Castles · South East England
Wolvesey Castle
In or near Winchester.
Wolvesey Castle — Grade I listed castle in Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Winchester · 1.1 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Wolvesey Castle is located in Winchester, Hampshire, with the nearest railway station being Winchester, approximately 1.1 km away. Entry to the castle is free, though wheelchair access is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is SO23 9ND.
About
Wolvesey Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to AD 970. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed castle in Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0592°, -1.3100°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Wolvesey Castle, in Winchester, Hampshire, England, was the main residence of the Bishop of Winchester in the Middle Ages. The castle, mostly built by Henry of Blois in the 12th century, is now a ruin, except for its fifteenth-century chapel, which is now part of the bishop's current residence, Wolvesey Palace. Wolvesey Castle was primarily a palace, although Blois had it fortified because of the Anarchy.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
Wolvesey Castle, also known as the Old Bishop's Palace, was the main residence of the Bishops of Winchester during the Middle Ages. Visitors can explore the extensive ruins, which date back to the 12th century, and gain insight into the historical significance of the site, including its connection to royal events.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Test SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Itchen - 2000227 SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Wolvesey Castle, in Winchester, Hampshire, England, was the main residence of the Bishop of Winchester in the Middle Ages. The castle, mostly built by Henry of Blois in the 12th century, is now a ruin, except for its fifteenth-century chapel, which is now part of the bishop's current residence, Wolvesey Palace. Wolvesey Castle was primarily a palace, although Blois had it fortified because of the Anarchy.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The site is an eyot in the River Itchen known as Wulveseye or Wulf's island. There were buildings there during the Roman period. The building before Wolvesey Castle was constructed around 970 by Æthelwold of Winchester, the Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984, as his official residence or palace.
Visiting
The extensive surviving ruins are currently owned and maintained by English Heritage. A fair amount of the curtain wall remains, but nearly all the inner arrangements are gone, though it is possible to make out the hall, in which there is a good round arch and one surviving Norman window. The castle is near the city walls, parts of which still exist today. <gallery class="center" mode="packed"> File:Wolvesey Castle, Winchester 2014 20.jpg|Archways File:Wolvesey Castle, Winchester 2014 17.jpg|Woodman's Gate File:Winchester, Ruins of Wolvesey Castle Winchester 1095511 20230816 0641.jpg|View of the south end of the East Hall File:1095511-Wolvesey Castle (3).JPG|East Hall facade visible through…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0592, -1.3100
- County
- Hampshire
- District
- Winchester
- Parish
- Winchester, unparished area
- Postcode
- SO23 9ND
- Parliamentary constituency
- Winchester
- Established
- 970
- Nearest railway station
- Winchester — 1.1 km
- Opening
- Daily 10am–5pm; closed 24–26 Dec
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q8030602 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Wolvesey Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Wolvesey Castle 38.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Wolvesey Castle?
- Wolvesey Castle is in Hampshire, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SO23 9ND), in the parish of Winchester, unparished area.
- What is Wolvesey Castle?
- Wolvesey Castle — Grade I listed castle in Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK.
- How do I get to Wolvesey Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Winchester, about 1.1 km away. Drivers can use postcode SO23 9ND.
- When was Wolvesey Castle built?
- Built or established in 970.
- Who runs Wolvesey Castle?
- Wolvesey Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Wolvesey Castle a listed building?
- Wolvesey Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Wolvesey Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Wolvesey Castle is part of the River Test SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Itchen - 2000227 SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Wolvesey Castle free to visit?
- Yes, Wolvesey Castle is free to enter.