Lucky you choosing to live and study in Winchester!
Once the ancient capital of England and former seat of King Alfred the Great, Winchester is the quintessential English city with a rich heritage and vibrant contemporary culture.
Crowned by The Sunday Timesas ‘The Best Place to Live 2016’ and topping the 2019 Royal Mail Happiness Index, this friendly and highly walkable city of about 50,000 people has an easy-going vibe, fabulous local food, a lively music scene and a wonderful street performance festival – The Hat Fair.
From classical architecture in the form of the Cathedral to the pockets of rolling hills; where else would you choose to live and study?!
From former Kings of England to famed novelists; you will more recently find some filming taking place in the city centre; with Winchester the backdrop for scenes in films such as The Da Vinci Code and Les Misérables.
For shopping:
Winchester offers an array of unique, independent shops and boutiques as well as traditional and well-known national stores.
The High Street is a bustling, traffic-free shopping environment with street performers and regular markets.
With West Quay in Southampton or Festival Place in Basingstoke being the choice for those who wish to shop til they drop!
For Riverside Way residents Tesco’s is your closest supermarket, it is just a quick 5 minute walk away and they are open 24 hours a day with a pharmacy and opticians available too*
For Cathedral Point residents there is a Tesco Express and a Co-Op right on your doorstep.
Don’t forget to have a look at all the local pubs, restaurants and coffee shops that are on our doorstep in Winchester.
For going out:
Winchester has an eclectic mix of independent cafes’, restaurants and bars mixed with high street favourites. In celebration of the setting and local produce and drink, make sure you try and sample these at one of the many festivals held during the year. Such as Winchester Cheese & Chilli Festival, or how about going a bit further afield and trying the Romsey Round Table Beer & Cider Festival.
Your universities (University of Winchester and University of Southampton) will each have their own student unions holding a variety of nights.
Proud to hold national Purple Flag status Winchester has been recognised as a city that is safe and enjoyable for a night out.
*times are different to store opening hours
