Victorian Winchester
1840 saw the opening of the mainline railway to Winchester, bringing yet more visitors to a city that was clearly on the up and up.
Victorian England was associated with attempts at social improvement and here in Winchester this manifested itself in the building of the County Hospital in 1863. This building still stands on Romsey Road and, though it has been expanded over the years, the original Victorian building is still in use.
1887 was Queen Victoria's jubilee year and many cities throughout the British Empire took the opportunity to honour the Queen. Winchester was no different, with a statue being commissioned in her honour - this is still located in the Great Hall.
The King's House was destroyed in 1894, with much of the original brickwork then being used to build the Peninsula Barracks. The barracks were used by the armed forces for a number of years but have now been converted into private (and fairly expensive) accommodation. The various military museums in the city do, however, still surround this site.
Winchester in the Civil War
In 1642 the Cathedral was ransacked by the Roundheads, as Winchester took a central role during the English Civil Wars. The Battle of Cheriton took place close to the city in 1644 and a year later the City and Castle fell to the Parliamentarians. The Castle had proven difficult to capture and Cromwell, in typical fashion, ordered that it should be destroyed. His order was carried out in 1651.
Winchester and the Restoration
The Civil War had taken its toll on Winchester and the people of the city. 1665 saw King Charles II planning a grand palace for himself in the city. The palace was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (famed for St Pauls Cathedral in London) but was not completed before the King's death.
In 1666 the Great Plague struck the city, with one-quarter of the population losing their lives. The early-18th century saw the building of the New Guildhall (now a bank), with a clock and statue of Queen Anne.
Georgian Winchester
If the Restoration had seen Winchester firmly re-appear on the cultural map of England then the Georgian era was to bring still further development. The famous novelist Jane Austen died in Winchester, while John Keats visited the city and wrote his famous poem: Ode to Autumn.
The city was thriving, with shops and commerce developing throughout the city.
Visiting Winchester, Places to Stay in Winchester, Eating
in Winchester, Medieval Winchester, Winchester in the Middle Ages, Victorian Winchester, Winchester
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