Winchester: Monuments and Historic Buildings

Winchester Castle is an 11th century built structure. However, now only the Great Hall from the rest of the mighty castle is left. This Great Hall serves as the Winchester's museum of history.

The castle was built within a short period after the Norman Conquest. The Great Hall was added in the castle during the period from 1222 to 1235. In 1302, the royal apartments in the castle were ruined due to fire. King Edward and Margaret of France, his wife escaped this fatal incident.

In 1646, Oliver Cromwell finally destroyed most of the part of this castle. The Great Hall was built in the double cube pattern. This means, that the height and the width of the hall is half of its length. Thus it looks like a cube.

On one side of the wall inside the hall, a giant round table is hung. The Garden of Queen Eleanor lies behind this hall. This is a small yet magnificent medieval garden. The museum holds historical details and artifacts of the castle and surrounding areas. This is one great place to learn about the royal past of Winchester.