Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire
Construction of the Norman parts of Winchester Cathedral in the city of Winchester in Hampshire started in 1079. Two later periods of construction led to Winchester Cathedral’s completion in its present form in 1525.
The entrance to the church
History
Winchester Cathedral features the oldest medieval quire (illustrated manuscript) in England, 12th and 13th-century wall paintings, and perhaps most impressively, the “Great Screen” – the carved limestone backdrop to the high altar begun in 1455.
The Great Screen was financed by money left to the cathedral on the death of Cardinal Henry Beaufort. However, the figures of saints in the niches were all destroyed in the Reformation of the 16th century and the figures we see today are 19th-century copies.
One of Europe’s largest cathedrals, its overall length is the longest of any Gothic cathedral. The church is the seat of the Bishop of Winchester and centre of the Diocese of Winchester. The structure is a Grade I listed building.
Jane Austen and Winchester
Winchester Cathedral is also the site of Jane Austen’s grave.
She was buried there in 1817 after her death at the very young age of only 41 (see the image below).
Jane Austen’s grave in the cathedral
Access – Getting There
Cathedral Office
1 The Close
Winchester
S023 9LS
Tel: 01962 857200
Winchester is 69 miles south-west of London on the M3 motorway.
The entrance portal to the cathedral in Winchester; the cathedral was founded in 642
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