Winchester is the former capital of England. The magnificent Cathedral, which has the longest nave in Europe, houses the tombs of early English Kings. The impressive 13th century Great Hall, once the centre of England's government and justice, contains the famous Round Table of England. Where William the Conqueror's treasury stood, the Square is an attractive shopping area and there are plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants. On the site of William's palace, the City Museum tells Winchester's story from Roman to modern times. A bronze statue of King Alfred the Great, who restored Winchester after the dark ages, dominates the Broadway and the approach to the Victorian Guildhall. Winchester also has a long military history and today houses the museums of the King's Royal Hussars, the Gurkhas, the Royal Green Jackets, the Light Infantry and the Royal Hampshire Regiment. If you look in at Winchester College (England's oldest school, founded in 1382), you can enjoy lunch at the intriguing Wykeham Arms. If literature is your scene you can visit Jane Austen's house and follow Keat's walk. And don't - like too many visitors - miss Wolvesey Castle, one of the great medieval buildings of England, scene of Mary Tudor's wedding to Philip of Spain in 1554.
The dreaming spires of Oxford need little introduction here. For the first time visitor, a good start point is The Oxford Story, where an audio-visual presentation and award-winning ride connects the city of today with great events and famous faces from the past. Even those who don't much like books will be fascinated by the Bodleian Library (from 1488), whose elaborate vaulted ceiling and carved bosses make it a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture. The Sheldonian Theatre was the first major work by Sir Christopher Wren, designed when he was Professor of Astronomy at Oxford and built between 1664 and 1669 in the shape of a Roman theatre; the 17th-century painted ceiling is of particular interest and there are excellent views of the spires of Oxford from the cupola. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (1280), once housed Oxford University's reference library and was used for degree ceremonies. In 1555-56 it saw the heresy trials of the bishops Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer, who were burnt at the stake in Broad Street. From the 90-foot tower an external gallery gives marvellous views over the heart of the city. The Ashmolean Museum (opened 1683, with an existing collection dating fifty years earlier than this) is Britain's oldest museum, and still collecting. An art gallery as well as a museum, the Ashmolean includes notable works of Easter and Western art, including important Islamic ceramics and work by Raphael and Michelangelo.
Oxford's Colleges and other University sites are too many and varied to be listed and described here, but we can't resist suggesting two particular treats. For anyone who likes English church music, a visit to Oxford would be incomplete without attending a service at Christ Church Cathedral, which has the distinction of being the smallest English cathedral. The only church that doubles as a college chapel and a cathedral, it is also Oxford's rival to King's College Cambridge for the quality and character of its choral singing. There are sung services at 10.00, 11.15 and 6.00 on Sundays (Matins, Eucharist and Evensong respectively) and on many weekdays (see the Cathedral website for current details - http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral). Christ Church College also has an important collection of Old Master paintings and drawings. Our second must-see treat is The University of Oxford Botanic Garden. The oldest botanic garden in Britain, for more than 375 years this Walled Garden, built before the English Civil War, has stood on the bank of the River Cherwell in the centre of Oxford. It has evolved from a seventeenth century collection of medicinal herbs to the most compact yet diverse collection of plants in the world. In addition to the botanical family beds there is a range of glasshouses including a Tropical Lily House, Palm House and Arid House. Outside the original walled garden there are herbaceous borders, a newly restored bog garden and a rock garden.
Note that all the colleges have strict opening hours for visitors, and some colleges now charge for admission.
The peace and quiet of Tile Barn House is only four minutes from the A34 trunk road, which connects the South Coast and Winchester with Oxford, the Midlands and the North. Ten minutes away, the M4 motorway connects with London, Windsor, Bath, Bristol, South Wales and the West of England. Also ten minutes, the centre of Newbury and the famous Newbury Racecourse; fifteen or twenty minutes to the Vodafone HQ. But you can walk from Tile Barn House into open fields and ancient woodlands, along narrow country lanes and past some of England's finest country houses and churches.
This page suggests some attractions that make the Hampshire/Berkshire borders such a good place to live and a fine centre for business and holiday-making. Alongside are links to more detailed information. Come and see for yourself!
Within easy walking distance
Within ten minutes walk, The Chase is a large expanse of woodland, managed by the National Trust. On the way to The Chase you'll walk through Broad Laying; the name recalls the place where sheep were kept overnight on their way to market in Newbury. You will pass our village pub, The Rampant Cat, which serves good beer, food and wine and - with the village stores and post office - is very much a social centre for the village. Walking in the other direction from Tile Barn you'll pass the 19th century St Thomas' church, the church hall (which is also the village hall) and the infants' school. Leaving the village, a two mile circuit will take you through East End, a small hamlet with many interesting houses and a former pub, past three fine country houses - Stargrove, once the home of Mick Jagger, Malverleys and Woolton House. A mile and a half in another direction will take you past Highclere church and into Highclere Park (designed by Capability Brown), site of Highclere Castle, reputedly Englands finest surviving Victorian house, seat of the Earls of Carnarvon. Beyond Highclere is Burghclere and the Sandham Memorial Chapel, built in the 1920s for the artist Stanley Spencer to fill with murals inspired by his experiences in WW1. Influenced by Giotto's Arena Chapel in Padua, Spencer took five years to complete what is arguably his finest achievement. The chapel is set amidst lawns and orchards with views across Watership Down.
Longer walks
For the more energetic walker, we can suggest circuits of three, four, five or more miles, through some of Southern England's most attractive countryside. The Wayfarer's Walk, which stretches some 70 miles to the South Coast, starts nearby at Inkpen Beacon, which boasts superb views across Oxfordshire to the North. At its nearest point Wayfarer's Walk passes Highclere Park, Beacon Hill and Watership Down. The crest of the Down overlooks the home of composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber. The countryside around Tile Barn House abounds in places and buildings of beauty and historic interest.
Nearby historic sites
Several sites of historic interest are within easy reach. In the English Civil War the two armies converged on Newbury and on 20th-21st September 1643 fought the first battle of Newbury, at Wash Common, just three miles from Tile Barn House. A year later at Speen and Bagnor, just north of Newbury, King Charles again led his cavaliers in person in the second battle of Newbury. Despite considerable loss of life neither battle was decisive. The King's guns were placed in Donnnington Castle, first crenellated in 1386, which looks across the second battlefield.
Prehistoric sites
The area is rich in settlements and monuments from the earliest times of human life in Britain. Within a short walk (though a steep climb), Beacon Hill is one of the best known hill forts in England. The beacon itself, used for centuries as part of the defence network of the country, is still lit on great public occasions - in 2002 it was lit to celebrate The Queen's Jubilee. Below Beacon Hill, along the road to Winchester, many tumuli (ancient burial mounds) can clearly be seen. Further north, Wayland's Smithy (3700-3400 BC), beautifully situated in a clump of beech trees, is one of the finest chambered long barrows (another form of burial chamber) in Britain and lies a short hike away - along the Ridgeway footpath - from Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle. Along the A4, West Kennet long barrow, on a prominent chalk ridge near Silbury Hill and not far from Avebury, is one the largest chambered long barrows in Britain. Our neighbouring county of Wiltshire contains 148 out of 260 of Britain's long barrows. Silbury and Avebury themselves are must-visit places: Silbury is the tallest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe and one of the world's largest. In a display of immense technical skill and prolonged control over labour and resources, the local people of 4600 years ago invested 18 million man-hours to shape the hill, using 248,000 cubic metres of earth. Avebury is the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world: its 427m diameter covers an area of some 28 acres. 98 sarsen slabs enclose two smaller circles of 30 stones each and other settings and arrangements of stones; the largest stone weighs 60 tons. People from around the world visit Stonehenge (to the South) and miss the - for many - much more interesting sites at Avebury.
City tours
Two of England's most famous cities - Winchester and Oxford - are within around a half-hour drive South and North respectively from Tile Barn House.
Other important towns and sites
Also within an hour or so from Tile Barn House are:
Please see our home page for bookings, charging rates and contact details.
| Click here for a general location map
(provided by MultiMap) or here for a local "How to find us" map |
|
| Winchester Cathedral, burial place of the early kings of England: | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |