Marwell Zoo
140 acres near Colden Common with over 500 animals of 145 species — a conservation charity with a strong African focus, and a lot of walking.
Every major sight in and around Winchester, from the landmark names to the quieter corners.
Winchester Cathedral
The longest medieval cathedral in Europe, with Jane Austen's grave, a Norman crypt that floods, and the diver who saved the building single-handed.
The Great Hall
All that survives of Winchester Castle — a thirteenth-century hall containing the Round Table, painted for Henry VIII and hanging on the wall since…
King Alfred the Great
Hamo Thornycroft's bronze of 1901 at the foot of the Broadway — larger than everyone expects, and standing in the capital of Alfred's England.
Winchester City Mill
A working watermill on the Itchen in the middle of the city, milling flour since at least 1086 — with otters on the camera and an island under the…
Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishop's Palace)
The ruined palace of the Bishops of Winchester, once the richest see in England — free, central, and worth thirty minutes of anyone's time.
Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium
The UK's largest standalone planetarium plus a hall of hands-on exhibits at Morn Hill — aimed squarely at five to twelve, and very good at it.
St. Catherine's Hill
An Iron Age hillfort with a turf maze on top, a mile from the city — free, and the best view of Winchester there is.
Abbey Gardens
Formal gardens with the Itchen running through, between King Alfred's statue and the cathedral — free, central, and the best sandwich spot in…
Buttercross Monument
A fifteenth-century market cross in the middle of the High Street — free, always there, and once saved from removal by a riot.
Winnall Moors Nature Reserve
160 acres of chalk-stream water meadow four minutes from Winchester High Street — boardwalks, dragonflies, and complete quiet.
Old Winchester Hill
An Iron Age hillfort and national nature reserve in the South Downs, eighteen kilometres east — with the Isle of Wight visible on a clear day.