A WINTER’S tale
Atmospheric Winchester, with its lively Christmas market and historic architecture, provides a perfect start to the festive season for Susan Taylor
What to do when you want to go exploring in the dark days of November? For us, the default is to throw on an extra layer, waterproofs and a scarf, and just get out there for a spot of puddle jumping and mud splashing.
You really can’t beat the fresh smells of the earth following a rain shower, or the sparkling scenery on a clear frosty morning.
But this time, we wanted to mix things up and do something a little different. So with thinking cap firmly in place, I pondered our options.
The freedom to do some more leisurely, relaxed Christmas gift shopping, rather than the quick Saturday afternoon dash, seemed like a good idea, combined with the opportunity for some towny sightseeing and exploring.
After further use of the trusty thinking cap, we decided on Winchester – renowned as one of the best Christmas markets around and with plenty of interest to keep us happy for a few days.
But would we find a nearby campsite? Aware that many sites close during the winter, it was with some trepidation that I set about the search. I needn’t have worried – Three Trees Campsite sounded absolutely perfect: open all year, small and adults-only, set among woodland but with a bus to Winchester stopping outside the site.
All pitched up and settled in, we decided to do the gift shopping first and then spend the rest of our trip relaxing and exploring.
Christmas market
Housed in the grounds of Winchester’s great gothic cathedral (which was built around 1083), the bustling market contains more than 100 stalls,
many in wooden chalets reminiscent of traditional German markets. Most stalls are sited in the Inner Close, which involves following the crowds through the archways of Curle’s Passage, named after Bishop Curle, who commissioned it back in 1632.
There is also an excellent British Craft Village, where we found unique handmade gifts, which our family and friends definitely wouldn’t see on the high street. These included a foot-shaped cheeseboard with the carved inscription ‘cheesy feet’ – perfect for a cheese-loving friend!
Our day was pleasantly punctuated by scents of the winter, notably mulled wine, cinnamon, roasting chestnuts and mince pies – and I would be fibbing if I said we didn’t indulge.
After all, cold hands dampened by wet weather need warming up and a cup of glühwein definitely hits the spot, not to mention the hugely welcome energy boost of all that tasty fare. We couldn’t resist stocking up on delicious bratwurst, local cheeses, relishes and chutneys.
Back at the ’van that evening, we thanked our lucky stars for those handy nooks and crannies to stow away our many purchases – except for the bottle of local gin, which we happily cracked open while our curry (brought from home to save too much cooking on site) bubbled away.
Next day, we again used the local bus service into the city centre, but this time, we were off to delve into its history a little before tucking into a meal in a local restaurant, free of the bags and shopping-weary feet of yesterday.
The Great Hall
You absolutely can’t visit Winchester without going into The Great Hall, so that was where we started. This building is all that remains of Winchester Castle, one of the first fortifications built by William the Conqueror after that famous battle. The grand gothic hall was added by Henry III (who was born in the castle), including the archways and marble columns you can still see today. During the reign of Elizabeth I, it was rarely used as a royal residence, and fell to parliamentary troops in the Civil War, being mostly destroyed by Cromwell in 1649. One of the most famous features of the Hall is King Arthur’s Round Table, which hangs proudly on the west wall (although it was originally a table with legs).
Yes, the story of Arthur and his Table might be a myth, but this particular oak version has been dated to the late 1200s, when it was made for a ‘Round Table Tournament’ to commemorate the betrothal of one of Edward I’s daughters.
The Tudor Rose at its centre was commissioned by Henry VIII and it is thought the image of the king is that of Henry himself – symbol of his belief that the Tudors were Arthur’s true descendants.
Stepping outside, we were transported to a fine replica of the medieval garden named for Eleanor (wife of Henry III), a peaceful spot filled with the plants and herbs that she favoured.
There were plenty of information boards dotted around the Hall explaining its history, including the judge’s chair near the back wall, from a time
when the room was a court of assizes, and the statue of Victoria, marking her Golden Jubilee in 1887. More information, and a wealth of copies of medieval paintings and illustrations, can also be seen in the Long Gallery.
In World War I, Winchester was a significant military transit camp and saw many thousands of troops on their way to European front lines. This is commemorated on a memorial bench just outside The Great Hall, a fine place to pause and reflect on more recent history.
We arrived at the Hall through the Westgate, originally part of the city walls and today home to a museum. Unfortunately, it is closed during the winter months, so we couldn’t visit – did someone say we needed a reason to come back?
Oliver’s army
As usual, all that history left us in need of some sustenance, so we found ourselves in The William Walker pub, near the cathedral, devouring chicken sandwiches washed down with a pint of Oliver’s Ale – I wonder if that name has something to do with a certain Mr Cromwell?
Suitably refreshed, we spent a very enjoyable afternoon wandering Winchester’s fascinating streets and alleys. Taking what we thought might be a shortcut down one alley near The Great Hall, I had a ‘blink and you miss it’ moment.
Tucked away on a narrow street is a tiny church. So easy to overlook among the bustle of the city as you stroll from shop to shop – except I spotted a small blue plaque. These are always intriguing, so I had to stop and read – ‘Built on the site of the chapel royal of the palace of William the Conqueror’. Well, with an inscription like that, I just had to go in for a quick look.
The Church of St Lawrence is a humble little place now, and nothing of the once grand palace remains, but I could feel the history in the walls of this interesting building. It turns out that it is known as the Mother Church of Winchester and is where all new bishops of the city begin their journey to the cathedral to be enthroned.
Mulling it all over
Emerging back onto the High Street, we were confronted by the Butter Cross. In times gone by, its five carved steps were used to display goods for sale, probably including butter, eggs and cheese.
Today, the High Street and its neighbours are home to familiar names and chain stores, as well as independent shops well worth a browse.
Another ‘blink and you miss it’ moment – and another find thanks to my habit of reading blue plaques – came in the form of an unobtrusive, dare I say plain, house near Winchester College, which was the final home of novelist Jane Austen (who is buried in the cathedral). The house is now privately owned, although her house at nearby Chawton is open to the public.
Just up the road are the 12th-century ruins of Wolvesey Castle, once the main residence of the bishops of Winchester. Unfortunately, it closes at dusk in winter, and we were too late. We managed a peek into the Porters’ Lodge of the College,
founded in 1382 and believed to be the oldest continuously running school in England.
As the day drew on and darkness arrived, the lights came on over the streets, adding another dimension to this pretty city. Even the Abbey Gardens and the Victorian Guildhall, opposite the bus station we were later to return to, were resplendent in pink, purple and green.
But before returning to our ’van for a meal, we treated ourselves to one final glass of mulled wine. Realising many of the restaurants would be fully booked, such was the popularity of the city at this time of year, we opted for another cosy pub, the Royal Oak (which has a claim to being one of the oldest pubs in England, although the current building is likely to date from the 1500s), where we shared a plate of nachos before sampling a couple of pies and another pint, Abbot Ale this time. Then it was time to catch our bus back to the campsite, for a peaceful night’s sleep.
King and ministers
The following day, we headed out to visit the old market town of Romsey, a 10-minute drive from Three Trees. After parking up and walking into the centre of town, the first thing to greet us was a statue of Lord Palmerston, 19th-century prime minister and resident of Romsey, standing watch over the market stalls in the square.
We couldn’t resist a stroll among the stalls before turning to some of the medieval cobbled streets. Here we found King John’s House, built in the 1200s as a hunting lodge to accommodate
the king for his favourite pastime in the nearby New Forest. The building eventually became a workhouse in the 1800s, and in 1946 was handed to the town and converted into a museum.
Just behind the house is Romsey Abbey, aka the Abbey Church of St Mary and St Ethelflaeda (the latter being abbess from 1003, whose acts of sanctity apparently included chanting psalms while standing naked in the River Test at night!), which is on the site of a church built in 907 by Edward the Elder (son of Alfred the Great).
Church and chapel
At the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, under Henry VIII, Romsey Abbey encompassed the Church of St Lawrence, and this might be why it was spared the sacking taking place throughout the country. Instead, the townspeople bought it back for the then gargantuan sum of £100.
Today there are many reasons to visit, including the tomb of Earl Mountbatten, which faces not the traditional east-west, but north-south, so he can face the sea where his wife’s ashes were scattered. The Romsey reredos and the Rood in St Anne’s Chapel are among the many important features of this ancient building, often overlooked as visitors flock to Winchester Cathedral.
But now it was time for us to return for our final night of this trip, looking forward to tucking into the delicious edibles that we had bought from the Christmas market, and which were now waiting in our onboard fridge. Oh, and we still had plenty of that excellent gin to wash it down – cheers!