Winchester, town and city (district), in the central part of the administrative and historic county of Hampshire, England. It is best known for its medieval cathedral. The town lies in the valley of the River Itchen.
An unspoilt cathedral city on the edge of the rolling South Downs National Park, Winchester is England's ancient capital and former seat of King Alfred the Great. Today, Winchester combines the best of city life with the freshness of the surrounding countryside. One hour from London, this is England as it ought to be.
It is 60 miles (97 km) south-west of London and 14 miles (23 km) from Southampton, its nearest city. At the 2021 census, Winchester had a population of 127,439.
As the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms eventually became England in the early 10th Century, London won out over Winchester as the center of government because of the wealth it amassed from trading.
When did the capital move from Winchester to London?
The capital of England was moved to London from Winchester as the Palace of Westminster developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the royal court, and thus the political capital of the nation.
WINCHESTER | 4K Narrated Walking Tour | Let's Walk 2021
Was Winchester the capital of England before London?
King Alfred the Great named Winchester as the capital, first of the Kingdom of Wessex and later all of England south of the Danelaw - despite the growing importance of London, it remained so until the Norman invasion of 1066.
Winchester was capital for less than three centuries; the Central Hall in Westminster became home to the English Parliament when it was completed in 1265. The principal reason for the change was commercial, London having established itself as a major port, and as a result a commercial and financial centre.
The largest cities in later Anglo-Saxon England however were Winchester, London and York, in that order, although London had eclipsed Winchester by the 11th century.
Following the death of Alfred the Great in 901 AD England was officially unified in 927 with Winchester as its Capital City. However, Winchester declined during the 12th and 13th centuries as the city of London grew much larger, eventually taking its place as capital of England.
Winchester is the least affordable city to buy a home in, says the Halifax. Its figures suggest buying a home in the Hampshire commuter city will cost 14 times average earnings, higher than Greater London at 11 times.
Winchester is one of Hampshire's most sought after areas thanks to its excellent homes, great schools and access to open spaces. There's also a real community feel, not to mention great architecture and a variety of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars to explore. But is this Hampshire city the right place for you?
This couldn't be further from the truth which is one big thing that distinguishes Winchester from London. Winchester is technically classed a “city” due to its cathedral. However, it's really a town of just 40,000 residents.
Remnants of the historical importance of Winchester are found throughout the city. There is the magnificent 11th-century cathedral, the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, The Great Hall and Winchester College, England's oldest school.
Winchester, town and city (district), in the central part of the administrative and historic county of Hampshire, England. It is best known for its medieval cathedral. The town lies in the valley of the River Itchen.
Winchester is home to a world-famous Cathedral, with the longest medieval nave in Europe, and containing numerous ancient monarchs of Wessex and Winchester. Behind the cathedral, you will find Winchester College – one of the oldest continuously-running schools in the country founded by Bishop William of Wykeham.
Winchester was also the burial place for two of the four Danish Kings of England, King Canute and his son Harthacanute. The last monarch to be buried in the city was the Norman king William II, killed by an arrow whilst hunting in the nearby New Forest.
After her death in 1052, Emma was interred alongside Cnut and Harthacnut in the Old Minster, Winchester, before being transferred to the new cathedral built after the Norman Conquest.
Famous People in Winchester - King Alfred, William Walker and Jane Austen. In Winchester a famous statue pays tribute to King Alfred, who fought off the Vikings and was the founder of a unified Anglo-Saxon England.
Colchester is Britain's first Roman city, with a 2000 year heritage. Pliny the Elder immortalised Camulodunum, Roman Colchester, as Britain's first recorded settlement and later Britain's first city and capital.
Since 1922, the United Kingdom has been made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales (which collectively make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland (variously described as a country, province, jurisdiction or region).
Wessex ceased to exist in 1066 when King Harold Godwinson United the Earldom of Wessex with the crown. The current English counties of Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset occupy the area once known as Wessex. Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Devon and Cornwall may also be included as Wessex expanded into them.
There are no above ground Roman monuments in Winchester, but in 1988 the King Alfred's College (i.e. the University of Winchester) Department of Archaeology discovered the upper section of a façade of a fallen ancient building in the environs of the town.
