Wolvesey Palace 1130 – 1140

Henry de Blois, probably the most outstanding bishop England ever had, built for himself one of the most outstanding palaces in England, Wolvesey Palace in Winchester.

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English Civil War Cheriton

The Battle of Cheriton in the English Civil War gave the Parliamentarians the victory they needed to strengthen their resolution to defeat King Charles

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The Black Death in Hampshire

The Black Death in Hampshire

The Black Death of the C14th entered the country through one of the southern coasts ports in Hampshire or Dorset and ravaged the county both economically and socially

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The Shaftsbury Bowl

The Shaftsbury Bowl, the only complete piece of late Saxon glass in England, can be found in Winchester Cathedral museum

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Saint Swithun

St Swithun in Winchester

St Swithun was created a saint 108 years after his death. His shrine became one of the most important places of pilgrimage in England but who was this man whom we remember because of the association between his Saints day, 15th July and the Summer weather?

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Saxon Sundials

Possibly the best preserved Saxon Tide Dial in England, the Corhampton dial shows the eight ‘tides’ of the day

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Malaria in Anglo Saxon Hampshire

Malaria was endemic in Southern Anglo Saxon England and brought misery and death to those living in the extensive marshlands. Bald’s leech book and other writings allude to this ‘spring’ or ‘yellow’ fever.

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Death of Jane Austen 1817

The death of Jane Austen in 1817 is still a puzzle but her gravestone in Winchester Cathedral is testament to her nature and nowhere does it speak of her being an author, just a much loved daughter and sister

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Early Saxon Hampshire

The early Saxons in Wessex shunned the Roman towns and religion preferring to settle with their own customs and pagan acts of worship. As Christianity re-emerged, the force of Royalty and Church, with Winchester as their seat, made its slow spread across Hampshire inevitable.

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