WONDERFUL WESSEX
Winchester and the Meon Valley

Adults: £11.00  Seniors: £11.00
Availability: All year, Monday to Saturday
Coach miles: 30
Walking: Moderate
Wheelchair access: Good

www.britainonview.com

In the Middle Ages the Bishops of Winchester were astute businessmen. One of them, Bishop de Lucy, founded six new towns in the 13th century so that he could supplement his income from the rents from the building plots. Our day starts in one of these planned towns, beautiful New Alresford. After meeting our guide for coffee at 10.30a.m. there is time for a gentle stroll to see the train station which is the terminus for the famous Watercress steam railway. Here you can see something of a novelty — trains which are clean and run on time. Then we rejoin your coach to drive to Winchester through chocolate-box villages and part of the lovely Meon  

Valley. In Winchester we visit the Great Hall the only surviving part of Winchester Castle which has been home to the famous Round Table for over 600 years. You can decide whether or not this really is King Arthur’s. After lunch we visit the Cathedral. This is the longest medieval church in Europe and it's not short on history either. Here our guide will bring the past to life with tales of more entrepreneurial bishops, of one of our most beloved writers, and the daring deeds of a diver who really did save the day. From the cathedral it’s a gentle walk to the town centre along the banks of the River Itchen. Finally there is tea and you will be leaving Winchester at around 4.45 p.m.

Download tour