We began our second day in Winchester by making breakfast in our Cowan House Airbnb apartment, listening to Maddy Prior's rendition of “Who Would True Valor See”, our pilgrimage theme song. After Lisa’s morning briefing on the day’s events, we walked to St. Peter's Church for Sunday Mass.
(1) Left: Our 3rd floor apartment with balcony, (2) Before Mass at St. Peter's
We spent the rest of day walking and touring Winchester. Our first stop was the God Begot Manor House. Dating from 1050 AD, it was the home of Emma, the daughter of Richard, the Duke of Normandy. It was most likely a trading center long before that, and the name Goudbeyete, Godbiete, or God Begot means “the goods getter”.
We also visited the Winchester City Mill, one of the oldest working watermills in England, existing in some form or another (through various iterations and restorations) since the Saxon period. It is unique in the fact that it exists in the heart of the city of Winchester; most mills were located in the countryside rather than in urban centers. The City Mill still produces ground wholemeal flour for local bakers.
(1) Left: Inside the City Mill, (2) Diagram of the wheel and grinding mechanism
The mill is an undershot mill, meaning that the water of the River Itchen, which it harnesses for power, flows beneath--instead of on top of--the waterwheel. When the water strikes the wheel's wooden paddles, the force sets other gears into motion that ultimately cause the millstones to crush the grain. See the wheel at work in the video to the right.
After the City Mill, we stopped to admire the Guildhall, an enormous ornate municipal building. Constructed in 1873, it was built on the ruins of St. Mary Abbey, one of the largest nunneries of the Middle Ages in England. This video gives a panoramic look at the Guildhall:
Panorama of the Guildhall
We paused our tour for a midday bite to eat at the Bishop on the Bridge Pub, and then headed to the lovely Dean Garnier Garden, located within the Close (the external grounds) of Winchester Cathedral.
Video of the Garden
A place of stillness and beauty, the gardens were donated to the public by Thomas Garnier, the Dean of Winchester Cathedral from 1840-1872, who was also an avid gardener and horticulturist.
Plaque of Dean Garnier in the Garden
We then made our way to Kingsgate, one of two surviving medieval gates into the city of Winchester, which was built on or near the site of an ancient Roman gate to the city. Attached to and above the gate is the church of St. Swithun-upon-Kingsgate. Built in the Middle Ages, this church is unusual, as it forms a part of the fabric of the old city walls.
From left: (1) The Kingsgate. You can see the brick portion of the exterior of St. Swithun-upon-Kingsgate on the right. (2) Interior of St. Swithun-upon-Kingsgate, (3) These stained glass windows depict St. Swithun (L) and St. Aethelwold (R), both early Bishops of Winchester.
Keeping our daily prayers in mind, we said the rosary and Stations of the Cross on a lawn bench outside Winchester Cathedral. Just as yesterday, this was very spiritual and meaningful to us.
Our last stop was an incredible tour of Winchester College. Founded in 1382 (!), this all-boys secondary school is considered to be one of the finest independent boarding schools in the UK, as well as the longest continually operating school in the UK. This year, girls have been accepted as day students for their last 2 years of high school, and they will be accepted as boarding students in 2024. The school sits on 250 acres of beautiful grounds. With an extremely high academic entrance examination, the school provides an intense development of academic abilities. As for the price...let’s not even mention it, but they do offer scholarships!
Top row: Images from the Winchester College campus. Bottom row left: Kate, our Winchester College tour guide, received our 5th chaplet. Bottom row right: Aptly named toilets in the college :)
We ended the day with a hearty meal at the Old Vine. We are looking forward to beginning our pilgrimage in earnest tomorrow morning!
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