The city has a wealth of accomplished artists, designers and craftspeople working and living in the area and is home to the University of Southampton’s thriving art school.
One of Winchester’s most famous landmarks is Hamo Thornycroft’s towering bronze statue of King Alfred the Great, erected in 1901 in the Broadway.
Antony Gormley’s Sound II stands in the crypt of Winchester Cathedral and looks especially striking when it floods with water. And outside, Luminous Motion, a stainless steel tower by Peter Freeman, studded with changing coloured lights, creates a striking contrast with the ancient cathedral behind it.
Horse and Rider, the life-size bronze statue by Elisabeth Frink, overlooks the High Street and as you head towards The Westgate, with its 15th and 16th century painted glass windows and a 16th century painted ceiling, made at the time of the marriage in Winchester Cathedral of Queen Mary Tudor to King Philip II of Spain, look out for David Kemp’s Hampshire Hog, created to celebrate the centenary of Hampshire County Council in 1989.
Visit Winchester College to see arts and artefacts which once belonged to Bishop William of Wykeham (1324-1404) set within the architecturally impressive surrounds of the college, one of the oldest schools in England.
Marzia Colonna’s Kite Flyer sculpture in Parchment Street is one of the most recent additions to Winchester’s sculptural mix, along with 19 colourfully painted bollards featuring designs taken from iconic paintings by artists such as Hockney and Picasso which you can admire as you soak up the continental café culture of The Square. The bollards are painted by local artists from The Colour Factory.