Hello good morning from Winchester a city in Hampshire in the south of England. This city
is actually not far from london it's only 60 miles away today I am here with Bruno to show you around
the vibrant city of Winchester is England's ancient capital. Winchester began as a roman town
this city was built around 70 AD. During the roman time the name of this city wasn't Winchester
it was Venta Belgarum, after the Romans departure and the Dark Ages the Saxons
arrived here and changed the name of the city to Winchester. The most famous king of the Saxons
Alfred the Great made Winchester the capital of his kingdom, Wessex. He founded over 50 churches
right here in Winchester and transformed the city into a cultural and spiritual centre
The statue of this great king is one of the most easily recognisable landmarks in Winchester
standing in the heart of the city. Winchester is without a doubt a place that's steeped in
history and currently is one of the most desirable places to live in England. In March
2016 actually Winchester was named as the best place to live in Britain by the Sunday Times
the reasons for that are simple this historic town with this high community spirit and many
outdoor spaces has excellent train connections and outstanding schools. Winchester is a great
place to raise the family and of course it is a perfect place for a day trip or weekend getaway
right next to the Alfred statue you will find the abbey gardens and the abbey house both are
part of the Mary's Abbey site which once was one of the largest religious houses in England
The Abbey Gardens are now a public park area and the Abbey House is today the official residence of the
mayors of Winchester. this house has been in the ownership of the city of Winchester since 1890
the City Mill with more than 1000 years of history is one of the oldest workings
water mills in England this is a rare example of a city corn mill
it is located in the heart of Winchester while most mills are well away from urban areas
here you can actually make fresh wholemeal flour by using medieval technology
downstairs you can see the mill race which makes about seven or eight revolutions per minute
here if you're lucky you might spot some otters. you can visit the city mill free of
choice but also if you want to help to maintain this mill you can donate
the mill stands astride the river Itchen on the north side of Bridge Street
on the south part of the bridge you can find a walking path along the river
this river wasn't always here the Romans diverted it through the city
such a beautiful place to live imagine you live here
and this is your terrace and this is your garden and this is the view you have
the water looks crystal clear because it is filtered through chalk did you know
that there are only 210 chocolate streams in the world and 160 of them are in England
the river starts from a village called Cheriton and flows 28 miles down to Southampton
the walk along the river is a short and easy walk and takes you to Wolvesey Castle
visiting this castle is actually one of the best free things to do here in Winchester
Wolvesey castle was one of the greatest medieval buildings in England. It is also known as the old
bishops palace because this place was the home of the powerful and wealthy bishops of Winchester
throughout the medieval period the bishops of Winchester held one of the
highest positions of power in the English Church as well as in national politics
they owned vast states stretching from somerset to London which brought them
great wealth. The first stone palace was built here in the 12th century by bishop Gifford
he added the west hall which is now largely buried beneath the current bishops palace
the palace was destroyed by the roundheads during the civil war in the 17th century
The ruins you see today were largely created by Henry of Blois great-grandson of William the Conqueror
on the street behind the castle, you will find a small house where Jane Austen lived the last
six weeks of her life this English novelist died here and is buried nearby the Winchester Cathedral
arguably the most famous attraction here is Winchester cathedral and it is hard to miss
Winchester Cathedral is one of the tallest and largest cathedrals in Europe this site
has been the centre of worship for more than 1000 years since the first church was built here
the Cathedral you see today is the third one built on this side it was founded in 1079
and it took five centuries to build this impressive building
visiting the cathedral is not free of charge you have to pay 10 pounds to go inside but
if you just want to see the building you can just enjoy and picnic in a green area around
the High Street is the most lively part of Winchester
and actually, this street is one of the oldest shopping streets in the UK
right in the middle of the high street you can see the Buttercross monument
it dates back to the 15th century. Here was the place where people used to gather to sell butter
cheese, eggs and milk and it is probably why it is called Buttercross usually. Every Friday and
Saturday there is a street market in the High Street of Winchester and usually you can find
street food, some second handbooks and other goods it's good to be here when there is a flea market
there are plenty of restaurants bars and pubs in Winchester and we chose one of them
and I ordered Sunday Roast because today is Sunday and this is a traditional British dish
which usually serves on Sunday. Sunday Roast is usually, meat could be beef usually is beef but I
had it chicken too with potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and some vegetables and gravy