| England has many beautiful cathedrals,
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| | Winchester was St Swithin. Not much is
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| but in my opinion, Winchester Cathedral
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| | known about him except that he became
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| is without doubt the most beautiful. Its
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| | bishop in 852. We do know that he died on
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| scale, architecture and setting make it
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| | July 2 862 and was buried, at his
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| unrivalled. And, if that wasn't enough,
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| | request, in the churchyard so that "the
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| the cathedral happens to be in England's
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| | sweet rain of heaven may fall upon my
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| most preserved and picturesque city.
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| | grave". Later his body was removed for
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| Winchester has been a place of importance
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| | reburial, which was against his dying
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| for over 2 millennia. After the
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| | wish. Legend has it that it rained for 40
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| conversion to Christianity, the people of
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| | days. To this present day we have the
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| Wessex built a place of worship on the
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| | superstition that if it rains on St
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| sport where the present cathedral now
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| | Swithin's day we are in for 40 more wet
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| stands. The recorded church is from about
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| | days.
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| AD 169 when Lucius, 'King of the
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| | Building of the present day cathedral
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| Britons', converted to Christianity. He
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| | began in 1079. It was built in the
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| made Winchester is seat of power and the
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| | baroque style. The cathedral's diocese
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| cathedral the centre of worship for his
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| | once stretched from London to The Channel
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| people.
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| | Islands. The cathedral was originally
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| Not much is known about the first church;
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| | occupied by Benedictine monks, however
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| it was destroyed and rebuilt several
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| | they were removed during the Reformation;
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| times over the next few hundred years as
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| | you can still see parts of the remains of
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| pagan and Christian warlords fought for
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| | the monastic buildings in the Cathedral
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| control over the area. This era of
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| | Close.
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| uncertainty was finally ended in 635 when
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| | Central to the life of the monks was the
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| king Kynegils defeated the Saxon king,
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| | opus dei (the Work of God), the regular
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| Cerdic. The king destroyed the pagan
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| | offering of prayer, which they sang in
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| temple 'Dagon' and laid the foundation
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| | the choir. This tradition still carries
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| stones for his Christian church. From
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| | on at the cathedral. The choir is now
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| that day onwards, there as been a
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| | comprised of boys from the Pilgrim's
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| Christian place of worship on this same
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| | School, which is adjacent to the
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| spot.
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| | cathedral. The Winchester choir now
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| King Alfred the Great was probably the
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| | enjoys a world wide reputation for its
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| most famous patron of the cathedral.
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| | music.
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| Alfred - after many setbacks - defeated
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| | Many famous people have been connected
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| the Danes thus preventing the southern
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| | with Winchester College. Queen Mary
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| half of England from Viking rule. Upon
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| | married Philip of Spain in the cathedral.
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| his victory he was crowned King of
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| | For people nowadays, the most famous
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| England in the cathedral and made
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| | person associated with Winchester
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| Winchester his home and capital of the
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| | Cathedral is Jane Austen, the novelist.
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| ancient kingdom of Wessex. Nothing now
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| | Jane Austen was born in Hampshire and
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| remains of Alfred's cathedral.
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| | lived most of her life in the county. She
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| Winchester was once the ancient capital
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| | spent the last year of her life in
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| of England and, even after it was
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| | Winchester. Her tomb is inside the
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| surpassed by London, it remained an
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| | cathedral.
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| important city. Many of the Bishop's of
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| | The power and wealth that once belonged
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| Winchester were men of importance and
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| | to Winchester Cathedral is still palpable
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| wealth. One it's greatest bishops was
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| | but today it has a gentile and tranquil
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| William of Wykeham. He became bishop in
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| | character to it. It still serves as a
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| 1366 and was twice Chancellor of England,
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| | place of worship for the local population
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| Founder of Winchester College and New
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| | as well as a beautiful spot in which to
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| College Oxford.
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| | picnic in its delightful gardens.
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| But perhaps the most famous bishop of
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