Barton Farm

If you've been to Winchester you may have seen in some windows posters saying 'Save Barton Farm'. Today it appears it was saved..for now. Barton Farm is an area of farmland to the north of Winchester where a property developer has wanted to build some 2000 new homes, shops, restaurants and offices etc since the late 1990s. Residents objected saying saying the city's roads, schools and services could not cope with so many new homes and the local council voted against the proposal. A planning enquiry then approved the plans, but yesterday minister Eric Pickles overturned the decision and concluded that the matter must be decided locally. Our member of parliament Steve Brine said "Ultimately it's about the sort of place we want Winchester to be and a judgement call as to when the city has extended far enough into its famous landscape setting." There is still the feeling though that somehow developers will have their way, so I don't imagine this is the end of this. The other side of the story is that Winchester is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK, affordable housing is scarce and this development would have provided some 800 'affordable houses'.

St Mary's Church Easton

This is St Mary's Church in Easton, a pretty village just outside Winchester. St Mary’s is a Norman church probably dating from the twelfth century.

Ducks in the Itchen

Cathedral

A side door of the Cathedral

Poppies

On a walk from Winchester to Easton on the Itchen Way, spotted these poppies in a field.

Walks from winchester

Walking the Itchen Way trail between Winchester & Easton

Flooring

Here at the Cathedral where they sell second hand books I noticed this mosaic flooring. This Roman pavement was found in Dome Alley (nearby to the cathedral) in 1880 and was placed here with 2 fragments found in Rome and some English medieval tiles.

Time waits

 Taken from Dean Garnier's Garden, this is a sundial that I noticed painted onto the side of the Cathedral

Sea the Stars

 

Here is the horse drawing that I mentioned the other day. It's amazing, looks like a real one doesn't it? Only it's more expensive at £52000! Actually the drawing it's probably cheaper because this is a drawing of Sea the Stars, the first horse to win the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same year. Not sure if you can appreciate the size of the drawing in this photo, the drawing is 2 metres 40cm high, that's around 7 feet 9 inches!

Cathedral Shop

 

The Visitors Centre of Winchester Cathedral has a shop, shown here, and through the doorway is the refectory (cafe/restaurant) and a box office. The shop is open every day and is run by 30 volunteer shop assistants. The visitors centre was opened by the Queen in 1993.

Chicken

Like chickens, but perhaps don't have the space for them in your Winchester city garden? Then pop down to the Winchester Discovery Centre with a spare £3000 and you could snap up this beautifully detailed pencil drawing of one by artist Robert Davies which is currently on exhibition until 6 November. The detail is amazing and I'll post some more from the exhibition during the week, his horse drawings are really something!

Sit down

I am sorry to say that I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to get out much to take many photos, so here is one I took some time ago and hadn't yet posted because I was hoping to find details about the history behind this wooden carved chair that I spotted in the Cathedral. I haven't yet got any details, but I thought I'd post it anyway or else the blog runs the risk of becoming 'weekly' photos! Must try harder this weekend!

Sad Sunflowers

Spotted these sunflowers with their heads down at the Edington Road allotments. I am on the waiting list to get one of these allotments, and there are 70 people ahead of me...! I was on the way to watch Winchester City Football Club whose ground is nearby, unfortunately I didn't manage to get any photos from the match due to my camera battery expiring soon after this shot!

Chesil Theatre

The Chesil Theatre was open as part of the Heritage Days event and we paid a visit. Behind the bar was this stone head. It's believed to be from the late 12th century made from limestone from the Isle of Wight. It's not certain whether the stone head was part of St Peter's Church (where the Chesil Theatre resides) but as St Peter's Church was certainly in existence in the 12th century.

Inside City Mill

Inside the City Mill and downstairs is where the fast flowing River Itchen passes through.

City Mill

Another place that had free entry over the Heritage Day weekend was Winchester City Mill. It's located on a site that has been used for milling flour since Saxon times. The current building dates from 1743 and remained in use as a mill until the early 20th century. For a while the building was a Youth Hostel, but in 2004 the National Trust took over the building and resumed grinding flour again which is available for sale.

Wall painting

This is St John's church which has already featured on the blog. Last weekend there were a number of heritage open days and I took the advantage to go inside a photo some of the wall paintings that are within the church. These were covered up during the Victorian times and those which survived were uncovered in 1958. The paintings are believed to date from around 1280. This one shows to the right a bishop with his hand raised in blessing, St Christopher or St Antony on the left and the devil at the top. 

***I am away with work at the moment & have scheduled this post, thanks for stopping by***

Golden Lion

Another pub I've never been in as it's on the Alresford Road on the way out of Winchester is the Golden Lion. The pub was covered in flowers and looked beautiful, and when I 'googled' them I discovered they are multiple winners of the Winchester in Bloom competition, and it looks like they're having another go this year..they'd certainly get my vote. The pub was built in 1932 to serve the local area. The original Golden Lion pub was in Jewry Street on the current site of Brasserie Blanc

**I'm away with work at the moment, for my nearest location see: This is Belgium **

Wolvesey Castle

Another photo from the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, which was once the residence of the Bishops of Winchester. The name Wolvesey means Wulf's Island, the higher ground between two streams of the River Itchen. The ruins are mostly the creation of Bishop Henry of Blois who became bishop in 1129. The new Bishop of Winchester won't have to live here in the ruins, he has a nice little place next door!

I am away with work at the moment and have scheduled this post. For my nearest location see This is Belgium

The County Arms

I had never noticed this pub before! My excuse is that I don't oftern drive along the Romsey Road where it is positioned. The pub was built in 1848 and students from the nearby West Down Campus opposite the pub are regular customers.

Crafts at the Library

At the library/Winchester Discovery Centre there are a number of craft groups, there's a Knit & Natter group once a week during the day and a weekly craft group in the evening. Here are some of their creations, knitted cupcakes and a chocolate chip cookie!

South Downs

This view is looking from West Hill cemetary across to the South Downs, with the spire of St Thomas' Church. The South Downs recently became a national park in April and stretches from Winchester to Eastbourne.

Avington Park

This is Avington Park in the village of Avington which is about 5 miles NE of Winchester. The house originally belonged to the Cathedral of Winchester until King Henry VIII granted the estate to Edmund Clerke. In the mid 17th centuary it was owned by George Brydges, Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles II. He enlarged and updated the house to accommodate the King and Nell Gwynne.

The estate was sold in 1847 to Sir John Shelley, brother of the poet, and sold again to the Hickson family in 1953 who still own it today. Avington Park is available for weddings, corporate event, filming and is occasionally open to the public.

There was recently a crime committed at the property when a sundial worth around £100000 was stolen.

New Bishop of Winchester

(Photo Credit: Jeremy Woodham)

Downing Street announced yesterday that the next Bishop of Winchester will be the Reverend Canon Tim Dakin who is 53 and is currently head of the Church Mission Society. He'll be consecrated as the 97th Bishop of Winchester in January and assume the role in Spring 2012. Winchester's previous bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt, retired in May after 16 years.

As I mentioned in a previous post when a new Bishop of Winchester is on his way to his enthronement in the Cathedral, he first comes to the tiny church of St Lawrence be presented to the Mayor, clergy and citizens, definitely a photo opportunity for next year!

Easton

I was out on a bike ride recently and passed through the pretty village of Easton. The village is 2¾ miles North East of Winchester. Although technically this isn't the city of Winchester, but the village does lie in the district of Winchester. I stopped and took a photo of this pretty thatched cottage, and there were plenty of them in the village.

Cycle 4 Life & 1st anniversary

1 year ago today I started this blog! I must admit in September and October 2010 the 'daily' aspect was a bit lacking, but after this false start I have published a photo every day, bar one when my modem broke! I still feel there are many more things to photograph here especially as so far the blog has been very central Winchester orientated! So here's to the next 365 days and thank you to everyone who has ever dropped by the blog and to anyone who has taken the time to comment, it's really appreciated!

Back to today's photo.. yesterday I got totally drenched at the Cycle 4 Life sportive in aid of Cancer Research. It was a 25km, 50km or 100km cycle ride - I chose the 25km! The weather was horrible, pouring with rain and cold, not great cycling weather! The event even had its own celebrity taking part - Les Ferdinand, ex England, Tottenham & QPR footballer.

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Halls of Residence

This is the Queen's Road Student Village of the Winchester University. It houses 399 students in ensuite flats. It was built in 2010 to ease housing issues for students and it took many 1st year students out of private accommodation in areas such as nearby Stanmore.

The rooms are around 12 sq metres with a bed, desk, wardrobe, ensuite bathroom and free internet access, there are shared kitchens and eating areas. The rent is £106 a week. Quite a few years ago I stayed at the halls of residence at Sussex University in Brighton, they were nothing like this! En-suite? I wish!

Stained Glass

More art from last weekend's open studios at the Link Gallery, a modern take on stained glass.

Wolvesey Castle

These are part of the ruins of Wolvesey Castle which was once the palace of the Bishops of Winchester. There has been a bishop's residence here for over 1000 years. The extensive surviving ruins of the palace date largely from the 12th-century work of Bishop Henry of Blois. The palace was demolished in 1680 after it was destroyed by the roundheads in the English Civil War and was rebuilt, and demolished again in 1786. The original old chapel still remains which you can see just behind the ruins and to the rear of it the east wing which is where the current Bishop of Winchester lives.

Model trains

Celebrating 125 years of the Great Western Railway, this model railway exhibition was taking place at the cathedral yesterday. I remember my brother had a Hornby trainset as a kid and had it on a wooden base and began building up a whole little town around it with miniature trees, people, animals, houses etc. I wonder if kids still do that these days?