2016-07-12 Winchester

After dropping Steven and Judy in London to enjoy the the big city experience I opted for the quiet life, heading down towards Southampton, where Jill’s relatives very kindly hosted me over the week (many, many thanks to Polly and Matt in Southampton and Robert and Sally in Ringwood).

Turf maze, St Cathrine’s Hill

First I went to Winchester with Polly as a wonderful guide to St Cathrine’s Hill and the River Itchen. St Catherine’s Hill rises steeply about 70 m above the river valley with lovely views around. It is ringed by the remains of an iron age hill fort, and on top there is a turf maze cut in the mid-late 15th century. We also saw some British White cattle, a heritage breed that, I believe, is specially kept to help maintain the heritage meadows.

River Itchen, Winchester

The water-meadows along the River Itchen are most interesting. The traditional management involved regulating the irrigation of the meadows to keep the soil continuously damp, and the silt and nutrients carried in the irrigating water helped maintain fertility. The meadows displayed quite a diversity of flowers and grasses.

Hospital of St Cross Monastery, Winchester

On, then to The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty, beside the water meadows. This working monastery, founded around 1133, has some fine mediaeval architecture, a fine Norman church, and a lovely garden. And a lovely tea-shop where we enjoyed tea and cake whilst the worst of the wet weather blew over.

I headed then to the Cathedral, founded in the middle of the 5th century and much developed over time. It is now one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Among its unique features are a crypt that regularly floods and features a statue by Antony Gormley.