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About Winchester

In this section you will find information on Winchester's long and distinguished history, its famous former residents and literary connections, as well as some more unusual facts about England's ancient capital. Did you know...

20 things you may not know about Winchester: 1 .
A Brief History of Winchester: The settlement of Winchester begins in about 150BC when a large defended enclosure was created on the western slopes of the modern city, in the area of Oram's Arbour.
Literary Connections: On the edge of the South Downs, the city of Winchester and its surrounding district have inspired a wealth of literary classics; from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility to John Keats ' ode 'To Autumn'.
Winchester's Year of Heroes: During 2008, Winchester Tourism will be exploring some of the characters that have played an important role in the history of the district over the centuries.
Historic Figures: Throughout history, a wealth of now-legendary historic figures have lived in or made an impact on Winchester.

Things to Do

Despite its relatively compact nature, Winchester is packed with historic buildings, museums, family attractions and tranquil green spaces just waiting to be explored.

Events Calendar: Visit our Events Calendar page.
History and Heritage: England's ancient capital is a city steeped in history, offering rich pickings for visitors looking to uncover Britain's past. From legend and lore to awe-inspiring architecture, Winchester is a treasure trove of English heritage.
Art and Culture: Culture lovers will find plenty to occupy them in Winchester. The city has a wealth of accomplished artists, designers and craftspeople working and living in the area.
Food and Drink: Drawing on its rural resources, the ancient capital of England enjoys a growing reputation for local produce and fine fare, endorsed by the size and popularity of its thriving monthly farmers' markets .
Shopping: A paradise for shopping connoisseurs, Winchester boasts a tempting array of independent shops, boutiques and art galleries in scenic settings.
Tours and Trails: Once a principal place of pilgrimage, routes from all over the south converge on the ancient city of Winchester.
Beyond the City: England's ancient capital has plenty to keep its visitors amused but the city is only half the story.
Family Friendly: A city for all ages, Winchester boasts a variety of exciting attractions and things to see and do for a fun-packed family holiday.
10 Things to Do for Free: A visit to Winchester needn't cost a penny. Here are our top ten tips for freebie fun: 1.
As Seen on Screen: Winchester's atmospheric historic buildings amid scenic settings offer rich pickings for movie-makers, and a number of blockbusters and TV programmes have been filmed here over the years. You've seen the film, now visit the set ...

Tourist Information

The city's Tourist Information Centre is located in the Guildhall, near King Alfred's Statue.

Car Club for Winchester: The basic idea behind a car club is to provide a much cheaper alternative to owning a car; in short, to provide access to a car without the burden of having to actually own one.
Hoppa Bus Service: Winchester City Council's Park and Ride buses can be used as a Hoppa Bus around the town for just 20p, for all stops on the circular route Broadway back to Broadway, via St George's Street, Jewry Street, Upper High ...
How to Find Us: Situated near the maritime cities of Southampton and Portsmouth to the south and the New Forest to the west, Winchester is ideally placed for a short break in the South of England.
Getting Around in Winchester: Hoppa Bus Service If you need to travel to the station from the city centre, the ideal way is to use the Hoppa Bus which is operated for the park and ride service.
Maps: Follow the links below to download maps and connect to external sites designed to help you find your way to and around Winchester.
On-line Shop: Why not purchase the following popular publications and souvenirs in advance of your visit? For a more comprehensive list of free or saleable items including a wide range of souvenir merchandise, please contact Winchester Tourist Information Centre on 01962 ...
Parking: Park & Ride Winchester operates a park and ride system which is easily accessible from the M3 motorway, which provides frequent bus services to all main areas of Winchester City Centre.
Bikeabout Bicycle Loan Service: Leave the car behind and head for Winchester to borrow a bicycle from the Bikeabout bicycle loan service. For an annual registration fee of £20 (or £35 for two) you can borrow a bike as often as you like.
Toilets: The image above shows an eye-catching display of medieval water pitchers, a Roman mosaic and examples of Edwardian sanitary engineering and other domestic conveniences has been installed in the window of the Market Lane public toilets in the centre ...
Visitors with Disabilities: Here is some general information about facilities for visitors to Winchester with disabilities. For more detailed information and advice, or information in another format, please contact the Tourist Information Centre.
Top 10 Tips for a Greener Stay: Help us to preserve the special character of the Winchester district by following these few simple steps: 1.

Welcome to Winchester

Summer starts here... Find out why there's nowhere quite like Winchester in high summer.

Photo Gallery: Click on a thumbnail to view a bigger image. For high resolution images please email your requirements to marketing@winchester.gov.
search: Visit our search page.
Springtime in Winchester is just a bunny hop away: Now that the feeling of spring is in the air, what better place to visit than Winchester? Young and old alike, couples looking for romance or families with inquisitive children - everyone will find something to lift their spirits ...
Win a family ticket for Winchester Cathedral's Christmas ice rink: We have five family tickets for Winchester Cathedral's Christmas ice rink to give away. To enter, simply complete your details below. The first five names drawn on Wednesday 12 December will each win a ticket.
Join Our Mailing List: Want to be among the first to know about special offers and forthcoming events in the Winchester district? Sign up for our regular e-newsletters by filling in the form below.

What's On

For details of forthcoming events in and around Winchester search our online events calendar or download the current edition (July - October 2008) of the printed What's On guide (179kb).

School Summer Holiday Activities: Take a look at the suggestions below for ways to entertain the children during the summer holidays. Click on the links for further information and contact details.
Winchester's Summer of Festivals: Winchester and the surrounding towns and villages are transformed into a festival-goer's delight during the summer months with an array of music, literary and cultural festivals. Below is a selection of what to expect.
Hampshire Food Festival: Some of the most exciting events for this year's Hampshire Food Festival are taking place in the Winchester area. Read on for a selection of these, or go to the Hampshire Fare website to view the full programme.
Live Performance Venues: There are four main performing arts venues in Winchester, including the cathedral where classical music concerts take place throughout the year in awe-inspiring surrounds.
Festivals: Scroll down for an overview of the annual festivals taking place in and around Winchester. For details of forthcoming events search our online events calendar .
Winchester's Farmers' Markets: Winchester plays host to the twice-mothly farmers' market (second and last Sunday in the month) - the largest in the country and a popular event with celebrity seafood chef, Rick Stein - with over 90 local producers showcasing the ...

Where to Stay

You can choose from a wide variety of properties in the heart of the city centre and in the surrounding countryside for both bed and breakfast and self-catering.

Booking Terms and Conditions: Visit our Booking Terms and Conditions page.
Where to find a Fairtrade breakfast: Winchester - declared a Fairtrade City on 14 March | 2008 Look out for this Mark on Fairtrade products Fairtrade is a rapidly growing international movement that guarantees a better deal for disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries.
Ratings You Can Trust: All the properties promoted by Winchester City Council are assessed and have been awarded a quality rating by one or more of the two national agencies, the AA and VisitBritain* (formerly the English Tourism Council), who operate a harmonised ...
Make a Booking: To secure accommodation that best suits your requirements, we suggest you book in advance as Winchester is very busy at certain times of year.
Accessible Accommodation: Several properties have ground floor bedrooms and lifts.
: The Green Leaf Tourism Scheme (GLTS) is part of a national pilot for sustainable tourism in the UK.
Family Celebrations: If you are planning a wedding or family occasion in the Winchester District we can assist you and your guests with finding accommodation in Winchester.
Advanced Search: Visit our Advanced Search page.

Conference Winchester

www.conferencewinchester.org.uk Winchester's business venues offer you the perfect location for any corporate occasion. The district is easy to reach by road, train and air.

The Complete Venue: Winchester Guildhall is situated in the heart of one of England's beautiful historic cities, a short walk from its many visitor attractions, shops and cathedral.

Currency

Visit our Currency page.

Disclaimer

Visit our Disclaimer page.

Groups and Travel Trade

Welcome to our groups pages, created especially for the group and travel trade. Here you will find all you need to help you organise a successful and well-planned visit to Winchester.

Guided Tours for Groups: If your group is keen to hear fascinating stories about Winchester past and present, why not discover the city's highlights with one of our qualified tourist guides. Guided tours for groups are arranged through Winchester Tourist Information Centre.
Accommodation for Groups: The accommodation below is suitable for groups of varying size. We recommend you contact the establishment direct to ensure your requirements can be met. Many of the hotels in Winchester and the surrounding area offer competitive rates for groups.
Attractions for Groups: Despite its relatively compact nature, Winchester is packed with historic buildings, monuments and museums just waiting to be explored. Just a short distance outside Winchester itself, there is also a whole host of other attractions to tempt groups.
Coach Parking: There are two set-down points at either end of the city.
Group Contacts: Winchester Tourism Group Travel Advisor tel: 01962 848 556 email: groups@winchester.gov.uk Winchester Tourist Information Centre tel: 01962 840 500 email: tourism@winchester.gov.uk Winchester City Council Parking Office tel: 01962 848 346 email: parking@winchester.gov.uk Winchester Cathedral tel: 01962 857 225 email: visits@winchester-cathedral.org.
Group Eating Out: After a busy day exploring Winchester, a welcome meal at one of our pubs or restaurants will round off the sight-seeing.
Group Travel Leaflets: Hampshire Group Travel Guides: Historic Houses & Gardens Food, Drink & Local Produce Great Creative Geniuses, Pioneers & Inventors Military & Maritime ...
Maps: The following maps are available to download and print out as required. Alternatively, our Group Travel Advisor will be happy to provide detailed maps of the city centre and surrounding area.
Travelling to Winchester: Winchester is situated in an accessible location in the heart of the county of Hampshire.

Local Industry

Welcome to the local industry section of the Visit Winchester website. We have designed this section as a resource for tourism businesses to access useful information and links.

Accessibility Directory: October 2004 brought the final stage of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995 into force.
Availability Updating: Up-to-date information improves the quality of service we give to visitors. This enables the staff at the TIC and visitors alike to make well informed booking enquiries.
Fire Safety Law: From October 1st 2006 new fire safety laws came into force making businesses directly responsible for the safety of all premises users.
Food Safety Law: Visit our Food Safety Law page.
Green Leaf Tourism Scheme: If you own or manage an accommodation business in the Winchester District why not join our Green Leaf Tourism Scheme (GLTS).
Register with Us: If you would like to advertise in the Winchester Visitor Guide and on the Visit Winchester website please contact Linda Messingham, Tourism Marketing Support Officer, on 01962 848 311 or email lmessingham@winchester.gov.uk .
Tourism Signage: If you would like to apply for tourist signage please contact your local authority. For signage enquiries in the Winchester District contact the Traffic and Transport Department at Winchester City Council on 01962 848 241.
Tourism Times: Tourism Times is the quarterly newsletter for the tourism industry in the Winchester District. Copies of past newsletters are available to download in PDF format here.
Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS): VAQAS was launched nationally in 2001. It is a consumer focused quality assessment service for visitor attractions. It helps to identify strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas, based on industry examples.
Welcome to Winchester training course: Winchester Tourism has teamed up with Tourism South East , the regional tourism body, to organise a FREE customer care training course, specifically tailored to the needs of taxi drivers based in the Winchester district.

Media

We are currently developing the media area. In the meantime if you have a media enquiry or would like to arrange a press trip email Winchester Tourism .

Press Releases: Click on the headlines below to view the press release.
Press Pack Downloads: Visit our Press Pack Downloads page.

Privacy Policy

Visit our Privacy Policy page.

Recent work - paintings by Clare Goodman

An exhibition of recent work by local artist Clare Goodman runs from Saturday 7th June until Sunday 22nd June at City Space in Winchester Discovery Centre.

Research

We are developing the research area as a resource for people finding out about the facts and figures for Winchester. For an overview of Tourism in Winchester the Tourism Strategy is available to download.

Creative Winchester: A Tourism Strategy for the Winchester District 2004 - 2008 The full Tourism Strategy has been broken down into smaller sections for easier download in pdf format. Click on the title to go to the relevant section.
Overseas Markets: On 21 June 2006 Winchester Town Forum held a public meeting about marketing Winchester as a destination abroad called 'Putting Winchester on the Map: Creating a higher global profile'.

User Help

If you experience any problems using the site please email the webmaster . Navigation There are a variety of ways to navigate your way around the site.

Weather

Visit our Weather page.

Special Offers

Many of the attractions and accommodation in Winchester offer special deals and packages throughout the year. Contact the Tourist Information Centre for more information or click on the links below for our current special offers.