Tucked away in Hampshire lies one of the UK’s most stunning cities, but one that still largely flies under the radar. Winchester, a cathedral city, lies at the western end of the South Downs National Park, right on the River Itchen. It lies 60 miles southwest of London, making it an excellent day trip option from the capital, and just 14 miles from Southampton, its nearest major city.
According to the 2021 census, Winchester is home to just under 48,500 people, with the wider City of Winchester district including towns such as Alresford and Bishop’s Waltham. While there are many key sites that cannot be missed, including its impressive cathedral, Winchester also hosts the UK’s largest farmers’ market on a regular basis. The area around Winchester has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with three Iron Age hillforts, Oram’s Arbour, St. Catherine’s Hill and Worthy Down all found nearby. The city walls were originally built in the Roman period, covering an area of around 138 acres and have been rebuilt and expanded over time. Today, only a small portion of the original Roman wall itself survives, near Wolvesey Castle.
The city’s major landmark is Winchester Cathedral, among the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The cathedral as it stands today was built from 1079 to 1532 and is the longest medieval cathedral in the world, with an overall length of 558 feet. Covering an area of 53,480 square feet, it is also the sixth-largest cathedral by area in the UK, after the likes of St Paul’s, York and Westminster Cathedral. The renowned novelist Jane Austen died in Winchester in July 1817 and is buried in the cathedral.
Each year, the grounds near the cathedral host the city’s iconic Christmas Market, which this year will take place from November 21 to December 22.
The city is also home to Winchester College, the oldest public school in the US, which, incredibly, still uses its original buildings. Finally, Wolvesey Castle was the main residence of the Bishop of Winchester, dating from 1110. In the 16th century, Queen Mary I and King Philip II of Spain were guests just before their wedding in the cathedral. The building is now a ruin – maintained by English Heritage – but the chapel was incorporated into the new palace built in the 1680s, only one wing of which survives.
Winchester Farmers’ Market takes place on the second and final Sunday of each month from 9am to 2pm. The market was voted the best in the country by the Guardian Food Magazine, where some 30 to 40 stalls sell the finest local produce – from watercress to water buffalo steaks to ostrich meat, according to Visit Hampshire.
The next market takes place on August 31 and then on September 14 and 28. It is located in The Broadway and Lower High Street.
If you want to explore Winchester and its markets but can’t make the next dates of the Farmers’ Market, luckily, the city hosts other street markets on a regular basis. The Winchester City Street Market is held every week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 9am and 5pm, located in Lower High Street and Middle Brook Street.
Meanwhile, the Antiques, Vintage, Retro & Collectables Market takes place every first Sunday of the month from 9am to 5pm. It is located on Broadway, Lower High Street, and Middle Brook Street. The Sunday Market on the third Sunday of the month is the Art & Design Market, held 9am to 5pm. It is located in The Broadway, Lower High Street and Middle Brook Street.