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!

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

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.

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