View source for Winchester

{{Short description|City in Hampshire, England}}
{{About|the English city|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name = Winchester
| type = [[List of cities in the United Kingdom|City]]
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|51.0632|-1.308|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| population = 48,478
| population_ref = <ref>ONS census 2021</ref>
| shire_district = [[City of Winchester|Winchester]]
| shire_county = [[Hampshire]]
| region = South East England
| constituency_westminster = [[Winchester (UK Parliament constituency)|Winchester]]
| post_town = WINCHESTER
| postcode_area = SO
| postcode_district = SO22, SO23
| dial_code = 01962
| os_grid_reference = SU485295
| static_image_name = Winchester Montage.jpg
| static_image_caption = Clockwise from top left: [[Winchester Cathedral]], Great Minster Street, [[Winchester Castle|Great Hall of Winchester Castle]] and [[Winchester Guildhall]]
| static_image_2_name = Coats of arms of Winchester.svg
| static_image_2_width = 120
| static_image_2_caption = Coat of arms of Winchester
| london_distance = {{convert|60|mi}}
}}

'''Winchester''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪ|n|tʃ|ɪ|s|t|ər}}, {{IPAc-en|-|tʃ|ɛ|s|-}})<ref>{{cite LPD|2|Winchester}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/winchester|title=Definition of 'Winchester'|website=[[Collins English Dictionary]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Winchester|title=Winchester|website=[[Merriam-Webster|Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary]]}}</ref> is a [[City status in the United Kingdom|cathedral city]] in [[Hampshire]], England. The city lies at the heart of the wider [[City of Winchester]], a local government [[Districts of England|district]], at the western end of the [[South Downs]] National Park, on the [[River Itchen, Hampshire|River Itchen]]. It is {{convert|60|mi|km}} south-west of [[London]] and {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} from [[Southampton]], its nearest major city. At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Winchester had a population of 48,478. The wider City of Winchester district includes towns such as [[New Alresford|Alresford]] and [[Bishop's Waltham]] and had a population of 127,439 in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How the population changed in Winchester, Census 2021 - ONS |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E07000094/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> Winchester is the [[county town]] of Hampshire and contains the head offices of [[Hampshire County Council]].

Winchester developed from the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] town of [[Venta Belgarum]], which in turn developed from an [[Iron Age]] ''[[oppidum]]''. Winchester was one of the most important cities in England in the [[Anglo-Saxon]] period.

The city's major landmark is [[Winchester Cathedral]]. The city is also home to the [[University of Winchester]] and [[Winchester College]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Adams |first=Henry Cadwallader |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQkCAAAAYAAJ&dq=winchester+college+history&pg=PR1 |title=Wykehamica: A History of Winchester College and Commoners, from the Foundation to the Present Day |date=1878 |publisher=J. Parker and Company |language=en}}</ref> the oldest public school in the United Kingdom still using its original buildings.

==History==
===Prehistory===
The area around Winchester has been inhabited since [[Prehistoric Britain|prehistoric times]], with three [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]] [[Hillforts in Britain|hillforts]], [[Oram's Arbour]], [[St Catherine's Hill, Hampshire|St. Catherine's Hill]], and Worthy Down all nearby. In the [[Late Iron Age]], a more urban settlement type developed, known as an ''[[oppidum]]'', although the archaeology of this phase remains obscure.

The settlement became an important centre for the [[Belgae#Britain|British Belgae]] tribe; however, it remains unclear how the Belgae came to control the initial settlement. Caesar recorded the tribe had crossed the channel as raiders (probably in the 1st century BCE), only to later establish themselves.<ref>[[s:Commentaries on the Gallic War/Book 5#12|5.2]]</ref> The Roman account of continental invaders has been challenged in recent years with scientific studies favouring a gradual change through increased trade links rather than migration.<ref>Julius Caesar, ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico'' [[Commentaries on the Gallic War/Book 2#4|2.4]]</ref><ref>Cunliffe, Barry W., ''Iron Age Communities in Britain, Fourth Edition: An Account of England, Scotland and Wales from the Seventh Century BC, Until the Roman Conquest'', near Figure 1.4, 2012 (4th edition), Routledge, [https://books.google.com/books?id=v1Zkio7jluAC&dq=Britons+Iron+Age&pg=PT676] google preview, with no page numbers]</ref><ref>[[Sheppard Frere]], ''Britannia: a History of Roman Britain'', third edition, Pimlico, 1987; John Creighton, ''Coins and power in Late Iron Age Britain'', Cambridge University Press, 2000</ref>

To the Celtic Britons, the settlement was probably known as Wentā or Venta (from a common [[Common Brittonic|Celtic word]] meaning "tribal town" or "meeting place").<ref>Matasović, Ranko. [http://iedo.brillonline.nl/dictionaries/lemma.html?id=17429 "wentā" in the ''Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic'' at ''Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online''. Brill Online, 2014. Accessed 24 July 2014.]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> An etymology connected with the Celtic word for "white" ([[Welsh language|Modern Welsh]] ''gwyn'') has been suggested, due to Winchester's situation upon chalk.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Long |first1=Henry Lawes |title=Observations Upon Certain Roman Roads and Towns in the South of Britain |year=2016 |orig-date=1836 |publisher=Palala Press (originally published by Nichols and sons) |location=Oxford University |isbn=978-1354701065 |page=26 |access-date=17 October 2018|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGUGAAAAQAAJ}}</ref> It was the Latinised versions of this name, together with that of the tribe, that gave the town its Roman name of Venta Belgarum.

===Roman period===
{{Main|Venta Belgarum}}
After the [[Roman conquest of Britain]], the settlement served as the capital ({{langx|la|civitas}}) of the Belgae and was distinguished as '''Venta Belgarum''', "Venta of the Belgae". Although in the early years of the Roman province it was of subsidiary importance to [[Calleva Atrebatum|Silchester]] and [[Noviomagus Reginorum|Chichester]], Venta eclipsed them both by the latter half of the second century.<ref>Cunliffe B. ''Wessex to AD 1000'' 1997</ref> At the beginning of the third century, Winchester was given protective [[Winchester city walls|stone walls]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/Winchester.htm |title=Winchester |publisher=Historic-uk.com |access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> At around this time the city covered an area of {{convert|144|acres}}, making it among the largest towns in Roman Britain by surface area.<ref name="Roman towns">{{cite web|title=Major Roman Settlements|url=http://www.british-towns.net/maps/roman-roads-map|publisher=British towns|access-date=18 June 2014|archive-date=7 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907185237/http://www.british-towns.net/maps/roman-roads-map|url-status=dead}}</ref> There was a limited suburban area outside the walls.<ref>{{cite web|title=PJO archaeology|url=http://www.pjoarchaeology.co.uk/academic-consultancy/report-winchester-roman-cemeteries-and-suburbs.html|access-date=22 January 2011|archive-date=9 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009205044/http://www.pjoarchaeology.co.uk/academic-consultancy/report-winchester-roman-cemeteries-and-suburbs.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Like many other Roman towns, however, Winchester began to decline in the later fourth century.<ref name="Roman towns"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/winchester.html|title=A History of Winchester |publisher=Localhistories.org |access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

===Post-Roman===
Despite the [[Roman withdrawal from Britain]], urban life continued much as it had done into the mid fifth century. The settlement was reduced in size, but work was carried out to improve the city's defences. The city may have functioned as a centre for a religious community or a royal palace, as they continued to use the Christian cemeteries established in the Roman period.

Winchester appears in early [[Welsh literature]] and is commonly identified as the city of {{nowrap|Cair Guinntguic}} listed among the [[Caer#Britain|28 cities of Britain]] in the ''[[History of the Britons]]'' (commonly attributed to [[Nennius]]).<ref>[[Nennius]] ({{abbr|attrib.|Traditional attribution}}). [[Theodor Mommsen]] ({{abbr|ed.|Editor}}). [[s:la:Historia Brittonum#VI. CIVITATES BRITANNIAE|''Historia Brittonum'', VI.]] Composed after AD&nbsp;830. {{in lang|la}} Hosted at [[s:la:Main Page|Latin Wikisource]].</ref><ref name=nashford>Ford, David Nash. "[http://www.britannia.com/history/ebk/articles/nenniuscities.html The 28 Cities of Britain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415120312/http://www.britannia.com/history/ebk/articles/nenniuscities.html |date=15 April 2016 }}" at Britannia. 2000.</ref> The city is known as Caerwynt in [[History of the Welsh language|Modern Welsh]].

Between 476 and 517 AD, the town and surrounding areas seem to have been fortified by several [[Jutes|Jutish]] settlements<ref>The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Worthy Park, Kingsworthy, Near Winchester, Hampshire (Oxford University School of Archaeology Monograph, 59). Hawkes, Sonia Chadwick (2003).</ref><ref>Two Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries at Winnall, Winchester, Hampshire. Meaney, Audrey Lillian and Hawkes, Sonia Chadwick. (Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1970).</ref>{{Efn|At Kings Worthy, Abbots Worthy, Martyrs Worthy, Itchen Abbas and Itchen Stoke.}} and to have operated as part of a larger polity.<ref>An Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Twyford, Near Winchester. Dinwiddy, Kirsten Egging. Proc. Hampshire Field Club Archaeol. Soc. 66, 2011, 75-126 (Hampshire Studies 2011).</ref>

===Anglo-Saxon===
[[File:Winchester-alfred-wyrdlight.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Statue of Alfred the Great, Winchester|Statue of Alfred the Great]] by [[Hamo Thornycroft]] in Winchester]]

[[File:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - Wintan ceastre (British Library Cotton MS Tiberius A VI, folio 12r).jpg|thumb|left|A mention of Wintanceaster (here spelled ''Ƿintan ceastre'') in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'']]
The city became known as Wintanceaster ("Fort Venta") in [[Old English]].<ref name="Anglo-Saxon Dictionary">{{cite web|title=Wintan-ceaster|url=http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/035936|website=Anglo Saxon Dictionary|publisher=Bosworth-Toller|access-date=18 June 2014}}</ref> In 648, [[King Cenwalh of Wessex]] erected the Church of St Peter and St Paul, later known as the [[Old Minster]]. This became a cathedral in the 660s when the West Saxon bishop's see was transferred from [[Dorchester on Thames]]. The present form of the city dates from reconstruction in the late 9th century, when [[King Alfred the Great]] obliterated the Roman street plan in favour of a new grid in order to provide better defence against the [[Viking invasions of Britain|Vikings]]. The city's first mint appears to date from this period.<ref name=WB>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England|year=2014|edition=2nd|publisher=Wiley Blackwell|isbn=978-0-631-22492-1|title=Winchester|first=John|last=Crook|editor=Lapidge, Michael |display-editors=etal }}</ref>

In the early 10th century there were two new ecclesiastical establishments: the convent of [[Nunnaminster]], founded by Alfred's widow [[Ealhswith]],<ref>*{{cite encyclopedia |first=Marios|last =Costambeys | publisher = Oxford University Press | encyclopedia= Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | title= Ealhswith (d. 902)| year = 2004 | url =http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39226 | access-date= 21 June 2014|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/39226 | url-access= subscription }} {{ODNBsub}}</ref> and the [[New Minster]]. Bishop [[Æthelwold of Winchester]] was a leading figure in the monastic reform movement of the later 10th century. He expelled the secular canons of both minsters and replaced them with monks. He created the drainage system, the "Lockburn", which served as the town drain until 1875, and still survives. Also in the late 10th century, the Old Minster was enlarged as a centre of the cult of the 9th century [[Bishop of Winchester]], Saint [[Swithun]]. The three minsters were the home of what architectural historian John Crook describes as "the supreme artistic achievements" of the ''Winchester School''.<ref name=WB/>

The consensus among historians of Anglo-Saxon England is that the court was mobile in this period and there was no fixed capital.<ref>{{cite book |last= Stenton|first= Frank M.|author-link=Frank Stenton| title= Anglo-Saxon England|year= 1971|edition=3rd| publisher= Clarendon Press|page=539|isbn=978-0-19-280139-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Foot | first = Sarah | author-link=Sarah Foot| title=Æthelstan: the first king of England|publisher=Yale University Press| year = 2011 |page=78|isbn= 978-0-300-12535-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Naismith |first=Rory |title=Citadel of the Saxons: The Rise of Early London|page=11 |publisher=I. B. Tauris |location =London, UK |year=2019|isbn=978-1-3501-3568-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor1-first=Ryan|editor1-last=Lvelle |editor2-first=Simon|editor2-last=Roffey | editor3-first=Katherine|editor3-last=Weikert |title=Early Medieval Winchester: Communities, Authority and Power in an Urban Space, c.800-c.1200 |publisher=Oxbow Books |location =Oxford, UK |year=2021|page=4|isbn=978-1-78925-623-9|quote= Contrary to popular belief, though, Winchester has never been a 'capital' of England, or even of Winchester}}</ref> [[Martin Biddle]] has suggested that Winchester was a centre for royal administration in the 7th and 8th centuries, but this is questioned by [[Barbara Yorke]], who sees it as significant that the shire was named after Hamtun, the forerunner of [[Southampton]].<ref>{{cite journal| last= Yorke|first=Barbara |author-link= Barbara Yorke|journal=Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society |title=The Foundation of the Old Minster and the Status of Winchester in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries|number=38 |year=1982 |pages=79–80 |issn= 0142-8950}}</ref> However, Winchester is described by the historian Catherine Cubitt as "the premier city of the West Saxon kingdom"<ref>{{cite book|first=Catherine|last=Cubitt|chapter=Pastoral Care and Religious Belief|page=399|title=A Companion to the Early Middle Ages: Britain and Ireland c.500- c.1100|editor-first=Pauline|editor-last=Stafford|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Chichester, UK|year=2009|isbn=978-1-118-42513-8}}</ref> and [[Janet Nelson]] describes London and Winchester as Alfred the Great's "proto-capitals".<ref>{{cite book|last=Nelson|first=Janet|chapter=Power and authority at the Court of Alfred|editor1-last= Roberts|editor1-first= and |editor2-last= Nelson|editor2-first=Janet|title= Essays on Anglo-Saxon and Related Themes in Memory of Lynne Grundy|pages=327–28|location=London|year= 2000|publisher=King's College London Centre for Late Antique & Medieval Studies|isbn= 978-0-9522119-9-0}}</ref>

===High and later Middle Ages===
There was a fire in the city in 1141 during the [[Rout of Winchester]]. In the 14th century, [[William of Wykeham]] played a role in the city's restoration. As [[Bishop of Winchester]] he was responsible for much of the current structure of the cathedral, and he founded the extant public school [[Winchester College]]. During the [[Middle Ages]], the city was an important centre of the wool trade, before going into a slow decline.{{Citation needed|date=August 2016}} The [[curfew bell]] in the bell tower (near the clock in the picture), still sounds at 8:00 pm each evening.
[[File:Winchester High Street Mudie 1853.jpg|thumb|Winchester High Street in the mid 19th century.]]

Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community in the city was one of the most important in England. There was an [[Archa (document store)|archa]] in the city, and the [[Jewish quarter (diaspora)|Jewish quarter]] was located in the city's heart (present day Jewry street). There were a series of [[blood libel]] claims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which was probably the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue of which he was the head. [[Simon de Montfort]] ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews were [[Edict of Expulsion|expelled]] from England.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Jewish Community of Winchester |url=https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/winchester |publisher=The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot |access-date=2 July 2018 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702122324/https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/winchester |url-status=dead }}</ref>  A statue of [[Licoricia of Winchester]], described as "the most important Jewish woman in medieval England", located in Jewry Street, was unveiled by the then Prince of Wales on 10 February 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/blog/licoricia-of-winchester-statue-unveiled/|title=Licoricia of Winchester statue unveiled - Latest news from Visit Winchester}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Abrams |first=Rebecca |title=Licoricia of Winchester: Power and Prejudice in Medieval England |publisher=The Licoricia of Winchester Appeal |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-3999-1638-7 |edition=1st |location=Winchester |publication-date=2022 |pages=xiii |language=en}}</ref>

===Modern period===

[[File:The Buttercross in Winchester.jpg|thumb|left|The Winchester [[Buttercross]] ]]

The City Cross (also known as the [[Buttercross]]) has been dated to the 15th century, and features 12 statues of the [[Virgin Mary]], other saints and various historical figures. Several statues appear to have been added throughout the structure's history. In 1770, [[Thomas Dummer]] purchased the Buttercross from the Corporation of Winchester, intending to have it re-erected at [[Cranbury Park]], near [[Otterbourne]]. When his workmen arrived to dismantle the cross, they were prevented from doing so by the people of the city, who "organised a small riot",<ref>{{cite web |title= The Buttercross, Winchester |url=http://www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/history/html/buttercross.html |year= 1998| publisher= City of Winchester |access-date= 23 September 2009}}</ref> and they were forced to abandon their task. The agreement with the city was cancelled and Dummer erected a [[lath and plaster]] facsimile, which stood in the park for about sixty years before it was destroyed by the weather.<ref name = "Yonge8">{{cite web |last=Yonge |first=Charlotte M. |title= Chapter 8: Old Otterbourne |url= http://www.online-literature.com/charlotte-yonge/john-keble/8/ |year= 1898|work= [[John Keble]]'s Parishes |publisher= Online literature |access-date=23 September 2009 |author-link = Charlotte M. Yonge}}</ref> The Buttercross itself was restored by [[George Gilbert Scott]] in 1865, and still stands in the High Street. It is now a [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]].<ref>{{NHLE |desc= City Cross or 'Butter Cross', Winchester |num=1002938 | access-date= 16 December 2016}}</ref>
[[File:City walls, Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 1221306.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Surviving part of the [[Winchester city walls|city walls]] between [[Wolvesey Castle]] and the [[River Itchen, Hampshire|River Itchen]]. This section retains some battlements.]]
The [[Winchester city walls|city walls]] were originally built in the Roman period covering an area of around {{cvt|138|acres}}, and were rebuilt and expanded in sections over time. A large portion of the city walls, built on Roman foundations, were demolished in the 18th and 19th centuries as they fell into ruin and the gates became a barrier to traffic and a danger to pedestrians, with only a small portion of the original Roman wall itself surviving.<ref>{{citation|first=Barry|last=Cunliffe|title=The Winchester City Wall|date=1962|journal=Hampshire Field Club Proceedings|volume=22|pages=51–81|url=http://www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1960s/vol22/Cunliffe_city_wall.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/http://www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1960s/vol22/Cunliffe_city_wall.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-10 |url-status=live|publisher=[[Hampshire Field Club]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hampshirearchaeology.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/buried-in-time-roman-walls-and-medieval-gates/|title=Buried in time – Roman walls and Medieval gates|access-date=18 October 2020|first=David W|last=Hallen|date=1 February 2016}}</ref> Of the six gates (North, South, East, West, Durn, and King's Gates), only the [[Kingsgate, Winchester|Kingsgate]] and [[Westgate, Winchester|Westgate]] survive, with sections of the walls remaining around the two gates and near the ruins of [[Wolvesey Castle]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winchester Castle and Town Walls {{!}} South East {{!}} Castles, Forts and Battles|url=http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/south_east/winchester_castle_town_walls.html|access-date=19 October 2020|website=www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk|archive-date=10 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810074453/http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/south_east/winchester_castle_town_walls.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Three notable bronze sculptures can be seen in or from the High Street by major sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries, the earliest a monumental statue of [[Queen Victoria]], now in the [[Great hall]], by Sir [[Alfred Gilbert]] (also known as the sculptor of '[[Eros]]' in London's Piccadilly Circus), [[King Alfred]], facing the city with raised sword from the centre of The Broadway, by [[Hamo Thornycroft]] and the modern striking ''[[Horse and Rider (Frink)|Horse and Rider]]'' by [[Dame Elizabeth Frink]] at the entrance to the Law Courts.

The novelist [[Jane Austen]] died in Winchester on 18 July 1817 and is buried in the cathedral.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jane Austen 'died from arsenic poisoning'|url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/nov/14/jane-austen-arsenic-poisoning |access-date=18 June 2014 |work=The Guardian |date=14 November 2011}}</ref> While staying in Winchester from mid-August to October 1819, the Romantic poet [[John Keats]] wrote "Isabella", "St. Agnes' Eve", "[[To Autumn]]", "Lamia" and parts of "[[Hyperion (poem)|Hyperion]]" and the five-act poetic tragedy "Otho The Great".<ref>{{cite news| title= John Keats – autumnal idealist or trenchant social commentator? | url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/23/john-keats-autumnal-idealist-social-commentator|access-date=18 June 2014|work=The Guardian| date=23 March 2012}}</ref>

In 2013, businesses involved in the housing market were reported by a local newspaper as saying that the city's architectural and historical interest, and its fast links to other towns and cities, had led Winchester to become one of the most expensive and desirable areas of the country and{{Fix|text=who?}} ranked Winchester as one of the least deprived areas in England and Wales.<ref name=WinchesterGreatest>{{cite news|title=Winchester hits top ten list of places to live in the UK|url=http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/10898665.Winchester_hits_top_ten_list_of_places_to_live_in_the_UK/|access-date=18 June 2014 |work=Hampshire Chronicle |date=26 December 2013}}</ref>

==Geography==
Winchester is situated on a bed of [[Cretaceous]] lower chalk with small areas of clay and loam soil, inset with combined clay and rich sources of [[fuller's earth]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}}

===Climate===
As with the rest of the UK, Winchester experiences an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfb''). The nearest Met Office station is in [[Martyr Worthy]], just outside the city.
{{Weather box
| location = [[Martyr Worthy]],{{efn|Weather station is located {{convert|4.0|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the Winchester city centre.}} (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–2002)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 14.0
|Feb record high C = 16.1
|Mar record high C = 20.0
|Apr record high C = 23.5
|May record high C = 27.8
|Jun record high C = 34.0
|Jul record high C = 33.5
|Aug record high C = 34.7
|Sep record high C = 28.3
|Oct record high C = 26.1
|Nov record high C = 18.3
|Dec record high C = 14.8
|Jan record low C = -13.0
|Feb record low C = -10.7
|Mar record low C = -9.4
|Apr record low C = -6.1
|May record low C = -4.1
|Jun record low C = -0.7
|Jul record low C = 2.8
|Aug record low C = -0.1
|Sep record low C = -0.1
|Oct record low C = -4.7
|Nov record low C = -8.6
|Dec record low C = -11.8
| Jan high C = 7.8
| Feb high C = 8.4
| Mar high C = 11.1
| Apr high C = 14.2
| May high C = 17.9
| Jun high C = 20.5
| Jul high C = 22.9
| Aug high C = 22.6
| Sep high C = 19.7
| Oct high C = 15.2
| Nov high C = 10.9
| Dec high C = 8.3
|Jan mean C = 4.7
|Feb mean C = 4.9
|Mar mean C = 6.9
|Apr mean C = 9.2
|May mean C = 12.4
|Jun mean C = 15.1
|Jul mean C = 17.2
|Aug mean C = 17.2
|Sep mean C = 14.6
|Oct mean C = 11.3
|Nov mean C = 7.5
|Dec mean C = 5.1
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 1.5
| Feb low C = 1.4
| Mar low C = 2.7
| Apr low C = 4.2
| May low C = 6.9
| Jun low C = 9.6
| Jul low C = 11.5
| Aug low C = 11.8
| Sep low C = 9.5
| Oct low C = 7.3
| Nov low C = 4.0
| Dec low C = 1.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 81.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 57.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 50.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 50.9
|May precipitation mm = 49.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 45.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 52.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 57.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 54.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 86.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 91.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 75.6
|year precipitation mm = 753.6
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.7
| Feb precipitation days = 10.2
| Mar precipitation days = 9.3
| Apr precipitation days = 9.7
| May precipitation days = 8.6
| Jun precipitation days = 8.4
| Jul precipitation days = 9.0
| Aug precipitation days = 9.0
| Sep precipitation days = 8.9
| Oct precipitation days = 11.7
| Nov precipitation days = 12.9
| Dec precipitation days = 12.5
| year precipitation days =123.0
|Jan sun = 57.1
|Feb sun = 80.2
|Mar sun = 115.8
|Apr sun = 168.4
|May sun = 199.5
|Jun sun = 190.6
|Jul sun = 201.5
|Aug sun = 186.4
|Sep sun = 146.7
|Oct sun = 108.5
|Nov sun = 69.6
|Dec sun = 55.2
|year sun = 1579.3
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="MetOffice">{{cite web
|url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/location-specific-long-term-averages/gcp4eqcmh
|title = Station: Martyr Worthy, Climate period: 1991–2020
|publisher = Met Office
|access-date = 15 December 2024}}</ref>
| source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php
|title= Monthly Extreme Maximum Temperature, Monthly Extreme Minimum Temperature
|publisher= Starlings Roost Weather
|access-date= 16 December 2024
|archive-date= 1 February 2023
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173843/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php
|url-status= dead
}}</ref>
}}

== Demography ==
Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Winchester increased by 9.3%, from just under 116,600 in 2011 to around 127,400 in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How life has changed in Winchester: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E07000094/ |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=sveltekit-prerender |language=en}}</ref>

==Governance==
{{Main|City of Winchester#Governance}}
{{Infobox legislature|name=Winchester Town Forum|native_name=|legislature=|coa_pic=Coats_of_arms_of_Winchester.svg|coa_res=40px|logo=Winchester proper ward borders.svg|logo_caption=City wards in dark red; parished part of St Barnabas in light red|house_type=Area Committee|leader1=Cllr Mark Reach|leader1_type=Chair|leader2_type=Deputy Chair|structure1=|seats1={{Composition bar|14|14|hex={{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}}}|members=14|structure1_res=|seats1_title=[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]|voting_system1=Indirect election, [[ex officio]] ward councillors from town wards|last_election1=|session_room=180509-0928 23C3414 (42076135012).jpg|meeting_place=[[Winchester Guildhall|Guildhall]], The Broadway, High Street, Winchester, SO23{{nbsp}}9GH|session_res=|website={{Official URL}}|footnotes=}}From 1835 to 1974, Winchester was governed as a [[municipal borough]] of Hampshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol5/pp1-9|title=Winchester: Introduction - British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> Until 1902 the city's affairs were also administered partly by its parishes: St Lawrence, St Mary Kalendar, St Maurice, St Michael, St Peter Colebrook, St Swithin, St Thomas, St John, St Bartholomew Hyde, Milland, St Faith, and St Peter Cheesehill, and its extra-parochial areas: Cathedral Precincts, St Mary's College Precincts, St Cross Hospital Precinct, and Wolvesey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10153347|title=Winchester MB through time|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref> Historically, the south of the city had come under the "[[Liberty (division)|Liberty]] of the [[Soke (legal)|Soke]]", and was thereby self-governing to a large extent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol5/pp19-20|title=Winchester: The soke - British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10071770|title=Winchester Soke/Liberty through time|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref>

In 1889, the city came under the new [[Hampshire County Council]], and the city was later administered by Winchester [[Urban district (England and Wales)|Urban District]]. Since 1974 the area has been governed as part of the wider [[City of Winchester]] district of [[Hampshire]]. The district has 16 electoral wards, five of these cover the former Urban District itself: St Barnabas, St Paul, St Luke, St Bartholomew, and St Michael;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.winchester.gov.uk/_images/pagecentre/18296/Ward%20Map%20-%2003May%202019.jpg|title=Winchester City Council Ward Map|website=Winchester City Council}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> they have three councillors each apart from St Luke, which is a two-member ward. For [[Hampshire County Council]] elections, the City of Winchester district is made up of 7 [[Division (political geography)|divisions]], with Winchester Westgate and Winchester Eastgate covering the town area.

Whilst the remainder of the district is parished, most of the five city wards constitutes an [[unparished area]]. As a result, they now make up Winchester Town Forum, which matches the former Winchester Urban District. Legally an area committee, it oversees the Town account and acts as a council committee to steer some decisions affecting the town. Unlike parishes, members are not directly-elected, but instead are the city councillors who were elected to the respective wards, who sit ''ex officio'' on the town forum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-02 |title=Browse meetings - Winchester Town Forum |url=https://democracy.winchester.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=159 |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=Winchester City Council}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Introducing Winchester Town Forum. Winchester City Council 250 square miles 115,000 total population 45,000 in urban Winchester three small market towns, - ppt download |url=https://slideplayer.com/slide/5293608/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=slideplayer.com}}</ref> 

The current ward boundaries were adopted in [[2016 Winchester City Council election|2016]], when all seats were up for election. Since then, [[Winchester City Council elections]] take place in three out of every four years, with one third of the councillors elected in each election. From the [[2006 Winchester City Council election|2006 election]] until the [[2010 Winchester City Council election|2010 election]] the council was led by [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]].<ref name="changes">{{cite news |date=19 April 2008 |title=Winchester |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/24up.stm |access-date=4 February 2010 |work=BBC News}}</ref> In 2010 it was controlled for a year by the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], before being led again by the Conservatives from 2011 until [[2019 Winchester City Council election|2019]], since when the Liberal Democrats have again been in control. The wards are:

* St Barnabas (part under Littleton and Harestock Parish)
* [[St Bartholomew's Church, Winchester|St Bartholomew]]
* St Luke
* St Michael
* St Paul

St Barnabas predominantly covers [[Harestock]], [[Weeke]] and Teg Down. Harestock is part of [[Littleton and Harestock]] Parish whilst the remainder is part of the unparished area, but the entire ward is part of the Town Forum. The remaining wards are all completely unparished; St Bartholomew is predominantly composed of [[Abbotts Barton]], [[Hyde Abbey|Hyde]], and [[Winnall, Hampshire|Winnall]]; St Luke is predominantly composed of [[Stanmore, Winchester|Stanmore]] and Winchester Village; St Michael is predominantly composed of [[Bar End]], Highcliffe, Saint Giles Hill, [[Hospital of St Cross|St Cross]], and much of the city centre including the [[Winchester Cathedral|Cathedral]] Close; St Pauls is predominantly composed of Fulflood, Sleepers Hill, and West Hill.

[[Winchester (UK Parliament constituency)|Winchester]] is currently represented in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] by [[Danny Chambers]], of the Liberal Democrats, who in the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 General Election]] beat [[Flick Drummond]], the Conservative candidate, by 13,821 votes (a margin of 24.2%).

The office of [[Mayor of Winchester]] currently exists as a ceremonial role, but dates back at least as far as the late 12th century.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Mayor|url=https://www.winchester.gov.uk/councillors-committees/mayor-of-winchester/history-mayor/|access-date=6 August 2020|website=Winchester City Council}}</ref> The mayoral term length is currently one year, and is the chair of [[Winchester City Council]], covering the wider district since 1974.

==Landmarks==

===Cathedral===
{{Main|Winchester Cathedral}}
[[File:Winchester Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 1736947.jpg|thumb|upright=1.37|[[Winchester Cathedral]], showing its long nave]]

[[Winchester Cathedral]] was originally built in 1079 and remains the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. It contains much fine architecture spanning the 11th to the 16th centuries and is the place of interment of numerous [[Bishops of Winchester]] (such as [[William of Wykeham]]), [[Anglo-Saxon]] monarchs (such as [[Egbert of Wessex]]) and later monarchs such as King [[Canute]] and [[William Rufus]].<ref name="RTGB">{{cite book |last=Dodson |first=Aidan |title=The Royal Tombs of Great Britain |location=London |publisher=Gerald Duckworth & Co. |year=2004}}</ref> It was once an important [[pilgrim]]age centre and housed the [[shrine]] of [[Saint Swithun]]. The ancient [[Pilgrims' Way]] to [[Canterbury]] begins at Winchester. The plan of the earlier [[Old Minster]] is laid out in the grass adjoining the cathedral. The [[New Minster]] (the original burial place of [[Alfred the Great]] and [[Edward the Elder]]<ref name="RTGB" />) once stood beside it. The cathedral has a girls choir and a boys choir, who sing regularly in the cathedral.

Winchester Cathedral Close contains a number of historic buildings from the time when the cathedral was also a [[priory]]. Of particular note is the ''[[Deanery]]'', which dates back to the 13th century. It was originally the Prior's House, and was the birthplace of [[Arthur, Prince of Wales]] in 1486. Not far away is ''Cheyney Court'', a mid 15th-century [[timber-framed]] house incorporating the Porter's Lodge for the Priory Gate. It was the Bishop's court house.

The earliest [[hammer-beam]]ed building still standing in England is situated in the Cathedral Close, next to the Dean's garden. It is known as the ''Pilgrims' Hall'', as it was part of the hostelry used to accommodate the many pilgrims to Saint Swithun's shrine. Left-overs from the lavish banquets of the Priors (the monastic predecessors of the later Deans) would be given to the pilgrims, who were welcome to spend the night in the hall. It is thought by Winchester City Council to have been built in 1308. Now part of [[The Pilgrims' School]], the hall is used by the school for assemblies in the morning, drama lessons, plays, orchestral practices, Cathedral Waynflete{{clarify|date=September 2019}} rehearsals, the school's Senior Commoners' Choir rehearsals etc.

Entrance for pedestrians to the North [[garth (architecture)|garth]] of the cathedral is via the Norman arches of Saint Maurice's tower, in the High Street.<ref>Hampshire Churches, Margaret Green, Winton Pubs. Ltd. 1967. Page 90.</ref>

===Wolvesey Castle and Palace===
{{Main|Wolvesey Castle|Wolvesey Palace}}
[[Wolvesey Castle]] was the [[Anglo-Normans|Norman]] bishop's palace, dating from 1110, but standing on the site of an earlier Saxon structure. It was enhanced by [[Henry de Blois]] during [[the Anarchy]] of his brother King [[Stephen, King of England|Stephen]]'s reign. He was besieged there for some days. In the 16th century, Queen [[Mary I of England|Mary Tudor]] and King [[Philip II of Spain]] were guests just before their [[Wedding of Mary I of England and Philip of Spain|wedding in the cathedral]]. The building is now a ruin (maintained by [[English Heritage]]), but the chapel was incorporated into the new palace built in the 1680s, only one wing of which survives.

===Castle===
{{Main|Winchester Castle}}
[[File:Winchester RoundTable.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Winchester Round Table]] in the Great Hall of [[Winchester Castle]]]]
Winchester is well known for the Great Hall of [[Winchester Castle|its castle]], which was built in the 12th century. The Great Hall was rebuilt sometime between 1222 and 1235, and still exists in this form. It is famous for ''[[King Arthur]]'s [[Round Table]]'', which has hung in the hall from at least 1463. The table actually dates from the 13th century,  this it is still of considerable historical interest and attracts many tourists. The table was originally unpainted, but was painted for [[Henry VIII]] in 1522. The names of the legendary [[Knights of the Round Table]] are written around the edge of the table surmounted by King Arthur on his throne. Opposite the table are [[Prince Charles]]'s 'Wedding Gates'. In the grounds of the Great Hall is a recreation of a [[medieval]] garden. Apart from the hall, only a few excavated remains of the stronghold survive among the modern Law Courts. The buildings were supplanted by the adjacent [[King's House, Winchester|King's House]], now incorporated into the [[Peninsula Barracks]] where there are five military museums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winchestermilitarymuseums.co.uk|access-date=15 April 2012|title=Winchester's Military Museums|publisher=Winchester's Military Museums}}</ref> (The training that used to be carried out at the barracks is now done by the [[Army Training Regiment]] Winchester, based at the [[Sir John Moore Barracks, Winchester|Sir John Moore Barracks]], {{convert|2|mi|km|sigfig=1}} outside the city).<ref name="Ministry of Defence training">{{cite web|title=MOD Training and Education|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/training_education/6959.aspx|website=MOD Training|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=18 June 2014}}</ref>

===Hospital of St Cross===
{{Main|Hospital of St Cross}}
[[File:Hospital of St Cross, Winchester.jpg|thumb|[[Hospital of St Cross]], Winchester]]

The [[almshouse]]s and vast [[Norman architecture|Norman]] [[chapel]] of the [[Hospital of St Cross]] were founded just outside the city centre by [[Henry de Blois]] in the 1130s. Since at least the 14th century, and still available today, a 'wayfarer's dole' of ale and bread has been handed out there. It was supposedly instigated to aid pilgrims on their way to [[Canterbury]].

===City museum===
The City Museum, located on the corner of Great Minster Street and The Square, contains much information on the history of Winchester. Early examples of [[Winchester measure]]s of standard capacity are on display. The museum was one of the first purpose-built museums to be constructed outside London.<ref>{{cite web |title= The City Museum, Winchester |url=http://www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/Museums/Local/local.html#City |year= 1998|publisher= City of Winchester |access-date=12 July 2012}}</ref> Local items featured include the Roman ''Venta Belgarum''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/winchester-city-museum|title=Winchester City Museum|publisher=Hampshire Cultural Trust|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409192253/https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/winchester-city-museum|archive-date=9 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> gallery, and some genuine period shop interiors taken from the nearby High Street. Other places of cultural interest include the Westgate Museum (which showcases various items of [[weaponry]]), and the Historic Resources Centre, which holds many records related to the history of the city. In 2014 ownership of the City museum was transferred to the Hampshire Cultural Trust as part of a larger transfer of museums from [[Hampshire County Council]] and [[Winchester City Council]].<ref name=bbc14>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Hampshire and Winchester museums and art leased to trust |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-29862007 |newspaper=BBC News |date=1 November 2014 |access-date=4 November 2014 }}</ref>

===Other buildings===

Other historic buildings include the [[Winchester Guildhall|Guildhall]] dating from 1871 in the [[Gothic revival]] style,<ref name="Winchester Guildhall">{{cite web|title=History of Winchester Guildhall|url=http://www.winchestermuseumcollections.org.uk/index.asp?page=item&mwsquery=%7Bcollection%7D=%7Btopics%7DAND%7BIdentity%20number%7D=%7BGuildhall%7D|publisher=Winchester Museum Collection|access-date=18 June 2014}}{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the [[Royal Hampshire County Hospital]], designed by [[William Butterfield]], and [[Winchester City Mill]], one of the city's several [[water mills]] driven by the [[River Itchen, Hampshire|River Itchen]] that runs through the city centre. The mill has recently been restored, and is again milling corn by water power. It is owned by the [[National Trust]].<ref name="Winchester Guildhall"/>

[[Castle Hill, Winchester|Castle Hill]] is the location of the Council Chamber for [[Hampshire County Council]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.hants.gov.uk/low_res_map_only.pdf|title=Map|publisher=Hampshire County Council|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222044205/http://www3.hants.gov.uk/low_res_map_only.pdf|archive-date=22 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Between Jewry Street and St Peter's Street is [[St Peter's Church, Winchester|St Peter's Catholic Church]]. It was built in 1924 and designed by [[Frederick Walters]]. Next to it is Milner Hall, built in the 1780s, which was the first Catholic church to be [[consecrated]] since 1558.<ref>[http://taking-stock.org.uk/Home/Dioceses/Diocese-of-Portsmouth/Winchester-The-Milner-Hall-St-Peter Winchester (The Milner Hall) - St Peter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716170317/http://taking-stock.org.uk/Home/Dioceses/Diocese-of-Portsmouth/Winchester-The-Milner-Hall-St-Peter |date=16 July 2018 }} from [[English Heritage]], retrieved 16 July 2018</ref>

The old Victorian [[Corn Exchange, Winchester|Corn Exchange]] is now used as a cultural hub.<ref>{{NHLE|num= 1095414 |desc= Winchester Library |access-date=30 April 2023}}</ref>

The [[Wessex Hotel, Winchester|Wessex Hotel]] on Paternoster Row, designed by architect [[Bernard Feilden]] in a [[Modern architecture|modernist]] style and opened in 1964, features a glass screen installed in the foyer depicting 12 "[[Green Man]]" heads designed by [[John Piper (artist)|John Piper]] and manufactured by [[Patrick Reyntiens]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite journal |title=Hotel at Winchester |journal=The Architectural Review |volume=136 |pages=346–352 |date=Jul–Dec 1964}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mercure Winchester Wessex Hotel, Winchester, Hampshire |url=https://www.visitstainedglass.uk/location/mercure-winchester-wessex-hotel-winchester-hampshire |website=Visit Stained Glass |access-date=2025-09-05}}</ref>

===Painted bollards===
[[File:Painted Bollard, Winchester 01.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Bollard in the style of [[David Hockney]]'s ''[[A Bigger Splash]]'']]

A series of 24 [[Bollard (traffic)|bollard]]s on the corner of Great Minster Street and The Square were painted in the style of famous artists, or with topical scenes, by The Colour Factory between 2005 and 2012 at the behest of Winchester City Council.({{Coord|51.062|-1.31525|display=inline|name=The Square}})

==Education==

===State-funded schools===

====Primary schools====
Winchester has a variety of [[Church of England]] primary schools, including both state and private provision schools. St Peters Catholic Primary School had the highest SATS results, after achieving a perfect score of 300 in 2011.<ref name="Winchester schools">{{cite news |title=Primary Schools (KS1 and 2)|url=http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/li/primary_schools.compare.Winchester/ |newspaper=Hampshire Chronicle |access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref>

====Secondary schools====
There are four state comprehensive secondary schools in Winchester; the [[Henry Beaufort School]], [[Kings' School, Winchester|King's School]], and [[The Westgate School, Winchester|The Westgate School]] are all situated in the city. A fourth state school, the [[Osborne School, Winchester|Osborne School]], a community special school is also located in Winchester.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.osborne.hants.sch.uk/5950-index/5950-our-visions-values.htm |title=Osborne School: Our Visions & Values |access-date=24 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324124706/http://www.osborne.hants.sch.uk/5950-index/5950-our-visions-values.htm |archive-date=24 March 2014 }}</ref>

===Independent schools===
[[File:Winchester College courtyard and learned duck - geograph.org.uk - 45847.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Winchester College]]'s medieval Chamber Court, 1394]]

Independent junior/preparatory schools are [[The Pilgrims' School Winchester]], the Prince's Mead School and [[Twyford School]], which is just outside the city and claims to be the oldest preparatory school in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.twyfordschool.com/twyford-school |title=Twyford School |access-date=24 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730010003/http://www.twyfordschool.com/twyford-school |archive-date=30 July 2014 }}</ref> There are two major independent senior schools in Winchester, [[St Swithun's School, Winchester|St Swithun's]] (a day and boarding school for girls from nursery to sixth form) and [[Winchester College]], a [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public school]].<ref name="Winchester college">{{cite web|title=Winchester College Guise|url=http://www.winchestercollege.org/guided-tours|publisher=Winchester College|access-date=17 June 2014|archive-date=26 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626163550/http://www.winchestercollege.org/guided-tours|url-status=dead}}</ref> Both schools often top the examination result tables for the city and county.<ref>{{cite web|title=Winchester College grades|url=http://www.winchestercollege.org/examination-success-at-midhurst-|publisher=Winchester College|access-date=17 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102091632/http://www.winchestercollege.org/examination-success-at-midhurst-|archive-date=2 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Special schools===
[[Osborne School, Winchester|Osborne School]] is a state-funded [[special school]] for pupils aged 11 to 19 which is located in Winchester. Shepherds Down Special School is a state funded special school for pupils aged 4 to 11, located just outside of the city in the boundaries of [[Compton and Shawford|Compton]].

===Tertiary, further and higher education===
The [[University of Winchester]] (formerly King Alfred's College) is a public university based in Winchester and the surrounding area. It is ranked 10th for teaching excellence in The Times and The Sunday Times 2016 Good University Guide, with a 92% rating, and fourth for student satisfaction in England in the National Student Survey 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=21659-University-of-Winchester|title=The University of Winchester - The Student Room|website=www.thestudentroom.co.uk}}</ref> The university origins go back as far as 1840, originally as a Diocesan teacher training centre. King Alfred's, the main campus, is located on a purpose-built campus near the city centre. The West Downs campus is a short walk away, and houses student facilities and accommodation and the business school.<ref>{{cite news|title=Our Campuses|url=http://www.winchester.ac.uk/campuscitylife/Our%20campuses/Pages/Ourcampuses.aspx|publisher=Winchester.ac.uk|access-date=26 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103222911/http://www.winchester.ac.uk/CAMPUSCITYLIFE/OUR%20CAMPUSES/Pages/Ourcampuses.aspx|archive-date=3 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Winchester School of Art]] was founded in the 1860s as an independent institution and is now a school of the [[University of Southampton]]. The School of Art is complemented by the University of Southampton's Erasmus Park student accommodation in Winnall.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/faculties-schools-departments/winchester-school-of-art |title=Winchester School of Art |publisher=University of Southampton |access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/halls/erasmus-park |title=Erasmus Park |publisher=University of Southampton |access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref>

[[Peter Symonds College]] is a college that serves Winchester. It began as a [[Grammar school]] for boys in 1897, and became a co-educational sixth-form college in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.psc.ac.uk/college/history.php |title=Add citation |access-date=5 May 2018 |archive-date=5 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505135417/https://www.psc.ac.uk/college/history.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Sport==
Winchester has [[Winchester City FC]] who currently play in the Southern League and [[Winchester Castle F.C.|Winchester Castle FC]], who have played in the Hampshire League since 1971. The local Saturday football league, the Winchester & District League, folded in 2010. The city also has a [[walking football]] club, Winchester Walking Football, which was established in April 2021 and plays at the University Sports Ground.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winchester Walking Football Club |url=https://www.winchesterwalkingfc.com |website=WWFC |access-date=29 March 2024}}</ref>

Winchester City Flyers are a girls' and women's football club<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Hampshire Chronicle|date=30 November 2020|title=Three Winchester City Flyers called up to Hampshire Schools|url=https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/sport/18908733.three-winchester-city-flyers-called-hampshire-schools/}}</ref> established in 1996 with nearly 200 members, playing from U9 to ladies football. They play in the [[Southern Region Women's Football League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fulltime.thefa.com/ff/DivisionDetails?divisionid=214989253&leagueid=479698&seasonid=638750146|title=Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Table 2020-21|access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

Winchester has a [[rugby union]] team, [[Winchester RFC]], and an [[Sport of athletics|athletics]] club, Winchester and District AC. The city has a [[field hockey]] club, Winchester Hockey Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winchesterhc.co.uk/ |title=Winchester Hockey Club|publisher=Winchesterhc.co.uk |date=14 April 2011 |access-date=3 June 2011}}</ref>

Lawn [[bowls]] is played at several clubs. The oldest bowling green belongs to Friary Bowling Club (first used in 1820),<ref>{{cite book |title=The Friary Bowling Club 1820–1970 |author=Harold Thomas}}</ref> while the oldest bowls club is Hyde Abbey Bowling Club (established in 1812).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/9652334.Bowled_over_by_support_from_mayors/ |title=Bowled over by support from mayors |newspaper=Hampshire Chronicle |date=18 April 2012 |access-date=13 August 2013}}</ref> Riverside Indoor Bowling Club remains open during the winter months.

There are three 18-hole [[golf courses]]. Royal Winchester Golf Club is on downland adjacent to the [[Clarendon Way]]. [[John Henry Taylor]] was the club professional when winning [[the Open Championship]] in 1894 and 1895, and there is a room with memorabilia named after him. Hockley Golf Club is located on [[St. Catherine's Hill, Hampshire|St Catherine's Hill]]. South Winchester Golf Club is another downland course, designed by [[Dave Thomas (golfer)|David Thomas]] and [[Peter Alliss]]. The club was established in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.englishgolf-courses.co.uk/hampshire/southwinchester.php|title=South Winchester Golf Club|access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

Winchester College invented and gave its name to [[Winchester College football]].<ref name="Winkies Independent">{{cite news |title=Arcane public school games explained: Anyone for Rugby Fives, The Field Game or Winkies? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/arcane-public-school-games-explained-anyone-rugby-fives-field-game-or-winkies-9695696.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=29 August 2014 |access-date=4 October 2020 |archive-date=10 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310123413/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/arcane-public-school-games-explained-anyone-rugby-fives-field-game-or-winkies-9695696.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Transport==

===Railway===
[[Winchester railway station]] is served by two [[train operating companies]]:
* [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]] provides services on the [[South West Main Line]] between [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]], [[Weymouth railway station|Weymouth]], [[Portsmouth & Southsea railway station|Portsmouth]] and [[Southampton Central railway station|Southampton]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetables |work=South Western Railway |date=15 December 2024 |access-date=20 April 2025 |url= https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/timetables}}</ref>
* [[CrossCountry]] operates the route between {{rws|Bournemouth}} and {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}}, via {{rws|Reading}} and {{rws|Birmingham New Street}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Train Timetables |work=CrossCountry |date=15 December 2024 |access-date=20 April 2025 |url=https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates-information/train-timetables}}</ref>

Historically, the city was also served by a line to London via [[Alton railway station|Alton]], which partially survives as the [[Watercress Line]]. The closure of this line removed an alternative route between London and Winchester when, due to engineering works or other reasons, the main line was temporarily unusable.

There was a second station called [[Winchester (Chesil) railway station|Winchester Chesil]] served by the [[Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway]]; this closed in the 1960s.<ref name="Hampshire County Council">{{cite news |title=Winchester Bus & Train Travel Times |publisher=Hampshire County Council |year=2011}}</ref>  This line provided a link to the [[Midlands]] and the North, bypassing the present longer route through Reading.

===Roads===
Winchester is located near to the [[M3 motorway (Great Britain)|M3 motorway]] and at the meeting of the [[A34 road|A34]], [[A31 road|A31]], [[A3090]] and [[A272]] roads. Once a major traffic bottleneck, the city still suffers from congestion at peak times. The [[A303]] and [[A30 road|A30]] roads pass a few miles to the north of Winchester.

[[Roman roads in Britannia|Roman road]]s ran from {{lang|la|[[Venta Belgarum]]}} (Winchester) to {{lang|la|[[Cunetio]]}} (Mildenhall, Wiltshire), {{lang|la|[[Calleva Atrebatum]]}} (Silchester), {{lang|la|[[Portus Adurni]]}} (Portchester), {{lang|la|[[Clausentum]]}} (Bitterne) and {{lang|la|[[Sorviodunum]]}} (Old Sarum, Wiltshire).<ref>{{cite web |title=Roman Roads in the South West |url=https://saxonhistory.co.uk/Location_Roman_Roads-SWest.php |website=saxonhistory.co.uk}}</ref> A modern recreational footpath from Winchester to Salisbury, called the [[Clarendon Way]], follows part of the {{lang|la|Sorviodunum}} road near Salisbury.<ref name=hcc-roman>{{cite web |title=The Clarendon Way |url=https://www3.hants.gov.uk/longdistance/clarendon-way.htm |publisher=Hampshire County Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924134748/http://www3.hants.gov.uk/longdistance/clarendon-way.htm|archive-date=24 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Buses===
[[File:Winchester Bus Station (49309925971).jpg|thumb|Winchester Bus Station]]

Bus services are provided by four companies:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winchester bus services |website=Bustimes.org |access-date=20 April 2025 |url= https://bustimes.org/localities/winchester}}</ref>

* [[Stagecoach South]] operates local, rural and ''Park and Ride'' bus services, which run to [[Andover, Hampshire|Andover]], Alton, [[Basingstoke]], [[Petersfield]], [[Romsey]] and [[Fareham]]. 
* [[Bluestar (bus company)|Bluestar]] provide services to [[Eastleigh]] and Southampton. Many services are subsidised by [[Hampshire County Council]] and community transport schemes are available in areas without a regular bus service. 
* [[National Express Coaches|National Express coaches]] provide services mainly to Bournemouth, [[Poole]], Portsmouth and London.
* [[Megabus (Europe)|Megabus]] also provide long-distance services.<ref name="Hampshire County Council"/>

==== Community Transport Schemes ====
Three different community transport schemes are provided by Winchester City Council; these are:<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 September 2022 |title=Public and Community Transport |url=https://www.winchester.gov.uk/roads-highways/public-and-community-transport |access-date=23 August 2023 |website=Winchester City Council |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823212430/https://www.winchester.gov.uk/roads-highways/public-and-community-transport |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* Dial-A-Ride – A service available from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm within the district for those with a mobility or sensory impairment that would make it uncomfortable or impossible to ride in a taxi or bus. The minibuses are fully wheelchair accessible and do not require that individuals are registered as disabled.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Connect Dial-a-Ride Winchester |url=https://www.cfirst.org.uk/community-transport/call-go-and-dial-a-ride/dial-a-ride-winchester/ |access-date=23 August 2023 |website=Community First |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* Voluntary Car-Share – These schemes are not exclusive to Winchester area, with many such schemes being offered throughout Hampshire and indeed the UK. A group of volunteer drivers who have their own vehicles offer transport to people in their area that are in need, such as the vulnerable, those with low incomes or for taking people to medical appointments who may be unable to get there themselves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to set up a voluntary car scheme |url=https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/transportoperators/community-transport-kit/setting-up/voluntary-car-scheme |access-date=23 August 2023 |website=Hampshire County Council}}</ref>
* Wheels to Work – A scheme for use across Hampshire which is designed to allow people without access to public or private transport to find work, to go to vocational trainings or to attend interviews. The scheme offers a moped (50cc, 110cc or electric) on loan to those 16–25 for anywhere from 3–12 months depending on one's circumstances. The scheme requires that the individual already holds a provisional driving licence and has passed their [[Compulsory Basic Training]] (which the scheme also offers to cover the cost for should the individual not have passed yet).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wheels to Work Scheme |url=https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/wheelstowork |access-date=23 August 2023 |website=Hampshire County Council |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823212429/https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/wheelstowork |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Law courts==
Winchester Combined Court Centre hosts both the [[Crown Court]] and the [[County Court (England and Wales)|County Court]]. It is administered by [[His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service]], an [[executive agency]] of the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]]. Winchester is a first-tier court centre and is visited by [[High Court judge (England and Wales)|High Court judge]]s for criminal and for civil cases (in the District Registry of the High Court). One of the most high-profile cases to be heard here was the murder trial of [[Rose West]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/rosemary-west/trial|title=Rosemary West|date=29 June 2017}}</ref>

Winchester has a separate district [[probate]] registry, which is part of the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/registries.htm |title=The Probate Service - Registries |publisher=Her Majesty's Courts Service |access-date=10 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125411/http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/registries.htm |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> This court is separate from the main court establishment at the top of Winchester High Street and deals only with probate matters.

There is a heavily populated Victorian prison, [[HMP Winchester]], opposite the hospital, on the B3040 heading up west from the town centre.<ref>{{cite news|title=Under-fire jail criticised again|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/4411329.stm|work=bbc.co.uk|date=5 April 2005|access-date=12 February 2009}}</ref>

==Media and culture==

Since 1974 Winchester has hosted the annual [[Winchester Hat Fair|Hat Fair]], a celebration of [[street theatre]] that includes performances, workshops, and gatherings at several venues around the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-06 |title=Longest running festival of its kind celebrates 50th anniversary |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24433464.look-back-50-years-hat-fair-winchester/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Daily Echo |language=en}}</ref>

Winchester is the home of [[Blue Apple Theatre]], a theatre company that supports performers with learning disabilities to develop theatre, dance and film productions. It won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2012.<ref name="QVA Announcement">{{cite web|url=http://westend.broadwayworld.com/article/Blue-Apple-Theatre-Honored-with-Queens-Award-for-Voluntary-Service-2012-20120623 |title=Blue Apple Theatre Honored with Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2012 |publisher=Westend.broadwayworld.com |date=23 June 2012 |access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Hampshire Chronicle Article">{{cite web|url=http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/9509314.Blue_Apple_Theatre_to_take_Hamlet_on_the_road/ |title=Blue Apple Theatre to take Hamlet on the road (From Hampshire Chronicle) |publisher=Hampshirechronicle.co.uk |date=2 February 2012 |access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> Founded in 1997, [[Platform 4]] is a National performance and visual arts company based in Winchester.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome |url=http://platform4.org |website=Platform 4 |access-date=20 December 2021}}</ref>

Winchester hosts one of the UK's larger [[farmers' market]]s, with about 100 stalls. The market takes place on the second and last Sunday of the month in the city centre. The city also hosts the annual [[Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market]], which runs from mid-November to just before [[Christmas]].<ref name=hc>{{cite news |url=https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/20605544.dates-confirmed-winchester-cathedral-christmas-market/ |title=Dates confirmed for Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market |first=Frankie |last=Rudland |date=6 August 2022 |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref>

Four newspapers are published for Winchester. The weekly paid-for ''[[Hampshire Chronicle]]'', which started out in 1772 reporting national and international news, now concentrates on Winchester and the surrounding area. The ''Southern Daily Echo'' mostly concerns Southampton, but does also feature Winchester. It has an office shared with sister paper the Hampshire Chronicle. The ''Mid-Hants Observer'' is a free, weekly independent paper for Winchester and nearby villages. Its sister paper, the weekly ''Hampshire Independent'', which covers the whole county, is also based in Winchester. The free ''Winchester News Extra'' closed in 2017. Winchester had its own radio station, [[Win 107.2|Win FM]], from October 1999 to October 2007.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

In October 2006, the [[Channel 4]] television programme ''The Best And Worst Places To Live In The UK'', the city was celebrated as the "Best Place in the UK to Live in: 2006".<ref name="WinchesterGreatest"/> In March 2016, Winchester was named as the best place to live in Britain by the "Sunday Times Best Places To Live" guide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Winchester named best place to live in Britain|url=http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/winchester-named-best-place-to-live-in-britain-11364047183830|access-date=20 March 2016|archive-date=21 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321092513/http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/winchester-named-best-place-to-live-in-britain-11364047183830|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}

Winchester is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name="Hampshire">{{cite web |url=http://www3.hants.gov.uk/localpages/twintown.htm |title=Twin Towns in Hampshire |publisher=Www3.hants.gov.uk |access-date=6 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130120441/http://www3.hants.gov.uk/localpages/twintown.htm |archive-date=30 November 2009 }}</ref>
*[[Laon]], [[Aisne]], [[Hauts-de-France]], [[France]]<ref name="Hampshire"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winchestertwinning.org.uk/ |title=Home |publisher=Winchestertwinning.org.uk |access-date=6 November 2009 |archive-date=8 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208035244/http://www.winchestertwinning.org.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns|access-date = 11 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref>
*[[Nizhyn]], [[Chernihiv Oblast]], [[Ukraine]]<ref name="Nizhyn">{{cite web |url=https://democracy.winchester.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=4781&Ver=4 |title=Twinning Agreement - Nizhyn, Ukraine (CL175) |date=9 July 2025 |publisher=Winchester City Council |access-date=9 July 2025 }}</ref>

The [[Winchester district]] is twinned with
*[[Giessen]], [[Hesse]], [[Germany]]<ref name="Hampshire"/><ref name="Giessen twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.giessen.de/Rathaus_und_Service/Stadtinformationen/St%C3%A4dtepartnerschaften/|title=Gießen: Städtepartnerschaften|trans-title=Giessen: Twin towns|publisher=Stadt Gießen|access-date=1 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413071750/http://giessen.de/Rathaus_und_Service/Stadtinformationen/St%C3%A4dtepartnerschaften/|archive-date =13 April 2013|language=de}}</ref>

[[Winchester, Virginia]], is named after the English city, whose Mayor has a standing invitation to be a part of the American city's [[Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival]]. Winchester also gave its name (Frenchified to ''Bicêtre'') to a suburb of [[Paris]], from a manor built there by [[John of Pontoise]], [[Bishop of Winchester]], at the end of the 13th century. It is now the commune of [[Le Kremlin-Bicêtre]].

==See also==
*[[List of people from Winchester]]
*[[Winchester Hat Fair]]
*[[Winchester Hoard]]
{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Nearest Settlements'''
|Centre    = Winchester
|North     = [[Abbotts Barton]]<br />[[Headbourne Worthy]]<br />[[Kings Worthy]]
|Northeast = [[Easton, Hampshire|Easton]]<br />[[Martyr Worthy]]
|East      = [[Chilcomb]]
|Southeast = [[Owslebury]]<br />[[Twyford, Hampshire|Twyford]]
|South     = [[Compton and Shawford]] 
|Southwest = [[Olivers Battery]]<br />[[Hursley|Pitt, Hursley]]
|West      = [[Sparsholt, Hampshire|Sparsholt]]<br />[[Ashley, Test Valley|Ashley]]<br />[[King's Somborne]]
|Northwest = [[Littleton and Harestock]]
}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.winchester.gov.uk Winchester City Council]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180103185658/http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3349740 www.geograph.co.uk: photos of Winchester and surrounding area]

{{Sister bar|auto=y|Winchester (England)}}
{{Winchester}}
{{Hampshire}}
{{Winchester wards and parishes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Winchester| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Hampshire]]
[[Category:County towns in England]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in Hampshire]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Hampshire]]
[[Category:City of Winchester]]
[[Category:Cities in South East England]]