Winchester

 

 Winchester and surrounding area

Winchester is the county town of Hampshire and ancient capital of England, one hour by train from London. There is an abundance of pubs and restaurants, independent shops and great country walks.

The city is an important centre for many organisations including:

  • Winchester Cathedral and long-established schools such as Winchester College and St Swithuns school for girls

  • The University of Winchester and the renowned Winchester School of Art

  • The Army Training Regiment and Adjutant General's Corps

  • Winchester County Law Courts

  • Nearby Sparsholt College, IBM at Hursley, and Arqiva at Kings Somborne

Winchester is an ideal touring base, with all of the following tourist attractions available for a day's outing:

  • London is just an hour by train

  • Portsmouth - maritime museums include the Mary Rose and HMS Victory, and ferry links to France

  • Stonehenge - now with a new visitor centre opened for 2014

  • The Isle of Wight with fast-cat passenger ferry services from Southampton

  • Highclere Castle - setting for the Downton Abbey television series is 30 minutes drive on the A34

  • Bournemouth's sunny beaches and Brownsea Island in Poole harbour are less than an hour's drive

  • Oxford is an hour's drive away, and Bath around 90 minutes by car

  • Southampton's airport is less than a 15 minute drive

  • Bombay Sapphire Distillery is less than half an hour’s drive and run fantastic tours and gin tastimg