Monday 3 February 2014

Shopping in Winchester

We have been out and about this past weekend shopping and sight-seeing.  Saturday we visited Winchester which in Saxon times was the capital of England.  A settlement has existed here since the Iron Age and it was chosen as the capital by King Alfred in the late 9th century.  A statue of Alfred the Great stands at the eastern end of The Broadway.
Nearby is the Guildhall, the current one was built in 1871.

We had a look inside - a wedding ceremony was due to take place in this room later in the day.
The photo above also shows a couple of the city's old seals and the photo below shows the detail of the ceremonial great mace that was commissioned by the city in 1722. 
Leaving the Guildhall we continued with our shopping, admiring the architecture of the buildings as we went.
Market stalls are often set up in the High Street.
The Butter Cross - a city cross has been situated here on the High Street since the 14th century.  The cross was a focal point for civic ceremonies in medieval times.
The upper part of the cross was rebuild by architect Gilbert Scott in 1865.
I came home with just two purchases -
a couple of tunics to wear with leggings and boots.

No comments: