h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: A Potted History of Winchester, Hampshire. - A560044
Author: Researcher 128012 - U128012

I wrote this last year and did not put it into review, it is still current!

Greetings!

I like this! I notice that at the bottom of the entry, LooseCannon has added something about modern day Winchester, and I think it would be worth going into a bit more detail if you can.

I think Winchester also deserves a mention in history because of the re-run election in 19whateveritwas.

It might also be worth having a look at learning Guide ML, which really helps with formatting. There's a link to it from the "contribute" page, if you follow the "Learning to write brilliant guide entries".

TTFN

Otto

A very good article describing a very historic town.
Perhaps you should mention more about Winchester being the home of the Domesday Book? Also, it had two castles - one for the Bishop (called 'Wolvesey Castle') and one for the King . The King's castle was built in 1067 by William the Conquerer, and held the Domesday Book. It was held by the Empress Matilda when attacked by King Stephen - Matilda is said to have escaped by pretending to be a corpse in a coffin. It was Henry II's favourite castle, and Richard I held his second coronation here. In 1207, Henry III was born in the castle. In 1216, Prince Louis easily captured the castle, after which it was extensively fortified. In 1486, Henry VIII's son Arthur was born at Winchester Castle, and in 1603 it was were that Sir Walter Raleigh was sentenced to death. It was a Royalist castle in the Civil War, and was captured by Parliament and slighted. Sir Christopher Wren started to rebuild it as a palace for King Charles II, but this was not finished. Only the hall, one of the finest Medieval halls in England, remains - at one end hangs the round table of King Arthur.

Wolvesey Castle - the other castle of Winchester built in 1110 by Henry of Blois, King Stephen's brother and Bishop of Winchester. The keep was built in 1138. It was destroyed when Henry II ascended to the throne, but was rebuilt by 1171 as a palace. The keep and north end of the hall survive to this day.

<BB<

A very good article describing a very historic town.
Perhaps you should mention more about Winchester being the home of the Domesday Book? Also, it had two castles - one for the Bishop (called 'Wolvesey Castle') and one for the King . The King's castle was built in 1067 by William the Conquerer, and held the Domesday Book. It was held by the Empress Matilda when attacked by King Stephen - Matilda is said to have escaped by pretending to be a corpse in a coffin. It was Henry II's favourite castle, and Richard I held his second coronation here. In 1207, Henry III was born in the castle. In 1216, Prince Louis easily captured the castle, after which it was extensively fortified. In 1486, Henry VIII's son Arthur was born at Winchester Castle, and in 1603 it was were that Sir Walter Raleigh was sentenced to death. It was a Royalist castle in the Civil War, and was captured by Parliament and slighted. Sir Christopher Wren started to rebuild it as a palace for King Charles II, but this was not finished. Only the hall, one of the finest Medieval halls in England, remains - at one end hangs the round table of King Arthur.

Wolvesey Castle - the other castle of Winchester built in 1110 by Henry of Blois, King Stephen's brother and Bishop of Winchester. The keep was built in 1138. It was destroyed when Henry II ascended to the throne, but was rebuilt by 1171 as a palace. The keep and north end of the hall survive to this day.

Don't forget the Westgate!

<BB<

Echoing and agreeing with all the previous comments, it would greatly help this entry to put in some paragraphs and headers. Monobloc entries are very difficult to read and will put many people off reading them at all.

Headings could be put in for different time periods.

There is the basis for a good entry here. I don't know about including more of modern Winchester in it, as suggested, the title does say it's a history of Winchester.

"at one end hangs the round table of King Arthur." This cannot be so. It has been conclusively shown that King Arthur's story took place in the heart of Shropshire.

I'm not convinced that it has been conclusively shown that King Arthur's story took place in the heart of Shropshire - I was under the impression that several different historians pointed to several different places, including Cornwall and Wiltshire, to name but two.
However, the round table of King Arthur does indeed hang in the castle. It was built as the table of King Arthur in c. 1300 (I can check the exact date at another time), and so, even though it was a few hundred years after King Arthur, as it was built as "The Round Table of King Arthur", it cannot be denied that that is what it is. Regardless of whether King Arthur had anything to do with it, which is doubtful.

I too would disagree with including more of modern Winchester, as afterall, that is not what the article is about. As an article on the history of Winchester it works very well, and I feel need not mention anything about modern Winchester other than that there is one.

<BB<

It would help move things forward if the author came back and responded to the points raised so far.

"I'm not convinced that it has been conclusively shown that King Arthur's story took place in the heart of Shropshire". But I have the tourist info.leaflet complete with map. It has everything - even where the Holy Grail was.

"as it was built as "The Round Table of King Arthur",..." Ok, I'll concede that one. Actually my favourite theory is the one that has Arthur based in Scotland.

Too many Arthurs and not enough authors around here?

Apologies for not replying - I lost my password.

I do need to do some work on paragraphing and so on, and will check out how to do this later on this week.

I also agree about the fact that too much modern day stuff should be included - the interesting thing about Winchester is that it is no longer a major city, despite such a rich history, its decline is one of those fascinating 'why' questions in history.

I certainly do agree with some of the other ideas for inclusion, King Arthur's Round Table is of course an excellent example of the use of symbolic art and propaganda as used by absolute monarchs. Many Kings tried to associate themselves with Arthurian legend, but few of them went to these extremes.

Winchester is the home of the Domesday Book, although curiously it is not included within it, and I will certainly add some more on this.

Thanks for comments so far, more ideas are welcome..

Hi,

Couple of little nit picks

Winchesters' history - should be Winchester's history

its' topographical features
and
of its' Cathedral - should be its topographical features, its cathedral.

The name WinCHESTER is also a give away to its Roman origins.

Awu.

It's a well written entry and a good topic I hope it gets into the edited guide. Once you've added the points that have been pointed you then I'm sure this will be there.

Just a couple of points...

firstly the house style says that places should (in the title) be refered to as "place, area, country" in other words Winchester, Hampshire, UK.

Also it's not really usual to put your name and qualifactions at the top of your entry, as your entry is automatically linked to your personal space. If you click on you're personal space when you're logged in then you can put whatever you think we'd like to know. Also it means people can come by leave messages for you.

Just to let you know that this entry has been scouted for inclusion in the Edited Guide. Can you let me know when all the elements of feedback in this Conversation have been addressed so we can send this splendid piece on it merry way?

I'll check back on Monday

It's me on PR duty this week... mwah hah hah hah hah haah! Researcher 128012, when you've spuced up this most promising entry, we'll volley it into the back of the net that is the Edited Guide.

Sorry to come to this a bit late - recent registree and all that.

The old stuff is good but perhaps there could be something about more recent history? Someone's already mentioned the re-run election, but how about the whole Twyford Down/M3 extension debacle?
SOME might say that the great and the good of Winchester campaigning to locate the motorway away from their backyard and through an SSSI might be of interest....!

Researcher 128012, are you there? Do you read me? This is base camp calling Researcher 128012, do you read me? Over.

dont forget the college!

Apologies!
i'm a new father (proud dad of a 3 month old) and term has just started (I'm a history teacher!).
Will hopefully do this in the next week.

Congratulations!!! there's really no need to apologise. And don't worry about the entry - in your own good time, sir! And from all of us at h2g2, congratulations once again!

you dont work at the college do you? if you did, youd be mr romans. i BET. and if you are, you still have my new order CD. if you arent, ignore me