Explore Winchester's indoor attractions

Make the most of the district's indoor attractions, from Winchester Cathedral and The Great Hall to Winchester City Mill, which is run by the National Trust and is free to enter. There's also Winchester Science Centre where you could spend hours exploring the exhibits, watching live shows and enjoying a (dry) night's sky above you in the planetarium.

Browse Winchester's indie shops

Winchester is full of independent stores, from gift and homeware stores to delis and clothes shops. Best of all, a lot of them are set inside pretty historic buildings so nipping between them is an experience in itself. The district's market towns are no different. Head to Wickham to browse antique, vintage and pre-loved stores, like Chesapeake Mill, and to explore the town's unique shopping arcades. The centre of nearby Alresford and Bishop's Waltham are full of independent stores too, selling everything from locally-made produce and artisan toiletries to children's toys.

Read: Lovely gift shops in Winchester 

Curl up with a good book

Stay warm and dry inside with a book for company. If you have one tucked away in your bag already, choose a cosy corner inside one of Winchester's coffee shops and cafés. If you're in need of a read, head to The Arc, where you'll find Winchester library along with plenty of comfy seats. P&G Wells is a lovely historic bookshop, where the author Jane Austen may have shopped - you can find it near Winchester Cathedral on College Street. The Winchester Bookshop, the Deanery Bookshop in the cathedral's Inner Close and Oxfam Books & Music on Parchment Street all sell a great selection of second hand books.

Head to the cinema

If you can't stand getting wet, skip the day entirely with a cinema screening. Try Winchester's Everyman for showings of newly-released movies, or take a visit to Theatre Royal Winchester. The theatre puts on screenings of classic movies in their auditorium. Over the road, you'll find cosy café Cabinet Rooms. They have a secret underground cinema which shows cult and much-loved film favourites.

Enjoy a long, slow brunch

No need to rush to get out and about. If the aim is staying dry, why not really take your time over brunch. There are so many places in Winchester city centre to enjoy a leisurely start to your day, from Josie's which is known for serving up giant stacks of fluffy pancakes with generous toppings to Lucky Lychee, where at the weekend you can book a Malaysian brunch of roti canai, served with traditional curries or butcher-cured bacon and curry sausages.

Read: Great places for brunch in Winchester

Or a long slow roast lunch

Nothing brightens up a grey, wet day more than a comforting roast, especially if you manage to bag a table next to a roaring fire. Stay snug and dry while eating roast potatoes and buckets of gravy in a pub like The Wykeham Arms, which is on a pretty cobbled street near Winchester Cathedral, The Tichborne Arms, a buzzy countryside spot near Alresford, or at The Wellhouse at Lainston House, a restaurant where everything is cooked by woodfire.

Read: Where to book Sunday roasts in Winchester 

Visit one of Winchester's art galleries

While away an hour or two wandering through one of the city's art galleries. At The Arc on Jewry Street, you'll find City Space, a free-to-enter exhibition space which showcases the work of local artists, as well as The Gallery, which hosts major exhibitions. In recent years The Gallery has displayed works from the likes of J.M.W. Turner and William Morris. The Winchester Gallery is free to enter and hosts a calendar of exhibitions throughout the year.

Hide with a pint at the pub

Winchester city is dotted with historic and characterful pubs, perfect for popping into when the heavens open. From The Westgate to The Wykeham Arms, The King Alfred to The Black Boy, you're never far from a welcoming pub and a pint of something local in Winchester. Pub crawl anyone?

Play games all day

Hunker down and play the day away at Mythic Tabletop Games, a café, shop and social space on Parchment Street where you can book a table and borrow a game from their boardgame library. Kushti Winchester is a comic book, collectables and games store that also has a big space for games and tournaments, while Turkuaz Winchester on Jewry Street has interactive dart boards you can book for games. ClueCapers is the place to do escape rooms in Winchester. They do offer outdoor games, but a rainy day seems like the perfect excuse to lock yourself inside to solve puzzles.

Read: Places to play games in Winchester

Stay dry at a Winchester museum

Rainy days call for museum trips and Winchester has quite a few to choose from. Discover more about the history of Winchester, which used to be the seat of Alfred the Great and the ancient capital of England in Winchester City Museum - they usually put on themed events or trails for the school holidays too. Winchester College's Treasury Museum is open to the public for free every day between 2 and 4pm, while at the top of town you'll find five of Winchester's Military Museums which each tell a fascinating story. Head just beyond the city to Worthy Down where the Royal Logistic Corps Museum offers a free day out exploring over 300 years of military logistics.

Take the kids to soft play

Wet days = soft play. Embrace indoor fun and take the family to Thrive & Wild, Winchester's newest soft play. There are areas to entertain little ones from babies up to 11-year-olds. Nearby there's also soft play at Everyone Active Winchester, Qube soft play in Winchester, The Adventure Barn on Marwell Resort and Arlebury Soft Play Café in Alresford. Clemmie's Play Café is a sweet roleplay space in Winchester city centre where your little ones can pretend to run a pizzeria or a florist (all while staying dry!)

Read: 45 things to do with kids in Winchester

Have a warming hot chocolate

If comfort food and drink is calling you, head to Chococo in Winchester, a chocolate shop and café that does award-winning hot chocolates, made with flakes of single origin chocolate. Other places in Winchester to pick up a hot chocolate include Flat Whites, Open House Deli and Forte Kitchen, which has a healthy hot chocolate on the menu, containing collagen and ashwagandha. Røst, near Winchester station, also offers a range of rich cacao drinks.

See a show

Book tickets to see a theatre show, live music, stand-up comedy act or something more unusual like burlesque bingo. Theatre Royal Winchester has a busy calendar of events throughout the year, while, next door, The Arc also hosts plenty of performers. The Nutshell is the place to head to see emerging talent and more alternative shows.

Embrace the weather on a Winchester walk

If you're of the opinion that there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing (we tend to agree!) a little bit of rain shouldn't stop you from exploring the green spaces and South Downs countryside that surrounds Winchester. Follow the self-guided City Walk for a short pavement stroll or head off on a longer adventure, from the Viaduct Way to Keats Walk or even a section of a long distance trail like the South Downs Way, Clarendon Way or The Watercress Way. You could also explore spots like Winnall Moors, St Catherine's Hill and Hinton Ampner. Just remember your waterproof!

Read: Walks in Winchester