10 things to do in Winchester for a fun weekend

Winchester seems to be one of those places that has “Weekend Break” stamped all over it. Despite being a city, (it has a cathedral after all) it has that small, market-town feel. There’s a very walkable historic centre and plenty of green spaces, river walks, interesting artisan shops and great places to eat.

In addition to all these things to do in Winchester, you have the beautiful Hampshire countryside on your doorstep. You’ll find plenty of walking opportunities and country houses to explore within a short drive of Winchester. 

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I thought it would be perfect for a weekend away with my sister. She lives on the South Coast and it’s an easy drive for both of us after work on a Friday night. Here’s what we got up to, which I hope will give you ideas for what you might like to see on your weekend break in Winchester.

I hope you enjoy the video below about 10 ways to spend a wonderful weekend in Winchester

If you can’t see the Winchester video above, please view it on my travel blog here or on my YouTube channel here

Stay at The Winchester Hotel 

I spent the weekend with my sister at The Winchester Hotel. Since we were driving from different directions, it was great to find a free car park behind the hotel. Parking is quite limited in the historic centre of Winchester.

The hotel is fronted by a public car park which doesn’t make it especially pretty from the outside. However, the interior is stylish, with a modern reception area. The bar featured lots of dark wood, leather chairs and attractive coloured glass for decoration.

Our second floor room was quite compact for two people, but had everything that we needed. There was tea and coffee making for my sister who was gasping for a cuppa. We found a hairdryer, large wardrobe, fridge and free WiFi.

The bedroom was under the eaves with a sloping roof and with only one window was on the dark side. The bathroom was spacious, modern and well lit with a large mirror and Taylors of London toiletries.

As a base for sightseeing in Winchester we were happy with our choice. The hotel was just a short walk from the historic centre, where we had a table booked that evening at The Old Vine. To find out more about our hotel stay read my review of The Winchester Hotel.

Dinner at The Old Vine

Staying just long enough to leave our bags, we headed out into the evening. We wound our way through some of the old streets to find The Old Vine, on the edge of the Cathedral Close. This 18th century inn is divided into a restaurant that’s full of old beams and old fashioned charm. The adjoining bar has more of a designer feel.

At The Old Vine they pride themselves on using local ingredients. I ordered the pretty-in-pink smoked salmon mousse with salad. This was followed by a pan-fried confit of duck salad scattered with pomegranate seeds, both of these were delicious.

I asked for a recommendation of a pudding, and was told that they are known for their bread and butter pudding. I gave that a go and it was very good too. The atmosphere was convivial with plenty of real ales on tap and the menu was reasonably priced. We thought it a great combination of good food and pub prices.

The Winchester Farmers market

The next morning we were keen to make the most of the day, so after breakfast we set off towards the Cathedral. It’s one of the main attractions of Winchester and we were keen to look around before it got too crowded.

We got slightly distracted by so many interesting things along the way. There’s the painted bollards around The Square where we had dinner the night before. I’d only noticed Mona Lisa, but in the daylight we spot a Picasso, Klimt, Hockney and plenty more.

In the green space at the front of Winchester Cathedral, a farmer’s market was in full swing. Of course we took the opportunity to sniff around all the delicious looking stalls in search of something for a picnic lunch. There was everything from organic meat, to cupcakes, to plump fresh asparagus and buckets of flowers.

With a picnic in mind, we homed in on the pie stall for a chicken and mushroom pie. Then a visit to the cake stall for a lardy cake which as the name suggests was oozing in fat, raisins and sugar. I was counting on working it off on my walk later.

At the blueberry stall there were fresh blueberries, blueberry jams and blueberry cakes. I also found a small bottle of strawberry liqueur for my father’s birthday which I had to resist opening myself.

Chatting to the stallholders we found that there’s a farmer’s market once a month around the Cathedral. There are markets of one kind or another on most weekends around Winchester or in nearby Hampshire towns.

It’s a great way to get a taste of fresh Hampshire produce. You can find out where and when the markets are being held on the Hampshire Farmers’ Market website.

Visiting Winchester Cathedral

We finally made it into the Cathedral, paying our entrance at the desk. Of course it’s free if you are attending one of the many services. There was a free tour just starting from one of the volunteers. We preferred to go at our own pace so we hired an audio-guide. The guide is narrated by actor David Suchet who plays Hercules Poirot in the TV series.

The cathedral was enormous and I was amazed at how many things of interest there are to see. For instance, a special exhibition of sculpture was dotted around in different parts of the Cathedral.

The cathedral dates back to the 11th Century. The nave has a soaring, vaulted stone roof with tombs of benefactors along each aisle. This leads past the Quire at the end of the nave, to the site of the shrine of St Swithin.

In the middle ages the tomb of St Swithin was a big draw for pilgrims who came to seek healing. The story goes that when his bones were moved into the cathedral on his feast day in 971, there was a terrible storm that lasted for 40 days. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “If on St Swithin’s day it does rain, for 40 days it will remain!”

In the North Transept we found the small door leading a few steps down into the crypt which often floods after rain. There’s a viewing stage at one end from which you can see the Antony Gormley sculpture of a man standing, often up to his knees in water.

Up the stairs in the South Transept and we found a library of old documents. We took a look at the Winchester bible, one of the finest 12th century bibles which is illuminated in gold and glowing colours.

Jane Austen in Winchester

In the cathedral, we noticed the grave of Jane Austen, one of England’s most popular writers. Her novels have been made into films and television series.

The original grave on the north aisle of the nave makes no mention of Jane Austen’s work as a writer. As her fame grew, a public subscription raised enough money for the brass memorial in the wall near the gravestone.

We walked out of the Cathedral grounds into College Road, to have a look at the house where Jane lived for the last few weeks of her life. She died of what is suspected to be Addison’s disease. The house is a private home and is marked by a plaque.

The next day we drove out of Winchester to the village of Chawton to see the house where Jane lived with her sister and mother. This is now a museum with information and memorabilia from Jane’s life. To discover more about Jane Austen and other literary figures in Winchester, we recommend you take this 2 hour walking tour around Winchester.

Jane Austen’s great novels

In this house Jane wrote some of her greatest novels. Of course, Sense & Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. The house was provided for the ladies by Jane’s brother, Edward who had inherited a nearby estate. The thatched cottages and fields where Jane and Cassandra would have walked seem hardly changed.

The house was arranged with furniture belonging to the family or of the period. A small table where Jane sat and wrote in the afternoon is set beside the window where she could get a view of life passing by in the street.

The letters, portraits and objects owned by the Austen family show the life of a close and affectionate family. There were frequent happy visits from Jane’s brothers who were both in the navy with their families.

To find out more about Jane Austen, read my article following the Jane Austen Trail in and around Winchester.

The ruins of Wolvesey Castle

A little further along College Road, we passed Winchester college, the famous public school which is a place of interest in its own right. Not having time for everything, we continued until we found the lane that leads between the Bishop’s house and the playing field to the ruins of Wolvesey Castle.

Built in the 12th century, this was once the palace of the powerful and wealthy bishops of Winchester but is now in ruins. Wandering around the site, we read the information boards that gave us interesting factoids.

We learned about the medieval plumbing and the wedding breakfast that took place in the East Hall in 1554 following the wedding of Queen Mary and King Philip of Spain. It’s free to enter the site and an enjoyable half an hour or so, if you are interested in the history of Winchester.

Winchester City Mill

Continuing to the end of College Road, we turned left and took the picturesque path along the River Itchen. This leads towards the Winchester City Mill which is owned by the National Trust.

There has been a mill on this site, supplying the good people of Winchester with flour since the Middle Ages, although the current mill was built in the 18th century. Inside, there was a large display area with a video playing.

The grain is poured in at the top and then popped down the steps below. We could barely make ourselves heard above the noise of the rushing water under the water wheel which turns the millstone and grinds the flour. We were shown the newly ground flour by one of the volunteer millers as he changed the sacks of flour over.

He also told us about the otters that live in the river by the mill – there’s a webcam so that you can see if they are playing in the millstream. Back up the top and another volunteer was putting the newly ground flour into bags to sell in the shop. I just had to buy one to take home to my husband who likes making bread for the family in his bread machine.

The South Downs Way

In the afternoon we decided to take our picnic for a short walk on the South Downs Way. Although you can start the South Downs Way near the mill, we were running out of time. So to avoid the less interesting part of the walk on the outskirts of Winchester, we drove both our cars.

We positioned one in the village of Chilcomb and the other at Beacon Hill where we started the walk. It was early summer and the fields around Winchester were filled with sheets of yellow rapeseed. This created blocks of vibrant colour, with white lacy cow-parsley fringing the roadside verges.

At Beacon Hill we parked the car in the small muddy car park and backtracked a little way to the trig point. This didn’t give us the breath-taking views we hoped for, just pleasant rolling countryside stretching out before us.

The track took us through shady woodland. We strolled green lanes between the fields and the the chalk upland over Gander Down that is typical of the South Downs Way.

Every so often we passed a landmark such as an open barn, an old cottage or a few grassy mounds in the field. These mounds marked one of the ‘lost villages’ that were abandoned in the Middle Ages.

We sat on a fallen log to eat our picnic as the odd mountain biker passed at speed. Otherwise we had the path pretty much to ourselves apart from the odd startled pheasant or hare darting across a field.

Dinner at The Flowerpot Inn

By the time we arrived at the end of the walk in Cheriton, it was nearly 7 o’clock and so we headed for The Flowerpot Inn. This is a country pub that my sister has visited previously with her husband, who loves a pint of real ale.

It’s an unpretentious country pub with a brewery attached and of course they serve their own ales. At the Flowerpot Inn, the beer is the main event. Although I’m not normally a beer drinker, I ordered half a shandy to eat with my lamb and apricot hot pot, before we drove back to Winchester. You can read more about our walk on the South Downs Way.

The Great Hall and King Arthur’s Round Table

On Sunday morning we planned to see a few more of the sights of Winchester. First stop after breakfast was the Great Hall and King Arthur’s Round table which we hadn’t had time to see the day before. We were a little too prompt and waited outside with a gaggle of chattering French teenagers until the hall opened at 10 am.

The hall is all that remains of the Winchester Castle and is an open oak-beamed medieval hall with vaulted ceiling. At one end hangs the huge round table top like a giant dart board.

The table was probably created for a royal celebration in the 13th century. Later it was painted with the picture of King Arthur and the Tudor Rose as well as the names of King Arthur’s 24 knights around the edge of the table.

There were information boards along one wall of the hall and a door leading outside to the Queen Eleanor’s Garden. The garden was planted with all those sweet smelling herbs and flowers favoured in the 13th century. Unfortunately, the garden was closed when we visited.

We continued up the steps to the information gallery in the adjoining wing. Here we learned all about the King’s House, that was built next door, the site of which is now covered by the Peninsula Barracks.

The Peninsula Barracks

Following our visit to the Great Hall we walked a little way up the road and into the Peninsula Barracks. This imposing set of buildings were built on the site of the King’s House.

The King’s House was a palace built by Sir Christopher Wren for King Charles II, that was destroyed by fire. The Peninsula Barracks were built on the site in the 20th Century, and became the base for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.

These attractive buildings have now been mainly made into private apartments. The parade ground at the centre is now a formal garden with fountains, trees and low box hedges.

There are also five different military museums here, which my husband who was once in the army would love. They were closed at the time of our visit so we just had a wander around the gardens.

Hinton Ampner gardens

Back at the hotel, we checked out and drove just outside Winchester to the country house of Hinton Ampner, which is owned by the National Trust. With a timed entrance ticket for the house, we had a while to wait, so had a good look around the gardens first.

We admired the formal kitchen gardens which you walk through to get in, and then the various separate garden areas around the house, each with its own character. In front of the house was a wild orchard garden. Apple trees and white, lacy cow-parsley frame the stone church tower in the distance.

Beside the house the cherry trees were in blossom and we passed the lily pond. We then moved onto the Sunken Garden in front of the house where there was an avenue of clipped yew trees. There were wonderful views over the Hampshire landscape.

Suddenly the rural tranquillity was broken by a flock of sheep running in panic. In reality they were just being rounded up by farmers on quad bikes. But from the racket, you’d have thought a massacre was taking place.

We moved on past the classical summerhouse and the roses borders that were not quite in bloom. On another visit in a month’s time they would be in flower. At the end of the walk, we found a hidden dell where a family with young children were having a lovely game of hide and seek.

Hinton Ampner country house

It was time for our look around the house which is the creation of the 8th Lord Sherbourne, Ralph Dutton. He went out for a walk one day in 1960 and returned to find that a terrible fire had taken hold, damaging many of the rooms.

Lord Sherbourne took the opportunity to remodel the house in classical Georgian style to his own taste, replacing much of Victorian Gothic interior that he had inherited. The pastel coloured rooms are full of beautiful antiques, gilt mirrors, chandeliers and all the objects collected by the owners over the years.

Having finished our visit to the house, we just had time for a quick cup of tea and a scone in the stable tea rooms before setting off back to Bristol.

We managed to take in a lot during our weekend visit to Winchester. Even if you see half the things that we did, you’ll have a great time. With so much history packed into a small area, not to mention the beautiful Hampshire countryside nearby, Winchester seems to encapsulate the very best of England. Enjoy your weekend!

Plan your visit to Winchester

We stayed at The Winchester Hotel, a modern and stylishly decorated hotel and spa within walking distance of the town centre. We recommend The Old Vine near the Cathedral, an 18th century inn with a convivial atmosphere, great food, real ales and reasonable prices.

For information about the Farmers’ Markets in and around Winchester, visit the Hampshire Farmers’ Market Website.

Winchester Cathedral is highly recommended with many different things of see. The entrance is £12.50 for adults and there’s a free guided tour each hour or you can hire an audio-guide.

Wolvesey Castle is the Old Bishop’s Palace run by English Heritage, and is free to enter. There’s a free downloadable audio guide on the website and information boards around the site.

Winchester City Mill is owned by the National Trust and is ideal for families, especially at the weekends when there are often demonstrations. Check the website for prices and opening times.

For information about walking the South Downs way, we recommend the National Trails Website which includes details of accommodation along the route. The South Downs Way is well-marked but if you plan on walking more than one stretch we suggest the Cicerone Guide for the South Downs Way.

We enjoyed the real ale and pub supper at the Flowerpot Inn at Cheriton.

More things to see in Winchester

The Great Hall and King Arthur’s Round Table is all that’s left of the medieval Winchester Castle at the top of the hill and is free to enter.

The five Winchester Military Museums are; The King’s Royal Hussars, The Royal Hampshire Regiment, The Royal Green Jackets, The Gurkha Museum, The Guardroom Museum.

Hinton Ampner is a short drive to the east of Winchester and is owned by the National Trust. It is known for the elegant Georgian interiors and the gardens that surround the house, with clipped topiary, plants and flowers. Check the website for opening times and prices.

The Jane Austen’s House Museum is just outside Winchester at Chawton. Here you can find out more about the life and times of this very popular English writer. There is helpful website for the Winchester Austen Trail. You can download a leaflet that is also available at the Tourist Information centre in Winchester.

Read Next

Discover the Jane Austen trail – in Chawton and Winchester

More articles about Winchester

• On the Jane Austen trail – in Chawton and Winchester
• Meeting Mona Lisa – Boll-Art in Winchester
• Walking the South Downs Way near Winchester

Thanks to Visit England, Visit Winchester and Visit South East England who supported* our visit to Winchester.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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