All right, flanneruk, now I'm going to have to reread the Jack Aubrey series. This will cut seriously into my fodors time.

I will tell you the perfect walk and pub visit in Winchester if you promise not to tell anyone else (no one reads this stuff anyway do they?).

Go to the Cathedral - after you've seen round it (It's very good) go through the Close, exit, turn left and you're in College St. There is a church above the old city gate - Kingsgate - which is worth the detour (it's tiny - won't take long).

If you at all interested in that Jane Bloody Austen woman you might want to walk down college st to the yellow house at the end - that's where she lived (and died). This is a private house so you can only see the outside. Now retrace your steps back to Kingsgate St.

You have now come to your first pub. The Wykeham Arms (named after himself). This is a lovely pub and serves good food. It's on the corner of Kingsgate St and Canon St (My old house is the first one in Canon St next to the car park)

After you're done there set off down Kingsgate St - a pretty street of cottages.

After about ten minutes or so you will come to your next rub-a-dub - the Queen Inn - again a lovely old pub (and my old local).

When you are done there carry on along Kingsgate st. You will soon (15 mins ) come to St Cross.

http://www.stcross.f2s.com/

This is well worth a look. There is also a rather good pub the - the Bell (Winchester has a LOT of pubs).

Once you're done with st Cross walk back across the open ground towards the cathedral. These are the water meadows:

http://www.winchester.gov.uk/GeneralM.asp?id=16408

This is mainly public ground (most of it's owned by the college but you can walk all over it)

This will bring you back to Winchester college - and the old buildings are worth a look - as is the memorial quad. Most of the rest of it isn't open to the public - as it is a working school.

You are now back where you started and have the rest of Winchester at yout mercy!

I presume you're planning on going Chawton if you're interested in JA - or have you already been on aprvious visit?

>>All right, flanneruk, now I'm going to have to reread the Jack Aubrey series. This will cut seriously into my fodors time.<<

The Fortune of War is the one with the Shannon/Chesapeake battle, if you'd like to save yourself some time.

WanderWoman, if you haven't been to Chawton, go! Jane Austen's cottage was our last stop before we flew home, and it's well worth a visit.

Lee Ann

Don't miss Antony Gormley's sculpture in the crypt of Winchester Cathedral - http://www.photographersdirect.com/b...mageid=1219784

Thanks, Lee Ann. Let's have a book chat sometime.

What a terrific group! You've all been very helpful. I'll keep a list of the walks, sights and pubs you mention - no doubt we'll run out of time before we run out of places to visit while there. Thanks again.

Nonconformist and Lee Ann -
Yes, we have been to JA's house in Chawton - marvelous! If we have time I'd love to go back. We also saw her tomb in Winchester Cathedral. This trip we plan to see a few spots we didn't know about in 1993 - Steventon and the house Cholmondley mentions, for instance.
BTW Cholmondley, I never knew Jane had a middle name. Amazing what one can learn from Fodorites ; )
Thanks again!

Jane Bloody Austen's house:

http://www.astoft.co.uk/austen/Dscn0...1-h540-q40.jpg

The house next door is the house of my old headmaster. It really is the street of horror.