Wolvesey

Please forgive my lack of posts over the last week or so! A trip to Venice followed by Brussels for work and various other things have left little time to go out and get some photos! I'm posting one I took a while back from the ruins of Wolvesey Castle where the Bishops of Winchester used to live, with the residence of the current Bishops just peaking over the right side of the ruins.


Normal service at the blog will resume shortly!

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!

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.

Tomb

This is a 12th century tomb within the Cathedral. As the board says in front of it says it may contain the remains of the Bishop of Winchester Henry of Blois brother of King Stephen and founder of the Hospital of St Cross.

St Swithun's Day

Today is St. Swithun's Day and this is St Swithun's shrine in the Cathedral. St Swithun is one of the best known of the many Bishops of Winchester. He was born in Winchester, in about AD 800 and was famous for his charitable gifts, church building and tutoring King Aethelwulf and his son Alfred the Great. Swithun died 862 and was buried outside the Old Minster. Not long after his death there were talks of miracles he performed, his best known was his mending of a basket of eggs that had been broken. He then became Saint Swithun.

The Old Minster was expanded in the tenth century to become Winchester Cathedral, and St Swithun’s relics were moved into it on 15 July 971. This occasion was marked by very heavy rainfall, and the tradition became that if it rains on St Swithun’s Day, it will rain also for the next forty days, as per the rhyme:

St Swithun’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithun’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t’will rain no more

Today it is .... Sunny, so fingers crossed it will stay that way for the next 40 days - unlikely though the forecast for the weekend is not good!

Bishop Gardiner's Chantry

Currently being played by actor Simon Ward in the TV drama The Tudors (!) Stephen Gardiner was Bishop Of Winchester from 1531-1551 and 1553-1555. Gardiner was heavily involved in the divorce of Henry VIII from Katherine of Aragon and was appointed Bishop by Henry on the death of Cardinal Wolsey. Bishop Gardiner spent much of the reign of Edward VI as a prisoner in the Tower of London, due to opposing his Reform policies and remaining firm to the 'old religion' and during this time he was deprived of his bishopric. However after Edward's death he returned to favour under Queen Mary Tudor whom he crowned in 1553 and helped her to restore Catholicism, overturning the annulment of her parents’ marriage, making her legitimate, which was quite ironic bearing in mind his role in the original divorce! He officiated at her marriage to Philip of Spain at Winchester Cathedral on the 25th July 1554.

A chantry is a place within a church specially built for honouring and remembering important people buried there, there are 6 in the Cathedral. I have posted already on Bishop Fox's Chantry here.

St Lawrence

 

It's hard to get a photo of this tiny church because its entrance is within the passageway leading to The Square and I just can't stand back far enough to get it all in! 

This is the church of St Lawrence-in-the-Square and there has been a church on this site since before the Norman conquest (1066). The original church on this site was incorporated into William the Conqueror’s palace as the royal chapel. The royal chapel was destroyed by fire in 1143, rebuilt in 1150 and again in 1449. Another fire in 1978 led to further restoration and the church reopened in 1980.

The church is in the heart of Winchester and has a very special tradition.When a new Bishop of Winchester is on his way to his enthronement in the Cathedral, he first comes to this tiny church to pray and put on his robes. He then tolls one of the bells ringing himself into office, and then goes out to meet the Mayor, clergy and citizens and proceeds to the cathedral. There should be a new Bishop this year...

The Great Screen

As mentioned in yesterday's post Winchester Cathedral suffered damage during the English Civil War and here is another part of it that had to be replaced - The Great Screen. It was originally erected with the aid of funds left by Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester. Work began in 1455 and continued for the next twenty years.

Unfortunately the originals were all destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers during the English Civil War in the 17th Century and the present figures are 19th century replacements - hence the screen includes Queen Victoria. The screen contains figures of 4 archangels, 28 Saints, 13 Bishops of Winchester, 6 King, 3 Queens, and 3 others with links to Winchester.

Bishop Fox

This is Bishop Fox's chantry within Winchester Cathedral. A chantry is a place within a church specially built for honouring and remembering important people buried there. Chantries were abolished in 1547 by Henry VIII however Winchester Cathedral is lucky enough to possess 6 of the most beautiful remaining chantries in the country which contain the bodies of 6 of Winchester's most important Bishops.

This is the tomb of Richard Fox who was Bishop of Winchester from 1501 to 1528 during the reign of Henry VII and VIII.  Through the bars you can see the stone skeleton carving, it is meant to symbolise the fact that death does not respect rank, that is, we all die no matter how important we have been during life! Of his notable acts Richard Fox baptised Henry VIII and founded Corpus Christi College in Oxford.

A is for Almshouses

 

In Winchester I was surprised to find that a number of beautiful buildings I'd seen are infact Almshouses, that is houses for the 'poor or needy'. These buildings here in the photo were built in 1856 and contain 24 apartments which are available to needy, local persons of 'good character' over retirement age at a nominal rent. They are owned and run by St John's Winchester Charity which was founded as long ago as 931 by St Brinstan, Bishop of Winchester, which makes it one of the oldest charitable foundations in the country. Quite a pretty place to spend your last years.

For more 'A' photos see ABC Wednesday

Above the eyeline

This is actually Edwardian 'Mock Tudor' architecture which sits above Boots the Chemist. The 4 carved figures represent some of the Bishops of Winchester - St Athelwold, Henry Fox, Wakelin and William of Wykeham.

Again as in this previous post a lot of information can be found in the book Look Up Winchester

St Swithun's Gate Part 2

Here we see St Swithuns Gate from outside of the Cathedral Close. But who was St Swithun?

He was born in Winchester, in about AD 800. In 852 he became Bishop of Winchester. Swithun was famous for his charitable gifts and for his activity in building churches. He was one of the most learned men of his time and the tutored King Aethelwulf and his son Alfred (the Great).

Swithun died 862 and was buried outside the Old Minster. Not long after his death there were talks of miracles he performed, his best known miracle was his restoration on a bridge of a basket of eggs that workmen had maliciously broken. He then became Saint Swithun.

The Old Minster was expanded in the tenth century to become Winchester Cathedral, and St Swithun’s relics were moved into it on 15 July 971. This occasion was marked by very heavy rainfall, and the tradition became that if it rains on St Swithun’s Day, it will rain also for the next forty days:

St Swithun’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithun’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t’will rain no more

Wolvesey

There has been a bishop's residence at Wolvesey for over 900 years, beginning in the 10th century when St Aethelwold built a Saxon Bishop's Palace on this site. A new palace was built in 1110 and was added to over that century. In 1680 it was demolished after it was destroyed by the roundheads in the English Civil War and was rebuilt. The original old chapel was kept which we see to the right of the photo. In 1786 the palace was once again demolished and what remains today are the ruins (known as Wolvesey Castle) and the west wing (what you see in the photo).

The current Bishop of Winchester is Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt and this is where he lives, until sometime next year when he retires

Cheyney Court

Cheyney Court always looks like it belongs in Disneyland! It's a beautiful 15th Century building next to St Swithuns Gate at the edge of the city walls. The house was the seat of the Bishop of Winchester during the Middle Ages where he held court & administered justice. In the spring the building is covered with gorgeous wisteria, I will pop back then to get another photo.