Wolvesey Castle, Winchester

Once a palace to the rich and powerful bishops of Winchester, Wolvesey Castle today is largely the ruined remains of the which still hints at the splendour of its history of one of the most important Norman palaces of its time.

First constructed around 1100 when the Bishop of Winchester needed a more suitable home for his increasingly public role than the closed off monastic life that he had been living. The creation of a palace for the Bishop also reflected the status of the town of Winchester, which was almost as important as a royal and ecclesiastical centre as London was. Thus the Bishop needed a residence that would serve as his home as well as a place fit for Royal visitors. The ruins that are mainly visible today are more from the splendour and fortification from the 12th century. Centuries later though Wolvesey was abandoned as the home of the Bishops in favour of somewhere nearer to London, and Wolvesey Castle fell into ruins from neglect.

You can visit Wolvesey Castle as part of a tour of Winchester