Winchester in the ancient capital of England and it often described as a City with a village feel due to its close proximinity to the beautiful surrounding countryside. Its a wonderful place to visit in all seasons for different reasons, from the beautiful gardens in the summer and countryside greenery through to the atmospheric twinkling lights of christmas and the xmas market.
👉 Winchester offers highly-rated accommodation options for longer stays, too!
All Images in this article are our own and copyright of Ourhampshire/Robin Waldman.
Visit Winchester in the summer
👉 Click here for some options on highly-rated accommodation for longer stays, too!
Visit Winchester in the spring
Winchester Cathedral
We’re sightseeing in the ancient capital of course the iconic landmark is a must visit for visitors.
They’ve currently got an exhibition with a huge sun at the centre piece which makes for an impressive sight with its glowing rays all around. We enjoyed visiting the exhibition to side of the cathedral too where you can go up on different floors with interactive exhibits on the history of the City and the kings.
The flooded crypt was very interesting to hear on the history and of course the famous diver William Walker who saved the cathedral by shoring up the southern and eastern sides of Winchester Cathedral.
Jane Austen’s final resting place with many visitors leaving cards and well wishing items
one of Europe’s largest cathedrals, featuring the longest nave
We enjoyed a cream tea in the cathedral cafe which in the summer has fantastic sun trap courtyard
The Cathedral welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year!
Keats walk in Winchester 
We enjoyed a walk, albeit muddy one from the Cathedral to St Cross passing many landmarks of the historic City, and taking in the birdsong, nature and wildlife that surrounds the centre. 
Following in the footsteps of the English Romantic poet, John Keats, who stayed in Winchester during the late summer and early autumn of 1819. Keats enjoyed a daily walk through the Cathedral Close and water meadows to St Cross.Inspired by the natural beauty of Winchester on Sode To Autumn.
The walk took us around 45 mins from the cathedral to st cross an we took a circular route, as on the way back headed past the old pumphouse, and the foot of st Catherine’s and back down by a very flooded winchester college playing fields and the old train line. When we did the walk in January your going to need those boots or wellies as very muddy along the river and some parts flooded.
Spots on route for a refreshment include the old pump house which has a takeaway pod or the handlebar cafe
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route, poem & info – see comments
Visit Winchester
Old Vine Hotel Winchester
Old Vine, Winchester in Hampshire 
Could this be the biggest full English in Winchester, wow! 
AD Good morning from the Grade II listed 18th-century inn in the heart of the City. This morning we enjoyed breakfast under the wooden beams of the restaurant area and warmed by the log fire with the Feb rain coming down outside.
We’re in the ancient capital of England for a weekend staycation and it’s perfect for couples getting away with a thriving food & drink scene, heritage attractions a plenty and nice walks from the City along the river Itchen.
This Inn is independently owned, steeped in character and charm, and perfectly located in the historic city centre right on the doorstep of the iconic cathedral.
Our ‘Osbourne and Little’ room was grand and large, it overlooked the square so great for watching the world go by, four poster king bed, writing desk, lamps all around and old wooden furniture makes it feel like you’ve stepped back to another era….in a good way.
The bustling pub downstairs had a buzzing atmosphere and feels like a proper inn, serving up dishes with Hampshire produce as well as plenty of local beers and ales too.
Rooms from £162 a night inc breakfast
👉Take a look at some cool spots to stay in Winchester and Hampshire here
Dinner at Bangkok Bistro
Dinner at Bangkok Bistro Winchester
Ad The Winchester food and drink scene is thriving and there’s plenty to choose from these days. Particularly on Jewry Street where many of the foodie spots are located including this brill independent Thai restaurant, the friendly owner Miff Kayum also runs Kyoto Kitchen the other end of the high st.
It was a busy Saturday evening, but the staff were nice and attentive meaning quick service. We went for the Taste of Thailand set menu for two which is £40pp and glad we went hungry as it was an absolute feast. Loved the serving platter for starters and presentation of all the dishes, plenty of spice and flavoursome and the portions were generous.
For once no room for desert but if we had space then the banana fritters and mango sticky rice would have been clear favourites!
An evening stroll of the historic sights
An evening walk in Winchester, Hampshire can be very atmospheric with many of the landmark and heritage buildings lit up, but also the fact that there is not a lot of light pollution so you can stroll to the edge of the centre and spot some stars on a clear night.
The Great Hall Winchester
The Great Hall in Winchester 
Hampshire Cultural Trust runs a number of the museums in the City and this one has to be one of the most famous both nationally and internationally thanks to myth and hollywood too. This one sits at the top of the historic high street.
You can see se the famous round table, enjoyed a short 15 minute talk on the history of it, visited the long gallery and they’ve also got a new cafe which is also accessible to the public even without a ticket. Nice views of the square outside.
👉 Click here for some options on highly-rated accommodation for longer stays, too!
Westgate Museum
Westgate museum next and the dramatic stairwell up through the ancient building, on the first floor is a small museum with some interactive exhibits and impressive chain armour. Unfortunately raining and wet floor etc so no top floor that day, otherwise great views over winchester from the top.
Winchester City Museum
Winchester City Mill
A visit to the Winchester City Mill & cafe
It’s easy to pass by this subtle spot over the bridge at the lower end of Winchester high street just near the king alfred statue, but this free attraction is a must for families when visiting the city. The Winchester City Mill and Café, is a restored water mill situated on the River Itchen in the centre of Winchester, Hampshire. It’s a free entry national site trust too
We discovered…
Lots of interactive exhibits for the kids, their fave was the scales and trying to weigh up similar weights
A colourful island garden surrounded by Itchen water on both sides, there was tables and chairs outside too to enjoy a drink on a drier day. Very relaxing spot.
Down some steps into the heart of the mill, where you can view the rushing water and also walk over a see through bridge over it!Little cafe to enjoy some coffee and hot chocolates, the coconut hot choccies were tasty. They also serve light brekkies and lunches.
Otter watch, there are otters that frequent the river and mill and they have a info board with monitors to show recordings of them.
Gift shop with lots of interesting items
Plenty of history and information too.
Bridge Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9BH
Next time you are in the historical City pay this heritage spot a visit.
Visit Winchester at Christmas
Christmas is a particularly atmospheric time of year to visit Winchester and I would rate it as one of the best places in the UK for a tourist to visit at this time of year, all lit up around the centre with twinkling lights from the guildhall to the high street.
The high street plays host to a large christmas tree which they normally put up at the end of November, they have a large christmas market on the winchester cathedral grounds with lots of local producers selling their wares, food and drink with an impressive historical backdrop.
If you love a drink, then the City has so many old pubs full of history it makes for an excellent place for a christmas pub crawl and a lot of the locals have a tradition of all going out on christmas eve to the centre for a tipple and making their way around some of them. Wykeham Arms, The Royal Oak, William Walker, the old vine, the eclipse inn to name but a few.
The area around the back of the cathedral called Kingsgate is one of our favourite areas for a stroll at christmas and it can feel like walking around a harry potter movie in one of the festive scenes at Hogwarts on the doorstep of winchester college. There is some nice independent shops like PG Well’s and Kingsgate deli to pop in.
Winchester Cookery School
Winchester Coffee School
Enjoy shopping in the centre
Hospital of St Cross
The Hospital of St Cross & Almshouse of Noble Poverty and wayfarers dole tradition
We tried this spot on a warm summers day which provided the perfect opportunity. We do love a quirky English tradition and one which includes a walk through the beautiful countryside and water meadows of Winchester, perfect 
We parked near st Catherine’s hill and walked past the pump house, rivers with wildlife including a heron searching the waters for food, before than taking a gravel walkway on the Clarendon way / Keats walk following an outlet of the river Itchen to st cross. It’s a lovely short walk with streams and views across the water meadows to st Catherine’s hill. There was some large cows grazing in the meadows too 
Arriving after a short 10-15 minute walk, you come to a clearing with the picturesque setting of the Hospital of St Cross which is a beautiful group of buildings dating from 1132.
You can buy a ticket to walk around the historical building and explore the beautiful gardens, visit the cafe run by volunteers and enjoy homemade cake, tea and coffee or ice cream or partake in the tradition of the wayfarers dole, we did all of the above!
The medieval almshouse has 19 brothers that live there 65 and over and single – only condition is they need to be poor. It’s the oldest continuous alms house in England and plenty of interesting things to see and read up on around the location.
Now onto the wayfarers dole, you visit the porters lodge within the gift shop and ask behind the counter for the wayfarers dole. The historical line was to demand it…of course we asked in a more polite manner!
its a unique and ancient tradition to give a small measure of beer/ale and a morsel of bread to those on a pilgrimage. The porter Roger was a friendly chap who had all sorts of interesting things to tell us about the tradition and people who pass by which includes both locals and even those visiting from overseas. We then enjoyed our Alfred’s brewery Saxon bronze ale which they also sell in the shop and is brewed locally, as well as a bit of bread 
There’s also historical framed photos on the gift shop wall of those previous interesting folk that have enjoyed the tradition.
Finishing up we enjoyed visiting their small summer cafe run by friendly volunteers and sat in the sunshine of the courtyard outside enjoying a cafftiere coffee and tasty homemade cake like Victoria sponge and a watercress and cheese scone made with local Alresford watercress.
They do free lunchtime concerts in the church on Thursdays in the summer so do pop in for those too.
There’s a variety of spots you can park up, in the city centre and walk along the country routes, or closer by winchester South Park and ride which is around a 20 minute walk, buggy friendly.
Take in the views from St Catherines hill
Taking in a sunset at St Catherines Hill in Winchester, Hampshire
The walk up to the top is well worth it to watch the sunset go down over the Countryside, water meadows with the River Itchen and City scape of Winchester. You can see Hospital of St Cross, the Hockley Viaduct, historic buildings over across the City like the Cathedral and much more.
Enjoy a picnic too, but remember to leave no trace
️ East Winchester park and ride, Garnier Rd, Winchester SO23 9NP
The nature reserve offers stunning views over the Winchester district and is a top spot to explore with the family. You can also pop into The Handlebar Cafe near the bottom.
20-25 min walk from Winchester city centre
Walk or cycle the south downs way
Take in the view from St Giles Hill
St Giles Hill, one of the best viewpoints of the ancient capital of England, Winchester the City has to offer…
Enjoy the Cafes
Winchester has a brilliant coffee scene so here is a list of the best coffee places in winchester.
The Winchester district in Hampshire is the perfect place for a little adventure, bursting with charming coffee spots just waiting to be explored! From the scenic Beechcoft Farm Shop & Tea Room, where stunning views accompany your brew, to the historic Winchester Mill which also has a museum and garden, each location offers a unique experience and a delightful cup of coffee. Be sure to visit these must-visit cafés on your next trip to Winchester! ☕️✨
Winchester Science Centre
Winchester Science Centre was the perfect rainy day outing today for the kids
Located just outside of Winchester overlooking the South Downs it has SO many interactive exhibits for the kids to get stuck into and also learn some interesting things! There’s plenty of live shows and the amazing planetarium too.
soft play area for under 6’s
Two cafes on site upstairs and down where you can enjoy food & drink
Planetarium was great with variety of shows for different ages, lots of wows from the kids for the ‘solar system stories’ show we watched.
They also offer Annual membership which is good value for families large car park right outside so easy access
Well worth a visit on a rainy day winchester activity too
Royal Logistics Corp museum
Sunday Roast at St James Tavern
A Sunday roast at St James Tavern, Winchester
This may be one of the best roasts in Winchester as we headed in for a Sunday meal last weekend.
The history City has so many fantastic pubs full of character and this spot is located at the top of the high street towards the University/Hospital.
Originally established in 1859, it’s adorned with all sorts of history and interesting items inside, we took a table in the corner lit up with a candle, lots of private nooks and corners, rather than wide open plan. Busy atmosphere inside and felt like stepped back in time with the dark corners and comfort food and ales on offer.
We enjoyed some homemade lemonades, the ginger was particularly strong and spicy which we liked and food wise the Sunday roasts were of excellent quality. Striploin of sirloin, was thinly sliced and tender and crispy roast potato’s ticked the boxes, the pork belly well cooked and not overdone and dry like many we’ve had elsewhere. Had to go from the comfortable crumble to finish and tasty and generous portion, enough for two.
They also host monthly jazz nights and regular pub quizzes so will have to return for one of those!
Visit Nutshell Theatre
The Nutshell, a secluded and intimate space on the site of the old antiques market, is the home to discardednuttheatreco a regional theatre company. Spearheaded by Harriet Morris and Noël Jones, Discarded Nut is flying the flag high for independent venues and nurturing some of the very best local talent.
The venue is a fantastic setting for a production of Othello that gives audience members nowhere to hide. With the action right in front and around us, we found ourselves absorbed from the off in an adaptation of a Shakespeare epic that was refreshingly easy to follow.
The Nutshell runs a steady schedule of live events with something for everyone, with an inclusive Youth Theatre programme too.
Attend a show at Theatre Royal Winchester
The theatre is one of the best around with its Edwardian-style, 400 seat theatre situated in the heart of the city, just a short walk from Winchester Train station. It can feel like you’ve stepped back in time with their beautiful heritage venue and throughout the year it plays host to a wide variety of shows from their famous christmas panto, stand up comedy from well known comedians, musical shows and gigs, and plenty of family and kids shows too. They have a bar/cafe area you can visit without needing a ticket for a show too.
Cycle the local area around Winchester
An easy cycling trail in the Winchester area with the kids! 
A wonderful way to experience the city and countryside around Winchester is on two wheels, with cycling a real pleasure at any time of the year!
The circular route from Shawford to Winchester centre and back is around 14 km and takes in nature, history, culture, and offers food and drink options. You can find it on Kommot which is a brilliany cycling app with routes.
Pizza at Three Joes Pizza
We headed to the independent pizza spot in the heart of the city, overlooking the cathedral with its two floors. It’s a cosy little spot inside and we really enjoyed the attentive and quick service from the staff. Also a welcome addition, a box of trivial pursuit cards on the table for some fun competition on our table.
Great selection of cocktails, the Caribbean storm was our winner and some top craft beer choices too
On the menu, they had a great variety of pizzas and they focus on real Neapolitan sourdough pizza cooked in their wood fire oven. I can confirm very tasty and soft chewy crusts, perfect with the garlic dip.
Over Christmas they’ve also got a number of festive specials including…
Christmas Roast pizza, crowned with turkey, stuffing, crispy bacon, cranberries – I thought this was going to be crammed, but the perfect amount of toppings in a well spread manner
A Wild Mushroom & Truffle pizza, piled high with roasted garlic mushrooms, artichokes, truffle oil, rocket, pine nuts and rosemary – popular with the vegans on our table and approved.
Smoked Cheddar & Cranberry pizza, combining soft Applewood smoked cheddar with cranberries, spinach and sage
Sides served up like loaded potato’s, salads and slaw too which were a nice accompanient
The Tiramusu milkshake was like a meal in itself and defeated a lad on our table easily, sweet decadance, also faves like honeycomb sundae and brownie on the deserts menu.
You can check out their menu and more here – https://threejoes.co.uk/menu
9 Great Minster St, Winchester SO23 9HA
