Fun with Alfred and Jane

The Great Hall, built in mid-12th century

This morning we leapt nimbly from our bed, anxious to return to Winchester - the source of so much angst in previous days.  What delights were in store - eventually.  Armed with a map, Geoff lead the way up narrow, dog-legged streets in search of The Great Hall, listed on the map key as '1' in Jewry Street.  We walked the length of Jewry St without spotting anything of seeming historic importance.  So then I looked at the map.  Geoff had actually lead us to the Bangkok Brasserie.  He had inadvertently been looking at the map key for places to eat, not places of historical interest.  A pity I didn't fancy Pad Thai at 9am. Anyway, several hundred metres away we found the the Great Hall.  It's the only surviving part of Winchester Castle.  The god-bothering dictator, Oliver Cromwell, ordered the castle destroyed in the 1600s. The Great Hall also contains a 12th century round table, the first one ever, apparently. 

As you enter the main drag of Winchester (called The Broadway) there is a very imposing statue of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, erected in 1901 by the city burghers to commorate the 1000th anniversary of his defeat of the Danes. 

We went looking for Alfred's grave, and depending on who you talk to, it's in three possible locations. There is also a theory that his grave was ransacked and destroyed by Cromwell's forces.  In short, nobody knows for certain where he's buried.  This was disappointing as I have always had a soft spot for him.  My sister Ruth won a watch on 'Captain Fortune's Saturday Party' in 1961 with the question:  "What famous man got into trouble for burning cakes?"   It was our Alfred, of course.  And I did a school report on him in 1962. I can remember my final sentence:  "He was buried in Winchester".  So Alf and I go back a long way.  I would have liked a moment of quiet reflection at his tomb.

One of Alfred's purported resting places is Hyde Abbey, near St Bartholemew's church, which itself is also a possibility.  Hyde Abbey is in a suburban area.  How extraordinary to live near something so ancient.   That's the remains of it on the left. I imagine the guttering and downpipes are 20th century add-ons.
 







Originally Alfred's remains and those of his wife Aelswitha and son Edward the Elder were buried in the first Winchester cathedral which was built by the Saxons in the 7th century.  It was demolished and rebuilt in the 12th century and Alfred and family's remains removed to Hyde Abbey, or St Bartholemews, or indeed to another spot just down the road. Hell, he could be buried under the motorway for all we know.  The 'new' cathedral, built in the 12th century, is quite beautiful inside.  And of course we paid homage to Jane Austen, who is interred there.  That's it below left.   A choir was performing some lovely hymns as we walked through the public parts of the cathedral.

Then we had a 30 kilometre drive along pleasant Hampshire roads to the village of Chawton, where Jane Austen spent the last 7 years of her life, with her mother and sister. She actually died in Winchester, having gone there in her last few weeks to be near her doctors - fat lot of good they did.  Chawton is such a pretty village and her house was interesting.  Among other things, we saw her bedroom including her bedspread, jewellery, furniture, donkey cart and her alleged writing table which was a ricketty-looking thing about the size of a dart board, notwithstanding the sturdy escritoire nearby.

I have to say Jane's house was one of the least attractive in the entire village, although perhaps that's because thatched houses are so charming  and cosy looking and Jane's house wasn't thatched.  It had lovely gardens though. 

Thatched houses named "Pond Cottages' in Chawton, just across the road from Jane's house.













And finally, a view from the 11th century West Gate in Winchester.  We manoeuvred Satan along this road on Friday.  Until 1959, traffic actually passed through this arch. I can just picture Satan wedged firmly inside it.

Tomorrow (Monday) we're off to Dorchester. Thomas Hardy country!  And I promise, no more history lessons.  ;-)