I don’t know about you, but as a diehard Supernatural fan it’s impossible for me to hear Winchester and not immediately conjour thoughts of Dean and Sam locked in mortal combat betwixt good and evil for 15 seasons.
Meanwhile the ‘real’ Winchester is in Hampshire, on the edge of England’s South Downs National Park. We’ve visited before, in 2017, spending two days exploring the chalk river that flows from its source at Mottisfont, the mediaeval Cathedral, the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, the City Mill, home to a successful re-ottering and of course the Great Hall which houses a round table linked to King Arthur. Seriously – King Arthur’s round table! And given that we’ve done all that and I’ve previously written extensively about it, I’ve popped in two links to the 2017 days below.
This visit we’re free to explore and wander at will. We have lunch of course and it was absolutely delicious but you’ll have to take my word for it. We were so engrossed that I forgot to take pictures…. Wagu beef dim sum and a prawn stir-fry for me while Himself has gyoza and a charcoal bun katsu burger. The katsu chicken burger would make a great entertaining piece with its dramatic colors of a black bun, colourful slaw and golden chicken.
It’s a glorious day to explore Winchester – there’s the Cathedral of course and King Alfred of Wessex who drove away the Danish Viking invaders in the latter half of the first century.
But for me, the City Mill is a mandatory stop. We saw it in action on our last visit but the real drawcard is that it’s become an immensely successful otter habitat. The mill isn’t working today, closed for much needed repairs, but it’s the perfect spot to prop in the middle of the river for a coffee and view the otter sighting videos. We see chunky boys carrying fish, a mama and cub, and many others. Look how many sightings over the past three years! Vera also underwater cameras capturing fish and other creature sightings.
Post coffee we wander along the river Itchen and spot the only visible section of Winchester’s original Roman walls, wander through the ruins and interesting building techniques of Wolvesey Castle, the Guildhall, mediaeval cottages and shops and the city gates. It’s rather lovely for once to wander without the responsibility needing to record every detail.
Miss Baci Travels 