iTravelUK > Attractions > Historic Buildings > England > Southeast > Hampshire
Winchester's Great Hall was built by Henry the Third. Born at Winchester Castle in 1207, he loved to return to Winchester but a siege in the 13th century had left Winchester Castle in ruins. Henry the Third set about revamping Winchester Castle building its Great Hall and transforming the castle into a fortress and a palace.
Winchester College is one of the oldest and most prominent public schools in Britain. William Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester, founded Winchester College in 1382 and thereby provided a model on which other prestigious schools like Harrow and Eton would be built.
St Cross Hospital is the oldest almshouse in England. It was founded by the William the Conqueror's grandson, Henri du Blois in 1132. His intention was to provide for "thirteen poor men, feeble and so reduced in strength that they can scarcely or not at all support themselves without other aid".
Abbey House stands on the site of St. Mary's Abbey. It was built about 1750 and originally faced the gardens to the rear. The present castellated front was added after the widening of the Broadway in 1771.
A working water mill, the Winchester City Mill was reconstructed here in 1744. A mill was first recorded here in the Domesday Book in 1086.
One of the most popular landmarks in Portsmouth, this historic attraction was built by Henry VIII as part of Portsmouth's refortifications. Originally a gun platform, the Square Tower also served as a residence, magazine and storage.
Rebuilt in 1687, this historic gate protected Portsmouth's genteel residents from the disreputable sailors of the Point.
A couple of minutes from Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf Quays is a leisure complex offering entertainment, refreshment, shopping all situated within a historic setting.