Cenwalh Anglo Saxon King

Winchester became the heart of the kingdom of Wessex thanks to the dynasty of the early Saxon king Cerdic but it was Cenwwalh, who, on converting to Christianity, established Winchester as an ecclesiastical centre whose force was felt throughout northern Europe.

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Winchester Jewish Community

Winchester Jews

Winchester had shown a tolerance to its Jewish community in the C12th, even as other English towns were rising against them but the rise in anti -semitism in the C13th saw a change in attitude and brought about a decline in the city itself

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Bishop Woodlock’s Ring

The ring of Bishop Woodlock was found in his grave in Winchester Cathedral and is considered to be the finest Gothic Episcopal ring in Europe

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Old Minster Winchester

The Footprint of Old Minster Winchester

The Old Minster Winchester was one of the most important religious houses and places of pilgrimage in the late Anglo Saxon period. It was the initial resting place of King Alfred the Great and the place where King Canute and Edward the Confessor were crowned.

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Hampshire ‘Feet of Fines’

Feet of fines

‘Feet of Fines’ documents for Hampshire date back to 1199 and give surnames and placenames of people living in Hampshire in the Medieval period. These are important resources for Hampshire History and help to build a picture of community and settlement in the county.

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Hampshire Domesday

The history of C11th Hampshire is contained within Domesday, which gives a rich picture of life in the county nearly a thousand years ago

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What is a Hampshire Hog?

People of Hampshire are colloquially referred to as ‘Hampshire Hogs’ a reference to the Hampshire Pig which was bred out of the wild boar that roamed the New Forest a thousand years ago

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The Round Table Winchester

The Round Table hanging in the Great Hall at Winchester Castle still manages to inspire mystery, even after hanging on it’s walls for over five hundred years.

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Saxon Corhampton Church

Corhampton Church

When considering Anglo Saxon Hampshire, the little church at Corhampton has to be the jewel in the crown, with Saxon features springing from its feet upwards.

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Hampshire’s Greatest Nobleman? Thomas Wriothesley

Sir Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton (Hampshire) , was quite possibly one of Hampshire’s most noble and influential lords. He amassed a fortune in lands and property in the county. His family would thrive upon his fortunes. Whilst his name and title has disappeared how is is his life connected to the county of Hampshire.

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King Alfred’s Navy

King Alfred left many enduring marks on the county of Hampshire and England. One of his legacies is that of a navy. He designed ships to out do the Danish ships that threatened the southern coast of England.

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King Sigebert – The Usurper

Sigebert ruled for one year, as King of Wessex, before losing his position on account of ‘wrong doings’. The importance to Hampshire history of this event is that its record in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle is the first time Hampshire is recorded as a separate entity.

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Vikings Move Against Wessex

Alfred held out against the Viking invasion and showed great skills in organizing his militia, so that when the opportunity to crush the Danish attack, he did so, decisively and coherently at the Battle of Edington

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