lies the wide open heath leading up to Picket Post and its historic inn.
Minstead
Another village noted for its pub, the Trusty Servant and its extraordinary sign (derived from Winchester College). The village, set in a maze of forest lanes to the north of Lyndhurst, is also noted for its unusual 13c church with its double pulpit. Close by is the Rufus Stone, marking the point where King William 11 was fatally struck (accidentally?) while hunting in the year 1100.
Moyles Court
Although but a few miles from busy Ringwood, this is a quintessential New Forest village: turf lawns, ancient oaks, an old ford crossing a stream, a 17c manor house (now a school), wild forest ponies and cattle. Nearby Ellingham church has relics of the lords of the manor, the Lisle family.
Test Valley Villages
Longstock
A few miles upstream from Stockbridge, this village comprises a single winding street, lined with traditional brightly coloured, thatched cottages. In Saxon times the Test was navigable up to this point; it became a centre for boat building. The Test is here divided into several channels, all popular with anglers. Nearby Leckford is the site of an important hatchery and a 13c church. Chilbolton Only a few miles further upstream from Longstock is another typical Test valley village. To protect from flooding, the village lies on a side road just away from the river, here again divided into several broad channels, and again much favoured by anglers. Past centuries have left unchanged the village’s farmhouses, thatched cottages, Tudor manor house and 13c church.
Wherwell
On the right bank of the Test, opposite Chilbolton, is a showpiece village of timbered and thatched cottages. Wherwell has been occupied since Saxon times; the ruined priory was founded by an early Saxon queen, Elfrida. The steep hill to the west offers a commanding view of the Test valley. Bullington Not strictly on the Test but on a tributary that joins the Test just upstream from Chilbolton and winds eastward into the Hampshire Downs. The great barn, the fine Elizabethan mansion and the church are proof that this has long been fine farming country. It still is.
Bullington
Not strictly on the Test but on a tributary that joins the Test just upstream from Chilbolton and winds eastward into the Hampshire Downs. The great barn, the fine Elizabethan mansion and the church are proof that this has long been fine farming country. It still is.
Alresford
Pronounced Alsford, this village is divided into two, Old on the north bank of the river, New on the south bank. The river here is no longer the Itchen but its main tributary, the Alre. Between the two are several ancient and much photographed water mills. A striking feature of the river here is the extensive watercress beds. New Alresford is the terminus of the narrow- gauge Mid-Hants Railway which runs east to the market town of Alton.
Villages on the Hampshire Downs
Chawton
Jane Austen lived and worked in this tiny village from 1809 to 1817. Her home is now a museum and attracts visitors from far and wide. It contains many of her personal belongings and is set out as in her day. The last three of her six major novels - Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion - were written here, after a period of inactivity in Bath and Southampton, and draw on her observations of life in and around Chawton.
East Meon
Another village with a literary connection, East Meon was where Izaac Walton often stayed when preparing material for his Compleat Angler. He was particularly fond of the Meon River, which flows through (and under) the village. The village itself is one of the most attractive. It appeals not only to anglers but also to walkers (the surrounding hills rise to over 800 ft)
Hambledon
A beautifully set little village, at the foot of Windmill Down and its well known vineyard. But the main attraction here is that it is a shrine: to cricket. It was here that the game was invented and first played in the 1760s. The local pub, the Bat and Ball, plays the role of museum.
Selborne
Yet another village with a powerful literary connection. The Rev Gilbert White spent most of his quiet life here, meticulously observing every aspect of nature in the most minute detail. His life’s work, the Natural History of Selborne, is still in print today. His home, the Wakes, is a museum and library devoted to him and his work. The village remains today as it was in his day. The path leading up to the beech covered hill to the west, Selborne Hanger, was his favourite walk. Today it is cared for by the National Trust. It is still well used and provides a very good view of the village and the surrounding countryside.
World Heritage Sites of Wessex
These details were last updated on
26 AUG 2007
