Winchester West Gate and the Butter Cross

Following on from my Winchester posts onthe old plague memorial and King Arthurs Round Table we come to the Westgate; one of two surviving fortified gateways in Winchester (the other being  Kingsgate). For centuries they were incorporated into Winchester City Walls.

Though there is the odd small fragment of Roman wall in Winchester, the earliest surviving segments of the gate are Anglo-Saxon which is fitting for Alfred The Great.

The gate was rebuilt in the 12th century and modified in the 13th and late 14th centuries, the latter including a portcullis in the western façade and two inverted-keyhole gunports (for use with hand-held cannon), the earliest in the country. Incredibly the gate was in use until 1959 when the High Street road traffic was routed around it as it remains today.

Since the 19th century it has been used as a city museum and archives.

I love old medieval cities, especially if they have large sections of their walls or gates such as these. Beyond the gates one enters the old High Street with a beautiful vibrant city centre with lots of beautiful Georgian buildings and many much older.

Towards the centre of the street is the Butter Cross, sometimes referenced as the High Cross. It dates from the early 15th Century and was restored by G. G. Scott in 1865. It can be best described as a tall many-pinnacled cross on a stepped plinth with five octagonal steps.

It was once used by countrymen to sell produce, hence the name Butter Cross. In 1770 it was sold off by the Paving Commissioners to a Mr Dummer. When he tried to remove it, the citizens of Winchester organised a small riot and preserved the monument for the City. Good for them! The citizens of Winchester have had a few riots in their time. People power!

The monument is a protected structure and bow listed as Ancient Monument. No. 204 and so no-one will be moving it in a hurry.       

There are now twelve figures on the monument. Each face of the monument has a large figure about half way up, surmounted by two smaller figures in niches. The eight figures at high level represent, The Blessed Virgin, and the Saints Bartholomew, John, Lawrence, Maurice, Peter, Swithun, and Thomas.

Of the four large figures, three are relatively new. According to records at The Historic Resources Centre the figures are representations of  William of Wykeham, Lawrence de Anne (An early Mayor of Winchester), Aelfred the Great, and the oldest statue (Facing the closest building) is of St John the Evangelist.  There are, however, records that also indicate that this figure may be of  St Amphibalus.
St Amphibalus was one of the first British Martyrs (Died 25th June AD 304) and Winchester Cathedral was under his patronage before it was dedicated to St Swithun, so there is some connection to support this hypothesis.

For a Buttermarket rather than a Butter Cross, check out this lovely old post on a lovely old Butter Market in the now infamous Barnard Castle. There is something very similar to at Oakham Stocks – A quirky remnant of punishments from the Middle-Ages.

Phew, all this history and walking around in the heat (despite the cloudy sky) can make one a little thirsty. Fortunately for me nearby is what might be the oldest pub in Britain.

I enjoyed my visit to Winchester so much that I have created an official Winchester Day Tour through Ye Olde England Tours. If you’re coming to the U.K. and would like to spend a day in this truly beautiful old city, then check out the link below!

Winchester Day Tour by First Class Train