Royal Connections - Windsor, Winchester

Visit the ancient city of Winchester and discover its Iron Age, Roman and Saxon origins still apparent in the city's layout and surrounding hills.

Tell the inspiring story of King Alfred the Great who made Winchester the capital of Wessex, defeated the Great Viking Army and began the formation of England in the 9th Century.

Explore the area of the city that was once the largest religious complex north of the Alps including the remains of the Old Minster and St Mary's, a nunnery founded by King Alfred's wife.

Visit the Norman cathedral to understand how the William the Conqueror used Winchester as his capital and a statement of his power in England. We will explore the new exhibition about the fascinating forensic investigation of the royal mortuary caskets that contain the bones of pre-conquest kings and queens of England.

Walk through the beautiful city streets discovering evidence of Saxon and Norman buildings buried beneath later buildings as far as the 14 century Great Hall and the ancient Westgate of the original walls.

Discover King Arthur's Round Table (known as) in the Great Hall and the story of the great medieval castle that once stood here.

Find the evidence of the palace begun by Charles II in the 17th Century to rival Louis XIV's great achievement at Versailles.

Head for Windsor Castle for an afternoon visit of the longest inhabited Royal castle in the world. The Saxon Kings had a royal palace nearby and the Normans began the building of the Windsor we know.

Explore the State Rooms, the Middle and Lower Ward, St George's Chapel, the Garter banners and other areas of the castle.

Trace the Royal family through the development of the castle, its astounding art treasures and the stories of the many generations of Kings and Queens who have made the castle their home.