Winchester Cathedral - England's Most Beautiful Cathedral

England has many beautiful cathedrals, but in myBut perhaps the most famous bishop of
opinion, Winchester Cathedral is without doubt theWinchester was St Swithin. Not much is known
most beautiful. Its scale, architecture and settingabout him except that he became bishop in 852.
make it unrivalled. And, if that wasn't enough, theWe do know that he died on July 2 862 and was
cathedral happens to be in England's mostburied, at his request, in the churchyard so that
preserved and picturesque city."the sweet rain of heaven may fall upon my
Winchester has been a place of importance forgrave". Later his body was removed for reburial,
over 2 millennia. After the conversion towhich was against his dying wish. Legend has it
Christianity, the people of Wessex built a place ofthat it rained for 40 days. To this present day we
worship on the sport where the present cathedralhave the superstition that if it rains on St Swithin's
now stands. The recorded church is from aboutday we are in for 40 more wet days.
AD 169 when Lucius, 'King of the Britons',Building of the present day cathedral began in
converted to Christianity. He made Winchester is1079. It was built in the baroque style. The
seat of power and the cathedral the centre ofcathedral's diocese once stretched from London
worship for his people.to The Channel Islands. The cathedral was
Not much is known about the first church; it wasoriginally occupied by Benedictine monks, however
destroyed and rebuilt several times over the nextthey were removed during the Reformation; you
few hundred years as pagan and Christiancan still see parts of the remains of the monastic
warlords fought for control over the area. Thisbuildings in the Cathedral Close.
era of uncertainty was finally ended in 635 whenCentral to the life of the monks was the opus dei
king Kynegils defeated the Saxon king, Cerdic.(the Work of God), the regular offering of prayer,
The king destroyed the pagan temple 'Dagon' andwhich they sang in the choir. This tradition still
laid the foundation stones for his Christian church.carries on at the cathedral. The choir is now
From that day onwards, there as been a Christiancomprised of boys from the Pilgrim's School,
place of worship on this same spot.which is adjacent to the cathedral. The
King Alfred the Great was probably the mostWinchester choir now enjoys a world wide
famous patron of the cathedral. Alfred - afterreputation for its music.
many setbacks - defeated the Danes thusMany famous people have been connected with
preventing the southern half of England fromWinchester College. Queen Mary married Philip of
Viking rule. Upon his victory he was crowned KingSpain in the cathedral. For people nowadays, the
of England in the cathedral and made Winchestermost famous person associated with Winchester
his home and capital of the ancient kingdom ofCathedral is Jane Austen, the novelist. Jane
Wessex. Nothing now remains of Alfred'sAusten was born in Hampshire and lived most of
cathedral.her life in the county. She spent the last year of
Winchester was once the ancient capital ofher life in Winchester. Her tomb is inside the
England and, even after it was surpassed bycathedral.
London, it remained an important city. Many ofThe power and wealth that once belonged to
the Bishop's of Winchester were men ofWinchester Cathedral is still palpable but today it
importance and wealth. One it's greatest bishopshas a gentile and tranquil character to it. It still
was William of Wykeham. He became bishop inserves as a place of worship for the local
1366 and was twice Chancellor of England,population as well as a beautiful spot in which to
Founder of Winchester College and New Collegepicnic in its delightful gardens.
Oxford.