Join Dr Gary Farnell (University of Winchester) for a walking tour of literary Winchester. Follow in the footsteps of writers with Winchester links, from Alfred the Great to Jane Austen, John Keats to Anthony Trollope, Thomas Hardy to Claire Fuller.

‘How beautiful the season is now’, wrote Keats during the summer he spent in Winchester in 1819, ‘This struck me so much in my Sunday’s walk that I composed upon it.’ The literary compositions of a host of Winchester writers, both historical and contemporary, are in fact mapped by the route of the Keats Walk. Discover Winchester’s literary heritage with a walking tour. The stages take us from the Cathedral to College Street, then out through the water meadows to St Cross Hospital (returning to the Cathedral by the same route). It may come as a surprise to encounter so much good writing in Winchester just from a pleasant stroll.

Event Times

• Friday 6 September: 4:00-5.30pm

• Sunday 7 September: 4:00-5.30pm

Booking Information

Pre-booking: Required. This event is now fully booked, please click the below link if you would like to join the waitlist.

Address & Directions

Winchester Cathedral, West Door, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LS.

We will meet outside Winchester Cathedral, by the Cathedral entrance at the West Door, then proceed to the first stop on the tour (8 College Street).

Additional Information

Max 15 people per tour/session. 1 hour 30 minutes.

As this is a walking tour, please be prepared for a 1½-hour walk (up to 2 miles); please note that parts of the tour – notably through the water meadows – may not be suitable for wheelchair-users or, for example, parents with children’s buggies.

Organised by:

Dr Gary Farnell

Header image: Jane Austen’s Winchester Address_credit Nicky Gottlieb