Winchester Cathedral

Jane Austen’s Grave Slab Said Nothing About Her Novels

The stone slab laid in the north aisle of Winchester Cathedral in 1817 mentions her personal virtues and the consolation of Christian faith. It says nothing about literature. The brass plaque added in 1872 is the first memorial to acknowledge that she was, in fact, one of England’s greatest writers. This gap between the two dates reflects a long critical underestimation that her reputation has spectacularly reversed. The Jane Austen House Museum at Chawton, 18 miles east, is the house where she wrote and revised Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and three other novels. Both sites together make a strong literary day in Hampshire.

Winchester Cathedral has the longest medieval nave in Europe at 164 metres from west entrance to east end. The building stands on the site of a 7th-century minster; the current structure dates from the Norman period with substantial later additions. The nave was rebuilt in Perpendicular Gothic style between 1360 and 1404 by Bishop William of Wykeham – the transformation from Norman barrel vaulting to the soaring Perpendicular ceiling was achieved without demolishing the Norman walls, which still exist inside the Perpendicular cladding. Look at the pier bases to see the original Norman stonework exposed.

Adult entry is approximately GBP 10 to 11. Open daily from 09:00 (12:30 on Sundays). Allow two to three hours.

What to See

The Cathedral font, carved in black Tournai marble around 1180, is one of the finest surviving examples of Romanesque carving in England. The twelve scenes from the life of St Nicholas on its sides are unusually detailed for the period.

The medieval floor tiles in the Guardian Angels Chapel (north transept aisle) are 13th-century originals still in situ, among the best-preserved medieval floor tile work in the country. The choir stalls, carved between 1305 and 1310, include 58 misericords – the carved ledges that allowed clergy to rest during long services while appearing to stand, typically depicting secular scenes. These include wrestlers, a mermaid, and a fox preaching to geese, which sit with amusing incongruity in an ecclesiastical setting.

The Cathedral Close includes Wolvesey Castle (English Heritage, free), the ruins of the medieval Bishop’s Palace largely demolished in 1686.

Winchester Beyond the Cathedral

The Great Hall, ten minutes’ walk along the High Street, is the surviving hall of Winchester Castle with an intact 13th-century oak roof. The Round Table hanging on the wall – a circular oak table 5.5 metres in diameter, painted with Arthurian knight names – was made around 1290, several centuries after the legendary King Arthur. Scientific dating confirmed this in 1976. Henry VIII had it repainted for his visit in 1516.

Getting There

Winchester station (London Waterloo, direct, 1 hour 5 minutes) is a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral. The Chesil Rectory on Chesil Street, a 15th-century building operating as a restaurant, is the best food option near the Cathedral. Rick Stein Winchester on High Street is more casual and reliable for fish.