Guided Walk from Peninsula Barracks to the Cathedral

Our 5s to 13s focus children and their befrienders were given the chance to dip into Winchester’s history during a very interesting, guided walk facilitated by volunteer guide, Lorraine Estelle.

Our journey started at the Peninsula Barracks where we heard about the castle that was built on the site by William the Conqueror after he won the Battle of Hastings. The children and adults were also fascinated by the story of King Charles the Second who loved Winchester so much that he commissioned the famous Sir Christopher Wren to build him a palace based on the Palace of Versailles. However, sadly he never got to live in the palace because he died before it was finished and few hundred years later it burnt down!

We also heard about the troops who were stationed at the Peninsula Barracks and how today the gardens have been planted with trees standing in long rows just like the soldiers would have done when they were marching on parade.

Our next stop was the Westgate and the Great Hall where we discovered that the flint that was used to build the ancient walls are made from fossilised sponges. Lorraine told us that Great Hall was the original dining room of the castle built by William the Conqueror and it was previously used as court to trial prisoners! We also saw the First World War memorial bench that was finally put into place 100 years after the war ended.

Onto St Thomas’ Passage where we discovered an old red telephone box and a garden that is on the site of an old graveyard and still has gravestones in it!

Our final stop was in the Cathedral grounds where Lorraine showed us her favourite gravestone. The children were fascinated to read the inscription which told of the poor soldier who had ‘died of a violent fever contracted from drinking small beer!’ Lorraine explained that in the olden days everyone drank beer as it had less germs than water and that even children drank small (weak) beer for their breakfast!

We finished our tour off with a snack and a drink of apple juice …… definitely no beer for us …… not even a small one!