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Winchester ~ England's First Capital City

The lead statue of Queen Anne in a niche next to the clock on the Old Guildhall. ~ The upper floors of the old Dolphin Inn, the building was rebuilt 1883 for Mr R. Moss a Winchester brewer.                               All photographs © David Packman
 

The dolphins above the entrance to the former Dolphin Inn. After years of being damaged and knocked off the building by passing lorries, these are the replacements. I believe one of the damaged heads now resides in New Zealand, taken home as a trophy.

 

Further down the High Street is the Pentice, a series of mainly 16th century but much altered buildings, many rebuilt or altered during the 19th century. The upper floors project across the pavement and are supported on columns.

 

The two facades of Boots, on the left hand building are statues of four Bishops of Winchester, Aethelwold (963), Walkelin (1070), Wykeham (1367) and Fox (1500). Below, Bishops Walkelin (left) and Wykeham.


 
 

St John's House doesn't look much different from many other buildings you see, but look at the windows or rather the lack of them. Parts of the building date from the 13th century but the first and upper floors are 18th century, if you look at the upper windows you'll see they're not windows at all, the exterior has been painted to replicate the real things. Before anyone asks, I don't know why and my research hasn't come up the with answer either. Below a close-up of the open window with its paint pot, and right the sign over a local stationer's shop.


 
 

The final section of the High Street becomes an area known as the Broadway which is dominated by the Guildhall and King Alfred's Statue. The original part of the Gothic Guildhall dates to 1871-3 and built of yellow sandstone, the roofs are described as a slated French pavilion roof. On the right hand side of the building is the two storey flint extension added in 1892, and extensivly rebuilt after a disastrous fire in the late 1960's.

 

Part of the excavations of St Mary's Abbey on the eastern side of the Guildhall. Having been destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, little is known of the layout of the once famous abbey, all told between 1536 and 1540 Henry Vlll closed down and sold off the land of over 850 monastic houses.

 

 

 

The final photograph is the statue of Alfred the Great. Made of bronze and standing on a rough granite base it was erected in 1901 to mark the anniversary of Alfred's death. Known as King Alfred (Aelfred) the Great, or King of Wessex, he was born in 849 at Wantage in Berkshire, and became ruler of the West Saxons after he and his brother defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in 871. He has a reputation of being a great warrior as well as a social reformer who built towns and promoted education by starting schools. Alfred who is considered to be the first King of England died in 899 and is buried in Winchester.                                                                                                All photographs © David Packman


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Caption details are based on the latest available  information and are accurate to the best of my knowledge. Although the images are very heavily compressed you are welcome to use them for your own non-commercial use. If you do please credit HampshireCam or add a link  to these pages.

All Photographs copyright David Packman © 2002 - 2009 (All Rights Reserved)