Winchester is home to five military museums all housed separately in their own museums; The King’s Royal Hussars, The Royal Hampshire Regiment, The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles), The Gurkha Museum and The Adjutant-General’s Corps.
A wealth of military history surrounds the site of Peninsula Barracks which now houses the collections. the castle, begun by William the Conqueror soon after 1066, was demolished on Oliver Cromwell’s orders in 1651 only for Sir Charles Wren to begin building a palace there thirty years later for Charles II which was never finished. Eventually the site was developed into barracks in the late 18th century.*
In 1968 as a young captain I once trained recruits at the military barracks now home to Winchester’s Military Museums. In 1894 the barracks, in use since 1796, were destroyed by fire, with many of the replacement buildings you see today being built between 1899 to 1904 to mirror the style and grandeur of Sir Christopher Wren’s architecture. In 1986 the barracks were closed as a military training depot with all the buildings, except those occupied by Winchester’s Military Museums, given over to residential use.**
*From Visit Winchester 2014
**From an article by Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Wallace in Visit Winchester 2014
Tags: Defence Matters, Peninsula Barracks, Vacation, Winchester
Just outside the south door of Winchester’s Great Hall is the reconstructed ‘Queen Eleanor’s Garden’.
It is a re-creation of a late thirteenth century ornamental herber, designed by Dr Sylvia Landsberg and Dr John Harvey, and opened by Her Majesty the Queen Mother on 8 July 1986 as part of the Domesday 900 celebrations.
The garden is named after two garden-loving thirteenth-century queens who would once have walked on this spot: Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III (1216-1272) who built the Great Hall, and her daughter-in-law, Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I (1272-1307) who created the Round Table.*
*From The Castle of Winchester, Great Hall & Round Table by Martin Biddle and Beatrice Clayre
Tags: Lady Eleanor's Garden, The Great Hall, There's Always One, Vacation, Winchester
At the beginning of December many Rotary clubs throughout the United Kingdom launch their annual ‘Tree of Light’. The concept of the ‘Tree of Light’ was introduced into Shropshire from South Africa in the 1990s by a county Rotarian. For many years, since its inception, my father was a member of the small committee of Rotarians that run the Telford ‘Tree of Light’; these Rotarians are from the four Rotary clubs of Telford.
The name and symbolism of the ‘Tree of Light’ reminds us that there can be light and hope even in bleak circumstances. The main aim of the ‘Tree of Light’ is to serve the public and the community which is at the heart of the Rotary organisation whose motto is ‘service above self”.
People are invited to sponsor a light on the tree in memory of a loved one (or a cause dear to them) and the monies raised are divided between local charities. The commemoration of a loved one around the tree provides a sense of well being to those who take part.
The names of the nominees are displayed around the base of the tree, on the ‘Tree of Light’s web page and also published in the local newspaper. There is always one main charity to which half of the monies raised is donated; the other half is split equally between the Rotary clubs that administer ‘The Tree of Light’, for them to donate to a local charity of their choice. This year the charities are the Severn Hospice, Neo-Natal Unit Princess Royal Hospital, Wellington Cottage Care, Georgia Williams Trust and Telford Mind.
My father spent many a long hour in the run up to Christmas attending committee meetings or sitting upstairs at home processing names and lists for publication under the tree and in the local newspaper. His involvement included receiving phone calls from some of the sponsors who had queries about their request. He loved the premise and the concept of the ‘Tree of Light’ and that it provided a treasured service to people at this particular time of year.
Tags: Charity, Christmas, Dad, Love, Rotary, The Tree of Light
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
From The Teaching of Buddha
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Oxford, University Church of St Mary, Weekend away
In addition to the Wedding Gates and The Round Table there are other things of interest within The Great Hall.
The stained glass windows were made in 1875-80. The glass features the arms of famous people associated with Hampshire. The portraits show significant kings involved with the history of Hampshire.
The east wall features a nineteenth-century painting showing the names of the members of parliament from 1283 (Edward I) to 1868 (Victoria).
A doorway that originally led to the apartments of Queen Eleanor, wife of Henry III.
A bronze statue of Queen Victoria which is the work of Sir Alfred Gilbert R.A. It was presented to the County by the High Sherrif of Hampshire in 1887 to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
A bronze sculpture commissioned in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the work of Vivien Mallock.
The Great Hall has been used for holding courts throughout history. This nineteenth century judge’s bench was used in the Assize Courts, then in the Crown Court, which moved to the adjoining building in 1974.
Tags: History, The Great Hall, Vacation, Winchester
The Round Table ‘King Arthur’s Table’ is mounted on the west wall at one end of the Great Hall. It has hung there since 1873 when it was moved from the east wall to make way for arches that link the hall to the Assize Courts next door. The table is thought to have been built in the 13th or early 14th century, possibly for a tournament to celebrate the wedding of one of Edward I’s daughters.
On the table is the inscription ‘This is the round table of Arthur with 24 of his named knights’. It is 5.5 metres in diameter, weighs 1220 kilograms, and is made from 121 pieces of oak.
Tags: The Great Hall, Vacation, Winchester
