Winchester cathedral

Very interesting church, no big towers or spires but does have bells, dont know where.

In the middle of a £22milion restoration. 11 of that is from their National Lottery, what could we have done if we hadn’t sold ours off.

The present church was started bt the Normans but there was one on the site since the seventh century. Been changed and restored many times over the years. One of the best stories I’ve stolen from Wikipedia. Memorial to Walker is in the cathedral.

“Restoration work was carried out by T. G. Jackson in 1905–12. Waterlogged foundations on the south and east walls were reinforced by diver William Walker, packing the foundations with more than 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete blocks, and 900,000 bricks. Walker worked six hours a day from 1906 to 1912 in total darkness at depths up to 20 feet (6 m), and is credited with saving the cathedral from total collapse.[24] For this he was awarded the MVO.[25]”

He definitely deserved it.

To make the day Bern stumbled on Jane Austen’s grave as she died in Winchester. It’s also got KIng Cnut and Edgbert of Wessex along with a host of not very famous kings. They aren’t pulling in the £8 a time though.

Excellent place. Then onwards for some more driveing in the rain and some side trips through supermarket carparks (thanks Karen) to a small market town called Alton.

Tomorrow Jane Austen day.Leggi altro