677 
WINCHESTER. 
and enlightened by lofty and richly mullioned windows. A 
stately tower, with turrets and pinnacles at the four corners, 
stands near the centre of this wing, built in the ornamented 
style of the 15th century. The entrance into the chapel is 
by a vekibule, with a richly ornamented ceiling. The in¬ 
terior has a very striking effect, arising from the bold and 
lofty vaulting, which is finely ornamented with tracery, and 
the “dim religious light,” that is diffused around from its 
“storied windows.” These display an uncommon variety of 
saints of every description, as kings, prelates, and nuns. 
Extending from the chapel southward are the cloisters, which 
are 132 feet square, and appear to have been built early in 
the 15th century. In the middle of the cloisters is the library, 
a strong stone building. Over the door of the school is a 
statue of the founder. Contiguous to the college on the west 
is a spacious quadrangular building, forming a detached 
school for commoners or gentlemen, not on the foundation; 
where they live in a collegiate manner, under the immediate 
care of the head master. The college, chapel, and school, 
were completely repaired in 1795. The ecclesiastical build¬ 
ings in this city and its suburbs were formerly extremely nu¬ 
merous; the churches and chapels alone amounting to up¬ 
wards of ninety, and several having colleges and monasteries 
attached to them. Scarcely twelve of them now remain; the 
others having been destroyed by the effects of war, or other¬ 
wise. The mother church of Winchester is St. Lawrence: it 
consists of one large aile, with a lofty square tower, contain¬ 
ing five bells. St. Thomas’s is an ancient structure, con¬ 
sisting of two ailes, divided by round pillars of the Gothic 
order; the tower is a low, ordinary building. St. Maurice’s 
was originally a priory, and consists of two ailes, one of 
which is very spacious; the tower is strong. St. Michael’s is 
a low and ancient building, tiled, having two good ailes, 
and a tower containing five bells. St. Swithin’s is erected 
over a postern called Kingsgate, and consists of a large neat 
room, ascended to by a stone staircase. St. Peter’s Cheese- 
hill consists of two ailes, of different sizes, both neat, but 
plain : it has a tower, containing three bells. St. John’s at 
Hill is divided into three ailes, by round Gothic pillars; the 
tower is remarkably strong, finished with a turret, containing 
a clock. St. Martin’s Winnall was rebuilt in 1736, and con¬ 
sists of one aile, having a small tower at the west end, con¬ 
taining one bell. At a short distance north-east from the col¬ 
lege are the ruins of the celebrated Episcopal residence called 
Wolvesey castle, which was erected on the site of a more an¬ 
cient palace, by the bishop, Henry de Blois, in the century 
immediately succeeding the conquest, the exact date being 
1138. This castle was destroyed by Cromwell in 1646, and 
nothing now remains but its ruins. Winchester castle, of 
which scarcely any parts are now standing, was built by 
William the Conqueror, and occupied the commanding spot 
at the south-west angle of the city, where the king’s house, 
or palace, erected by Charles II., now stands. This fortress 
has been the scene of many important transactions. The 
whole area of the castle was about 850 feet in length, north 
and south, and 250 in breadth east and west. The chapel 
belonging to the castle has been converted into a county- 
hall. It was originally dedicated to St. Stephen, and is sup¬ 
posed, from its style and materials, to have been built about 
the time of the monarch of that name. It is 110 feet in 
length, and consists of a nave and side ailes; but the appear¬ 
ance of the interior has been entirely changed through the 
alterations that have been made in it for the purposes of 
public business. At the east end is suspended the famous 
curiosity called Arthur’s Round Table, which tradition has 
attributed to king Arthur; but modern inquiry, with more 
accuracy, to king Stephen, who appears to have introduced 
the use of the Round Table into this island, to prevent dis¬ 
putes for precedency among the chivalrous knights of his age. 
In the High-street, and nearly in the centre of the city, but 
partly obscured by the situation of some contiguous buildings, 
stands the city cross, an elegant specimen of the style of 
the age in which it was built, that of Henry VI. It con¬ 
sists of three stories, adorned with open arches, niches, 
Vol. XXIV. No. 1664. 
and pinnacles, surmounted with small crosses. The re¬ 
mains of the cross at the top still crown the ornamented shaft 
which rises from the base; and under one of the canopied 
niches, on the second story, is a statue. The height of 
the cross is 43 feet. Near the cathedral is a college or 
alms-house, founded by bishop Morley in 1672 for 10 
clergymen’s widows. Christ’s hospital, commonly called 
the Blue Alms, was founded in 1706; besides which, there 
is a number of private charities, and three well endowed 
charity schools. The public infirmary is a handsome edifice, 
erected in 1759, the ascent to which is by a noble flight of 
steps. In the High-street is a market-cross, having five steps 
round it: this place also serves for the fish-market. The 
town-hall, or more properly the hall of the guild of mer¬ 
chants of Winchester, was rebuilt in the year 1713, on the 
site of a more ancient hall, erected in place of a former one, 
recorded to have been burnt down in 1112. Here the city 
archives, the original Winchester bushel given by king Edgar, 
with other measures, both for quantity and length, fixed as 
standards by succeeding princes, and various curious memo¬ 
rials of antiquity, are still preserved. In front is a good sta¬ 
tue of queen Anne, presented by George Brydges, Esq., who 
was a representative of the city in seven successive parlia¬ 
ments. The market-house is a neat building, erected in 1772, 
for the sale of butter, eggs, poultry, &c. Before this edifice 
was completed, the above articles were exposed for sale round 
the city cross, and in the Pent-House, an ancient piazza, ex¬ 
tending from the cross, on the south side of the High-street. 
In 1788, a new spacious county jail was erected on the How¬ 
ardian plan, in the court of which is a neat chapel; there is 
also a bridewell for the city, and another for the county; the 
latter erected in 1786. The theatre is a handsome structure, 
built in 1785. There is an annual well attended music 
meeting, held here in September, continuing for three days, 
which closes with a ball. Winchester has also its winter as¬ 
sembly, concerts, balls, and every other fashionable amuse¬ 
ment. The streets are well paved and lighted, under an act 
passed in 1770. Here are two banking-houses. On the site 
of the castle a royal palace was begun in 1683, the principal 
floor of which is a noble range of apartments, and contains in 
all 160 chambers; this has often been occupied by prisoners 
of war, on their parole. The plague made great devastations 
here in the years 941, 1348, and again in 1668; and at the 
west end of the town is an obelisk, having an inscription 
commemorative of these calamities. Many privileges have 
at various times been granted to the inhabitants of this city 
by different sovereigns. Its chief magistrate had the title of 
mayor conferred on him by Henry II. in 1 ] 84, some years 
before that appellation was known even in the capital itself. 
The first charter of incorporation was granted by king John; 
but the charter by which the city is now governed was given 
by queen Elizabeth. By this charter the government is vested 
in a mayor, recorder, six aldermen, a town-clerk, two coro¬ 
ners, two constables, and a council of twenty-four of the 
“ better, discreeter, and more honest sort” of inhabitants. 
The mayor, recorder, and aldermen are justices of the peace. 
The first return from this city to parliament was in the 23d 
of Edward I. The right of election is vested in the corpora¬ 
tion. Two members are sent to parliament, chosen by the 
corporation and free burgesses. Winchester has very little 
trade, but what immediately arises from its advantageous si¬ 
tuation, in the very centre of the county; though an ancient 
wool-combing manufactory still exists in it; and of late years 
the silk manufacture has been introduced. AH the public 
business of Hampshire is, however, transacted here; and 
there is never an interval of many weeks without a great con¬ 
flux of strangers on that account, to the great emolument of 
the inhabitants. The same circumstance accounts for the 
number of gentlemen of the law who live here. Its cathedral 
and its college insure to it the residence also of a considerable 
number of superior clergy, with their families. The upper 
class of inhabitants, being well educated, and consisting of 
fixed residents, who are known to each other, live in the most 
friendly and social intercourse; and the lower ranks are in 
7 H general 
