WINCHESTER.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18792, 9 September 1926, Page 4

WINCHESTER.

ENGLAND'S FIRST CAPITAL

The ancient cities of England have | not been merely the repositories of wealth, learning, and piety, but have taken promiuent places in the history and government of the country. Winchester, especially, lays claim to such a distinction. Speakin.2 of the origin of this city, it is doubtful whether the ancient city was called . "Caer Gwent or what the original Belgic city was like. The Keltic Britons were at least conquered by the Belgae, and probably the earthworks, traces of which still remain were due to them. About 54 A.D., it is certain the Romans oceup : ed tho place, and a Roman pavement has been brought; to light, proving that it was then a considerable town extending beyond the confines of the modern city, tho High street being in fact identical with the Komau "Via." The first cathedral has been ascribed to Lucius, the last of the Bntish kings. We now come to a time more within the scope of ' history, when the old Saxon cathedral gave place to the work of Bishop Walkelyn. In 10<y \\ alkolyii set about building the new cathedral at his own cost, using stone I'om a c/uarry in tho Isle of W right. 1 oitions of the old Saxon materials were incorporated in the masonry, and the new edifice was finished for service in 1093, after which the shrine ul. fct. Swithin was removed from the old to the new building, and the cathedral close to the Norman one was demolished. The curious basaltic font is contemporaneous with this Iwman cathedral, as also is the massive -old wooden bench, which used to stana in the north transept, where a, little brazier on the ground was, until 180.. the only warmth allowed in the buildii)£. The present low centra) tower was a rebuilding of one which fell in 1107, and-bears still the name of Walkelyn s Tower The civil war which broke out owins to the claims of the Empress Matilda laid a great part of'the city in ruins, churche* and bouses,were pillaged, and much destruction was caused to Hyde Abbey. • ■ Rebuilding the Cathedral.

Restoration work was carried out by Bishop Edingtcwv ii» 1349, when the old Norman nave was gradually being beautified by the substitution of ■-perpendicular for the Norman work. The epoch from 1366 to 1404 was the highest for/architecture in England, and it has been jjistly compared with the age of the Greek Pericles. : The. figure that stands out most prominently...was William of Wykeham, who was educated at Winchester. When-appointed Bishop he soon began to indulge his natural taste in the architecture'of the Cathedral and in the repairing.of the. various palaces/ In 1394 this work was commerited from." a plan find design -by Wykeham, Master William Winford being the "arclntect.br mason," Dominus Simori Meinbury. the clerk-tjf. works, and Brother . John.. Wayte, controller on the-part of the prior and convent, bv. whom t.he.scaffoldinsr had to be provided. . Winchester -duriug this time must have been a; prosperous city, although it was no longer a,capital, Henry Beaufort. .Chancellor of Bugland, succeeded ..Wykeham, and. after retiring from political life, carried, oil Wvkehnnrs work. 'About this time, 1410," the City Cross was erected. This owed its brigin to the. Guild of the Holy Cross. Beaufort's greatest worls was,' the. .foundation of the hospital at St.- Cro«s foi reserved for".'Bishop' Wavnflete to finish the nave of the cathedral, where his arms, with the devices Of Wykeham. and Beaufort.- may be seen; . The history of Winchester from the dissolution of the monasteries under. Henry VIIT.. has beeii one of retrogression. Even the cathedral was despoiled of many of its cost.lv ornaments plate, shrines, -and relics. ..

Di'lrihg Cromwell's time, troops wore quartered -in the cathedra 1, anrl'pn" -the surrender of the city, the casflc : hind several other'buildings were demolished.

CONSULT EXPERTS.

WHEN PLANNING A HOUSE.

J Recently the writer had occasion to draw up an "ideal" layout of a residence to illustrate the proper and adequate installation-of vgas piping, flues, and: 1 appliances, j^o.-fl illustrate -this clearly; it was decf|fs;;ip : show & woss section of a ~ The' design finally chosen was one of the syndicated plans widoly broadcast by an organisation devoted to the interests of home, builders. A draftsman and.a gas man ,were Set,to. work placing the piping and appliances in these plans. . .

The results were absurd. The flue connexions had to be tied into knots in order to reach the flues if the appliances, were to be placed , most properly. Abandoning this short-cut idea, the next scheme was to figure out an ideal pipingj flue, and appliances layout in skelefci'u. form and then draw the house plan around it—the outside and general room arrangement being determined first. When this work, was begun it was soon found -that - the living room was about the size of a closet, the dining room resembled a bowling ally, two bedrooms could have been placed, in the bathroom, and the sun-porch landed on the shady side of the house. These two attempts arc mentioned to emphasise the necessity of expert consultation on both sides of the business of planniug a home—the architectural designs for beauty and arrangement, and the technical modifications required for satisfactory installations of electricity, water, and gas. I shall be frank enough to say that my experience with architects shows them to be several jumps ahead of the general run of utility companies in the understanding of the technical problems of the other fellows.—Rupert T. Eurdick in '' Architecture " , (U.S.A.)

When we mean to build We first survey the plot, then draw the model, , ' .. And when we see the figure of the house, , ~ Then must we rate the cost or tlie erection, . Which if we find outweighs ability, What do we then but draw anew the model " In fewer offices ? ! Shakespeare. "King Henry 1V.," Part II;, Act 1., Sc. Ill: '