Buttercross

At the heart of the city’s commercial centre, stands the famous medieval Buttercross. It was once used by countrymen to sell produce, hence the name Butter Cross.

Each face of the monument has a large figure about half way up, surmounted by two smaller figures in niches. The eight figures at high level represent, The Blessed Virgin, and the Saints Bartholomew, John, Lawrence, Maurice, Peter, Swithun, and Thomas. Of the four large figures, three are relatively new. Only the statue of St John the Evangelist (to the south, facing the shop) dates from the 15th century. The remainder - William of Wykeham, Lawrence de Anne (an early Mayor of Winchester), Alfred the Great, are from the major refurbishment of 1865 by the architect Gilbert Scott.

In 1770 the Buttercross was sold off by the Paving Commissioners to a Mr Dummer. When he tried to remove it, the citizens of Winchester organised a demonstration to prevent it being moved.