//
formerly INTECH Science and Technology Centre
Photo: Peter Facey, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
An interactive family museum with regular activities and events. Planetarium shows are an extra charge.
Winchester Science Centre is a hands-on educational science, technology centre and research centre located at Morn Hill near Chilcomb, three miles from the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England. The centre houses a range of interactive exhibits, aimed at a core audience of children aged 5–12 years old and has over 185,000 annual visitors. The dome's planetarium seats 176 and is the UK's largest standalone planetarium.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Owned by the National Trust, this old water mill has been fully restored. You can visit the working areas and a rather exciting walkway under the mill almost at river level.
This palace was the chief residence of the Bishops of Winchester and its extensive ruins still reflect their importance and wealth.
Located off the Broadway between King Alfred's statue and the rear of Winchester Cathedral. These are formal gardens through which the Itchen flows, and include a children's play area.
One of England's independent (fee-paying) schools, founded in 1382 and believed to be the oldest continuously running school in the country. Guided tours are available, lasting approximately 1 hour and include Chamber Court; the Gothic Chapel with its 14th-century vaulted roof; College Hall; the 17th-century red brick schoolroom built in the style of Christopher Wren; the original cloister.
A Norman cathedral begun in 1079, containing the Winchester Bible and featuring the longest Gothic nave in the world. The cathedral was built on rafts floating on a peat marsh! For 800 years the raft was able to carry the weight but, by the 19th century, the cathedral was in danger of collapse and the foundations were rebuilt by a diver working underwater; look out for the statue and story of this "Winchester Diver" if you visit. The cathedral is the venue for regular recitals and concerts, and hosts Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's Summer Series. The famous English novelist Jane Austen died in Winchester in 1817 and is buried in the cathedral. A statue by British artist Anthony Gormley is to be found, somewhat unexpectedly, in the crypt of the cathedral. Hidden away in cathedral Close is the Dean Garnier Garden, which offers splendid views of the cathedral. Pay special attention to the stonework, and how the medieval builders suffered from problems with subsidence.
This was once a not uncommon position for a place of worship in England, but St. Swithun's is the only one remaining today. The interior of this tiny church is very plain, with whitewashed walls and an unadorned wooden ceiling. Sit for a moment in the simple wooden pews and it is hard not to feel a sense of peace.