Winchester Hall, South East England

Winchester is the ancient capital of England.  The area was first settled in the Iron Age and then became the Roman town of Venta Belgarum.  Winchester Castle was a Royal Palace and the great hall dates from the reign of Henry III.  Henry III was born at Winchester Castle in 1207.  He greatly improved the castles defences and built the great hall.

Today Winchester Hall is all that remains of Winchester Castle.  Winchester was the Anglo-Saxon seat of power.  After the Norman Conquest, a castle was built at Winchester the following year in 1067.  Winchester Castle was extended and updated by Henry III, he added the great hall we see today. 

During the Civil War the castle was held by Royalist forces and afterwards Cromwell ordered its destruction. 

The great hall at Winchester is large even by castle standards.  The interior measures 110’ x 55’ (33.5 meters x 16.76 meters).  It is one of the largest and finest surviving aisled halls from the 13th Century. 

At one end of the hall is the infamous "round table of King Arthur".  Although it has been dated to the 13th Century, it is thought to have been made for the betrothal of one of Edward I daughters. At this time, hosting Arthurian themed ‘round table’ (tournament) was popular.  It has been hanging on a wall here for at least 500 years, certainly since 1540, having been moved from the east wall in 1873 to the west wall.  Originally it would have stood on 12 legs with a central support.  

The table is 5.5 meters (18 feet) in diameter and weights 1200kg (2,645 pounds). 

King Henry VIII had it repainted, which is why we see a Tudor rose in the centre and it is thought to show Henry as King Arthur on his throne.   The inscription reads ‘This is the rownde table of kyng Arthur with xxiiii of his namyde knyattes’  

Behind the hall is Queen Eleanor’s Garden, a recreation of a small medieval garden.