Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral in
Winchester,
Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England. The earliest part of the present cathedral building is the
crypt, which dates from the early
12th century. The squat, square central tower was begun in
1202, and has an indisputably
Norman look to it. Work continued on the cathedral during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and restoration work was carried out by T.G. Jackson during the years
1905-
1912. The cathedral is dedicated to the
Holy Trinity,
Saint Peter and
Saint Paul.
It is part of a former monastic settlement, originally founded in
642. The
Benedictine foundation was
dissolved in
1539.
William II of England (son of
William I, "the Conqueror") was buried in the Catheral on August 11, 1100, when he was killed in a hunting accident in nearby New Forest.
Nowadays the cathedral draws many tourists as a result of its association with
Jane Austen, who died in the city and is buried in the cathedral's north
aisle of the
nave. The original Eighteenth Century marker gave reluctant praise for her writing ability. Much later a more descriptive marker about Miss Austen's talent was placed on a nearby wall.
Boxes said to contain the remains of Saxon kings, and dating (allegedly) from before the founding of the cathedral, have been housed in the cathedral for centuries.
Winchester Cathedral is possibly the only cathedral to have had a popular song written about it.
Winchester Cathedral was a UK top ten hit for the New Vaudeville Band in
1966. It is also the subject of the
Crosby Stills and Nash song,
Cathedral.
The crypt, which frequently floods, features a statue by
Anthony Gormley, called
Sound II, installed in
1986.
Important events which took place at Winchester Cathedral:
Category:British churches
