This site comprises the remains of a once-splendid mediaeval palace of the Bishops of Winchester…read more It has free entry and is a great place for a picnic. The Palace was begun by Henry of Blois in 1135. Further expansion was undertaken in 1160-80; again by William of Wykeham (bishop from 1367 and founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford), Bishop Henry Beaufort (1405-1447) and finally by Bishop Langton (1493-1501). Occupied until the Civil War in the mid 17th Century, thereafter it fell into disrepair, and much of the stonework was removed for use in other buildings. However, enough remains to appreciate the grand scale of the palace. During its heyday, it was much visited by royalty, including Henry II to Henry VI, Richard the Lionheart, Edward IV and Elizabeth I. Henry VIII entertained the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, here in 1522; and Mary I stayed here prior to her wedding to the future Philip II in 1554. What remains now is an impressive and entirely moated site (still partly watered), with, on the west side, the substantial remains of Wykeham's Great Hall, the kitchen and service rooms. Beyond this is the south-west tower, still standing 20m high, and picturesquely covered with foliage. Only part of the Bishops' apartments remain. The outline of the cloister is clearly visible and the undercroft of the chapel is now occupied by a picnic table! The east range, built in the 15th Century with alterations in the 16th, is also substantially intact, and once housed a bakehouse and brewery. To the east of the site, some of the large fishponds survive, used to supply the palace with fresh fish. A red-brick building with mediaeval timber framing next to the east range now houses the small town museum, open summer weekends 2pm-4pm. The site has a small car park but is only a few minutes' walk from the centre of the town. There are information boards at key points around the site.

I had the most amazing experience at Farnham Castle, it is certainly in my top 5 highlights of…read morebetween the 5 trips I've made to England. I was staying in Farnham for a friend's wedding (not at the castle, though you can book it for your special day). I was on my way up the hill when it started raining - the only time it rained during the day in my 15-day journey! I saw online the venue was open to tour until 4pm and it was approximately 2:30pm by the time I made it up the hill. I went to where the sign said tours begin and there were many ladies huddled inside. They were very sad to inform me the tours were done for the day and they were headed home. Completely understandable, I said I could come back another day..... Apparently I could not return another day. The castle is only open on Wednesdays for visitors during very specific hours. And not every Wednesday. I think the look of disappointment prompted one lady, Mavis, to offer to do a "quick" little tour. Mavis isn't your ordinary tour guide - she grew up on the property and is a wealth of knowledge. My super intimate (and not "quick" tour) was full of first-hand knoweledge, her descriptions were so articulate and captivating - I felt like I was transported back in time and reliving her youth alongside her while exploring the different parts of this historic site during the warm summer rain. I feel the photo I attached to this review is exactly the same as what she saw many decades before I was born. As the tower is under necessary repairs, we were unable to venture inside. Mavis is, hands down, the best tour guide of all time. Between her knowledge, love of history, animals, and the natural world, she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Beautiful inside and out, I could have chatted with her for hours! I told her she should host a tv show, especially considering she has travel across the world. I feel incredibly blessed to have had this experience and highly recommend the tour - just make sure you are there on a Wednesday when they are open ;)

As far as English Heritage castles go, Farnham castle is relatively small, (although this should be…read moreexpected as it is actually only a keep and not really a castle). However what is there is extremely well presented with lots of visual and aural aids. You enter the site through a small corridor which has visual time board displays of the history of the keep and under a picture of the castle a button to start a sound recording detailing the Keeps history throughout the ages. Unfortunately this was another one of the many English fortifications that suffered at the hands of Cromwell at the end of the civil war, which resulted in the removal of all of its towers and main defensive positions. As a result it looks nothing like it would have done in its glory days, however the visaul aids provide a great insight into how the castle would have looked. First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after the Anarchy and then rebuilt in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The castle was slighted again after the Civil War in 1648. Since then more buildings have been constructed in the castle's grounds, the most impressive being those built by Bishop George Morley in the 17th century. The castle is free to enter with free parking and although there is no shop or anywhere to purchase refreshments, they have at least seen to providing a very clean WC.

A lovely twenty minute walk along the water meadows by the River Itchen, going south from the…read morecentre of Winchester, brings you to the Almshouse and church of Saint Cross. The Almshouse, founded in 1132, is the oldest and best preserved in Britain, and is England's oldest charitable institution. Founded to take care of thirteen frail men and to feed a hundred poor men a day, it was extended in the fifteenth century. To-day it includes twenty five brothers, all pensioners (although they are not actually monks - they're all lay brothers). They wear the mediaeval style of robes of two orders which date to the founding in 1132 or the extension of 1445. The Almshouse still provides the 'Wayfarer's Dole' to visitors, if you ask for it: a horn of beer and a morsel of bread. As well as the Almshouse itself, the adjacent church is a magnificent example of late Norman romanesque, on a grand scale, with later gothic additions. The Almshouse also has a lovely garden, open to visitors.

I love this place. i got married in the chapel of the Hospital back in March 1999. It has awesome…read morememories. A beautifu area, where you can still get the wayfarers dole if you are travelling. THere is great history surrounding the place. Well worth a vist - will bring a tranquil part of your day.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit for history nerds and boat lovers...not so much for…read moreeveryone else. You'll get to see amazing historic ships, going back over 500 years of of Royal Navy history. HMS Victory: The Royal Navy's flagship that led the important Battle of Trafalgar, which the French Navy was put to shame during Napoleon's destructive wars. Arguably the most famous warship in British history. It's barely holding together as much maintenance and restoration ongoing work continues, but you still can decks and learn about life onboard during the Georgian era. The Mary Rose: King Henry VIII's flagship, which sank in 1545 and was famously salvaged in 1982. The museum showcases the preserved half hull and thousands of artifacts recovered from the wreck, offering a unique glimpse into 16th-century sailor life. Be sure to watch the 4D video! HMS Warrior: was the world's first iron-hulled, armored warship, built in 1860. Its still incredibly well preserved and structurally sound...as it never saw a single battle! Still very cool seeing how modern it felt compared to the older ships. £46/$62 3 Attraction Ticket: as fun this all was, it is really expensive for what you get, so minus one for that.

Saw Spanish galleon not original but has been made as a replica but still good not quite the victoryread more

Now in the care of English Heritage, Netley is the most complete surviving Cistercian abbey in…read moresouthern England. Founded in 1238 by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester, it was colonised by monks from nearby Beaulieu Abbey. Almost all the walls of its 13th century church still stand, together with many monastic buildings. The buildings were converted into an impressive country residence by Sir William Paulet, First Marquess of Winchester, who acquired the abbey in 1536 after the Dissolution. Abandoned as a house in the 18th Century, most traces of Paulet's alterations were removed in the 19th century, when Netley's ivy-clad ruins became a favourite of the Romantic movement. Netley was visited by John Constable, who came to paint here, and also by Jane Austen, who may have found inspiration for her novel Northanger Abbey. Access is free although opening times are restricted, especially in winter months. It's a lovely spot for a picnic and feels a long way from the surrounding urban area. There's a small car park - more parking and toilets are available over the road in the Abbey Hall Recreation Ground.

Once a rival to Hampton Court, in the 16th Century Basing House was one of the grandest houses in…read moreEngland, and hosted all of the Tudor monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. Besieged three times in the Civil War, it was stormed by Cromwell and destroyed. The ruins are extensive but fragmentary, and a good imagination is needed to understand the site. Basing started life as a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in the 11th Century, when it was chief of the 55 manors granted to Hugh de Port by William the Conquerer. Unusually the motte was low but over 300ft wide. The estate was passed through inheritance to the Paulet family, and it was Sir William Paulet (1483-1572), 1st Marquess of Winchester, who developed the famous great house. He held a range of high offices during his long career, and amassed a considerable fortune, which he spent on the remodelling and extending the house. He first developed the original castle into a more comfortable residence in the classic Tudor style, using locally made bricks. He built a great gatehouse as the main accommodation, leading to a separate great hall, with other buildings arranged around the inside of the walls. However, this was insufficient to host the monarchs and their large retinues on their Royal progresses, so he built an enormous new palace of some 360 rooms, adjacent to the original castle, to provide additional accommodation. This took the form of a large square stately house, with a central range and two oblong courtyards, again in red brick with classical decoration. The two houses were linked by a short bridge and gateway through the original defences. The Royal visits, however, exhausted the family fortunes. Elizabeth I visited several times; most notably, on one visit she hosted the new French ambassador. She brought a retinue of 1,500 people in her court - and he brought 400. They stayed for two weeks, enjoying banquets, hunts and spectacles. In modern terms, the visit cost millions of pounds. As a result, the 5th Marquess mothballed the new house when he inherited the estate in 1629. His plan was to save enough funds to restore part of the house, but the intervention of the Civil War saw him refortify both houses. A Royalist supporter, the house - on the main road to the south west - was a key strategic location, and it was besieged three times. The final siege began in August 1645; the defenders withstood the Parliamentary forced until October, but the arrival of Cromwell with substantial reinforcements made defeat inevitable: first the new house was overcome, and then the defences of the Old were breached. As well as substantial damage from canon fire, fires were set which destroyed much of both buildings. Cromwell asked parliament to agree that locals be given the right to remove building materials - which led to the dismantling of most of the ruins. The red bricks now form many of the lovely 17th Century cottages in the village. The site today comprises Grange Farm (now the Visitor Centre), where the magnificent Great Barn is the most substantial reminder of Paulet's achievements. A short walk away along a lane, you enter through one of the original gates to the estate, over a bridge over the disused Basingstoke canal, and up towards the motte and bailey. Here you can walk around the scant remains of the old house - primarily basements and cellars, with elements of the main walls. Virtually nothing survives of the new house, but there are interpretation boards at key points, and a viewing platform provides s good perspective over the site. Of interest are the partially restored walled garden, and the 17th Century earthwork defences thrown up during the Civil War: these are rare survivors. There's a small but disappointing museum on the site and an entrance building containing, bizarrely, a model of both houses - in lego. Tickets are bought at the visitor centre at Grange Farm, but car parking is a further five minute walk along the River Loddon near the Barton Mills pub. Walking around the site, and to and from the car park, is around a two miles. Access for those of limited mobility is a challenge. The main site is fairly hilly, mostly grass, and the viewing platform is reached by an outdoor staircase. There are toilets at the Visitor Centre and at the entrance to the main site.

Absolutely useless 90 min wait to speak to someone average 3 month wait for repairs no independent…read moreombudsman despite being a Government requirement ? Worst council in the UK

The Medieval Merchants House is an English Heritage site in the historic part of Southampton. It is…read morea small building ( http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/Q6XqH1E05lB2nIlwJStggw?select=HacP6tvKNjQY2oWBVKmJ9Q ), with a dirt floor on the ground level, and some upstairs rooms and a cellar. Considering the overall size of the property, the entrance fee seems a bit steep. The audio guide is fairly lengthy, describing the typical life of the inhabitants: a wealthy Southampton wine merchant and his family, and guests. Actually, the audio guide is really lengthy, which is good for the history fans, but not great when you've got small kids in your group. The site staff did open up the large wine cellar for us, under the building, and let us inside it. Overall, while the history is great (you can get a good sense of what Southampton was like as a port in the Middle Ages), the site is pretty small - like 5 rooms total, plus the cellar. For history fans, it's cool, but for random entertainment, its value per admission isn't great. OPENING TIMES: we must have lucky in our trip, since according to the English Heritage website, the Medieval Merchant's House is only open on Sundays (noon to five pm). Accessibility note: since it is an old building with a dirt floor, strollers aren't admitted, but can be left with the museum staff in the entry room/gift shop. Steep stairs for the upstairs and for the wine cellar.