Winchester~the Cathedral, Jane Austen and medieval history

Winchester Cathedral~ 

You're bringing me down

You stood and you watched as

My baby left town

 When my sister and I visited the charming, historic village of Winchester about a year ago, we discovered a town with a wonderful history which has settlement history dating back to prehistoric times!  After the Roman conquest of Britain, the town became the capital of England until the 13th century when London became the capital.  Winchester continued to be an important center of the medieval wool trade.  Winchester is an easy town to navigate and a short walk from the train station to the cathedral and the center of town.  

As a child of the 60's, the song Winchester Cathedral was about all I knew about this magnificent building. I found out there's a lot more about the cathedral than the short lived 60's song!  Winchester Cathedral is one of Europe's greatest cathedral and has the longest Nave (central aisle) of any church in Europe.  

This ornate 15th century stone screen is behind the high altar.  The original painted statues were destroyed in the Reformation, but there a few that have survived and are displayed in a gallery.

The Great Screen

                                   The choir stalls were carved in 1308.

The Tournai marble font has unique carvings of the miracles of St. Nicholas.  It was brought from Tournai in Belgium in the 12th century and has been in constant use ever since.

The medieval wall paintings have survived from the 12th century with clearly visible images of Christ being taken down from the Cross and placed in his tomb.

Samuel S. Wesley, grandson of famous Methodist and hymn writer Charles Wesley was an organist here.

These 13th century floor tiles are part of the largest surviving spread of medieval decorated floor tiles inside any building in England.   Their colors were still very rich and we could walk on them!

Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral and her grave is a simple, stone-floor marker.  She came to Winchester from the town of Chawton so she could be close to her doctor when she became ill.  She died at the young age of 41. When she died,  her stone made no mention of the books she had written so in 1872 a brass plaque was installed to honor her writings. 

                           

Door leading into the Great Hall

The town of Winchester is also home to what remains of Winchester Castle.  The Great Hall is famous for displaying what for centuries has been called the "Round Table" of King Arthur and his knights.  The painted wooden table is old but not old enough to have served 6th century Arthur (who was in all probability legendary) and his knights. It has hung in the Great Hall for 600 years.  

The Great Hall of Winchester Castle

Behind the Great Hall is a narrow space that is Queen Eleanor's garden.  It is an accurate recreation of an early medieval garden.  Queen Eleanor of Castile (wife of Edward I) and Queen Eleanor of Provence (wife of Henry III) both spent time living at Winchester Castle.  I'm sure they sat on a bench like this one wearing jeans with a camera beside them.  

the last house where Jane Austen lived in Winchester

In our short stay  in the medieval town of  Winchester, we uncovered amazing history, gorgeous architecture and we walked in the literary footsteps of Jane Austen.  It was another day of discovering the rich history of England. 

My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation;  that is what I call good company.   ~Jane Austen