Old Hampshire Mapped
Cox's Hampshire
Transcription (37)Itchen, River
town wall
town gate
fire
West Gate
Winchester Castle
assizes
Winchester Cathedral
Kenilwalch
Wickham, William of
Walkelin
font
Bishop's throne
lectern
Wainfleet, William
Winchester, Bishop of
altar
Fox, Richard
Egbert
Ethelwolfe
Alfred
Alfruith, Queen
Edmund
Edred
Edwy
Canute
Emma, Queen
William Rufus
Old Minster
New Minster
Alfred
As to the Town it self, the Buildings are not magnificent, but there appears such an Air of Antiquity in them, as makes them venerable. The Streets are broad and clean enough, and the Situation healthy and pleasant, being in a Valley between two very steep Hills, which defend it from cold Airs and boisterous Winds. The River Itching runs on the Borders of it. The City is walled round, and contains about a Mile and half in Compass, in which Circuit there are six Gates, and the Passage of every one of them for a considerable Way is Suburbs; so that from East to West it is a full Mile in length; but there is a good Deal of Ground within the Walls desolate, the Houses being so much destroyed by Fire or Wars, that there are hardly any Remains of them visible.
At the South Side of the West Gate stood a Castle, anciently, upon a high Hill, that it might command the City, but it is now almost quite ruined, there being hardly so much left of it as to make a convenient Court for the Judges at their Assizes, which are usually kept here. In the Place where the Greatest Part of it stood, King Charles II. began to erect the Palace before mentioned, and laid the Foundation, March 23, 1683, but it never being finished, we having nothing worth our Observation but the Model, viz. There was intended a large Cupolo, thirty Foot above the Roof, which would have been seen a great Way to Sea, and a fair Street leading to the Cathedral in a direct Line from the Front of the House; for which, and for Parks, the Ground was procured. The South Side is 216 Foot, and West Side 326. 'Tis said, that there have been 25000 Pounds expended upon it already.
It was settled in the late Reign upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark, together with Kensington House, and 100000 l. a Year for Life if he had out lived her late Majesty Queen Anne.
Of the thirty two Parish Churches (which Bishop Andrews's Register mentions to have been here) there are in this City but six Parish Churches, viz. St. Mary Magdalene, St. Maurice, St. Laurence, St. Mary, St. George and St. Peter's, beside the Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This noble Building was gradually erected. Kenilwalch, King of the West Saxons, after the College of Monks in the Roman Age was destroyed, built here a Church, as Malmesbury writes, very splendid for those Times, in the Track whereof was afterwards erected a Cathedral Church of the same Model, tho' more stately, which has since been beautified and enlarged by several of the Bishops of this See, at a great Charge, particularly Walkelin and Edendon; but above all, by William of Wickham, who with incredible Cost, built the West Part of the Church, from the Choir, in the middle of which, between two Pillars, stands his own Monument. It has been dedicated to several Patrons, as Amphibalus, St. Peter, Swithin, and lastly to the Holy Trinity, which Name it bears at this Day. It is 345 Foot long, and 87 broad.
To describe the curious Works and Ornaments of this Church would require a greater Length than can be allowed in this History, yet some Things very remarkable may not be passed over in silence, viz.
1. The Font of very ancient erection, as least as old as the Saxon Times: 'Tis of large square black Marble, supported by a plain stone Pedestal, and the Sides set off with Bass Reliefs, representing the Miracles of some Saint belonging to this Church.
2. The Bishop's Throne, of which the Pedement is adorned with a Mitre and the Arms of the See, and supported with fluted Columns of the Corinthian Order. 3. The Seats or Stalls of the Dean and Prebendaries, very neat, but ancient, adorned with Spire work gilded, before which stands an Eagle with expanded Wings oon a Pedestal all of Brass, where the Lessons are read.
4. The Ascent to the Altar is by marble Steps, and the Pavement is very curious, being inlaid with different coloured Marble, in various Figures. The Altar piece is a lofty Canopy of Wood work, projecting over the Communion Table, with vast Festons hanging down from it, and all over beautified with exquisite Foliage.
5. The Magnificent Tomb of William Wainfleet, Bishop of this See, who is represented in his Pontificals.
6. The great East Window, which is very remarkable for the Antiquities and Fineness of its painted Glass, which contains the Portraitures of several Saints and Bishops of this Church, and is still whole and entire, as is also the West Window, tho' much inferior to the former.
Among the Saxons it was of great Repute, because several of their Kings were buried in it, whose Bones were gathered together by Richard Fox, Bishop of this See, and put into little gilded Coffins, which he placed in the Wall at the upper Part of the Quire, with the Inscriptions of their several Names, viz. Egbert, King of the West Saxons, and first Monarch of England, King Ethelwolfe his Son, King Alfred, who founded a College here, and Queen Alfruith, his wife, who built also a Nunnery for Virgins; King Edmund and his two Sons, King Edred and King Edwy, and King Canute the Dane, and Queen Emma his Wife.
The Tomb of William Rufus, who was slain in the New Forest, and was interred here near the High Altar, is to be seen at this Day, with many other sumptuous Monuments of Noblement and others.
This Church was called Ealden mynster. i. e. the old Monastery or Minster, to distinguish it from the more Modern one, called Newan mynster, i. e. the new Minster, built by King Alfred; and when the Monasteries were dissolved, it was made a Cathedral for a Dean and twelve Prebendaries, but many Lands were sold from it in the Civil Wars.
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