More Winchester history to be published

It was a Golden Age for Winchester – around AD 1000 the city was an important centre for music, learning, literature and liturgy. It had two royal monasteries, two palaces, the Old Minster Cathedral and trade links that spread across Europe.

It’s astonishing to learn that this ancient Anglo-Saxon capital of England also had a Mint, situated near the Buttercross in the High Street that in the era between Alfred the Great and Henry III struck between 25 and 50 MILLION silver coins that were traded as far afield as Russia.

For the last fifty years Winchester has been one of the most excavated cities in Europe and was the birthplace of rescue archaeology under Professor Martin Biddle (Emeritus Professor of Medieval Archaeology at Oxford University) who is now honoured as a Freeman of the City of Winchester.

The history that has emerged from these digs has been published in a series of volumes called The Winchester Studies. A further five volumes are now to be printed by the Oxford University Press. They are The Winchester Mint (currently at the press), The People of Winchester, The Anglo Saxon Minsters of Winchester, Winchester Castle and The Winchester Historic Town Atlas (with the Historic Towns Trust).

On Friday 10th June at the City Museum in the Square at 6.00pm an appeal will be launched for the publication of these further volumes with invited guests and the Trustees of the Winchester Excavations Committee. On show will be artefacts and pictures from 50 years of discovery, including a silver coin from the time of King Alfred.

For further information and to arrange an interview with Professor Biddle please contact:

Robin Worman 01962 713402

Professor Martin Biddle 07880 716915