Winchester

Winchester
City
Clockwise from top left: Winchester Cathedral, Great Minster Street, Great Hall of Winchester Castle and Winchester Guildhall
Coat of arms of Winchester
Winchester is located in Hampshire
Winchester
Winchester
Location within Hampshire
Population48,478 [1]
OS grid referenceSU485295
• London60 miles (97 km)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWINCHESTER
Postcode districtSO22, SO23
Dialling code01962
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
51°03′48″N 1°18′29″W / 51.0632°N 1.308°W / 51.0632; -1.308

Winchester (/ˈwɪnɪstər/, /-ɛs-/)[2][3][4] is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is 60 miles (97 km) south-west of London and 14 miles (23 km) from Southampton, its nearest city. At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Winchester had a population of 48,478. The wider City of Winchester district includes towns such as Alresford and Bishop's Waltham and had a population of 127,439 in 2021.[5] Winchester is the county town of Hampshire and contains the head offices of Hampshire County Council.

Winchester developed from the Roman town of Venta Belgarum, which in turn developed from an Iron Age oppidum. Winchester was one of the most important cities in England until the Norman conquest in the eleventh century. It has since become one of the most expensive and affluent areas in the United Kingdom.

The city's major landmark is Winchester Cathedral. The city is also home to the University of Winchester and Winchester College,[6] the oldest public school in the United Kingdom still using its original buildings.

  1. ^ ONS census 2021
  2. ^ Wells, John C. (2000). "Winchester". Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (2nd ed.). Longman. ISBN 0-582-36467-1.
  3. ^ "Definition of 'Winchester'". Collins English Dictionary.
  4. ^ "Winchester". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  5. ^ "How the population changed in Winchester, Census 2021 - ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  6. ^ Adams, Henry Cadwallader (1878). Wykehamica: A History of Winchester College and Commoners, from the Foundation to the Present Day. J. Parker and Company.