Description:

The site of Winchester Cathedral has been one of the main focal points of the city since the seventh century, when a Christian church was first built here. Today's cathedral was built by the Saxon King Alfred the Great, who made the city his capital.

Construction on the Cathedral Church (named as such because it houses the throne, or cathedra, of the Bishop of Winchester) started in 1079 in Romanesque style. It boasts the longest medieval nave in Europe and is also famous for its chantries and monuments, built at different times in Norman, late Gothic and Continental Renaissance styles.

Highlights include the nave, chantries and monuments, as well as the tombs of Jane Austen, Izaak Walton and the early English kings, and the shrine of notable former bishop, Saint Swithun. If you have a chance, try and catch the cathedral choir for Evensong. There is also a café/restaurant and shop in the Visitors' Centre.