Winchester

Winchester
City
Clockwise from top left: Winchester Cathedral, Great Minster Street, Great Hall of Winchester Castle and Winchester Guildhall
Coat of arms of Winchester
Winchester Location within Hampshire
Population	48,478 [1]
OS grid reference	SU485295
• London	60 miles (97 km)
District	Winchester
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WINCHESTER
Postcode district	SO22, SO23
Dialling code	01962
Police	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Winchester
List of places UK England Hampshire 51°03′48″N 1°18′29″W / 51.0632°N 1.308°W / 51.0632; -1.308

Winchester (/ˈwɪntʃɪstər/, /-tʃɛs-/)^[2][3][4] is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is 60 miles (97 km) south-west of London and 14 miles (23 km) from Southampton, its nearest city. At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Winchester had a population of 48,478. The wider City of Winchester district includes towns such as Alresford and Bishop's Waltham and had a population of 127,439 in 2021.^[5] Winchester is the county town of Hampshire and contains the head offices of Hampshire County Council.

Winchester developed from the Roman town of Venta Belgarum, which in turn developed from an Iron Age oppidum. Winchester was one of the most important cities in England until the Norman conquest in the eleventh century. It has since become one of the most expensive and affluent areas in the United Kingdom.

The city's major landmark is Winchester Cathedral. The city is also home to the University of Winchester and Winchester College,^[6] the oldest public school in the United Kingdom still using its original buildings.