CHAPTER IV 



THE OLD WALLS OF WINCHESTER 



THERE is a charm and fascination about old walls 

 which appeal to all lovers of antiquity. They 

 lend a sense of awe and mystery to their surroundings, 

 and inspire the imagination with quickening thoughts 

 of bygone generations. The Roman walls of Silchester 

 and Portchester in Hampshire, the mediaeval town walls 

 of Southampton, the monastic walls which formerly 

 enclosed the splendid abbeys of Netley and Beaulieu 

 and Quarr, all speak persuasively of the past. So with 

 the ancient walls of Winchester, of which long stretches 

 are still standing. Sections of the wall which once 

 encompassed the mediaeval city may be seen, sometimes 

 hidden away in gardens and backyards. The Cathedral 

 Close is shut in by the lofty, monastic walls of the once- 

 famous Benedictine priory. Wykeham's College of 

 " Sainte Marie of Wynchestre " and Cardinal Beaufort's 

 noble Hospital of St Cross alike show fine stretches of 

 mediaeval masonry, on which many a choice wild flower 

 blossoms in peace. Nor are interesting examples of 

 early brickwork wanting. Long w&lls of masonry, with 

 the comparatively thin red bricks arranged in ancient 

 fashion, first a line of " headers " and then of 

 " stretchers " placed in alternate rows, may be seen at 

 College and within the Close, reminding us of the period 

 between the Reformation and the Commonwealth, or 



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