Winchester is a cathedral town in Hampshire which was, once upon a time, the capital of Wessex and the seat of King Alfred the Great, for whom there is a statue in the town. Today, remnants of Winchester’s historical significance are everywhere, from its preserved medieval walls to the mighty cathedral that dominates the skyline. It is also home to Winchester College, the oldest public school in the country. There are two Waterstones in Winchester. The first we visited is located in a modern shop in the Brooks Shopping Centre.
Winchester Cathedral
The city’s Gothic cathedral, which was built between 1079–1532, is one of the largest in Europe with the longest nave in England, and the author Jane Austen is buried there. The cathedral came within the brink of collapse in the early 1900s, but was saved when a diver called William Walker carried out repairs on the foundations of the cathedral to stop it from sinking into the ground.
Borrowed Breath
Some of the pieces from an exhibition called Borrowed Breath by sculptor Laurence Edwards, part of a set of fifteen inspired by Winchester Cathedral’s west window.
Currently reading: Frankie by Graham Norton
Janet's Adventures in Waterstones 