Wolvesey Castle

Top choice in Winchester


The fantastical, crumbling remains of early-12th-century Wolvesey Castle huddle in the protective embrace of the city's walls. Completed by Henry de Blois, it served as the Bishop of Winchester's residence throughout the medieval era, with Queen Mary I and Philip II of Spain celebrating their wedding feast here in 1554.

According to legend, its name comes from a Saxon king's demand for an annual payment of 300 wolves' heads. Today, the bishop lives in the (private) Wolvesey Palace, next door.


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