A talk looking at Winchester's ancient waterways - who built them, why and how do they connect to each other?

Winchester has a large number of waterways, apart from its beautiful river, some run underground and others are visible. Its history is intertwined with its water and its water intertwined with its history - they were used for drinking, washing, industry, defence and power as well as waste disposal! This illustrated talk, by Winchester City Guide, Erica Wheeler, explores some of the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval man-made waterways that thread through Winchester and the struggle to keep them unpolluted.

Timings & Tours 

Saturday 13 September: 12:30pm - 1:45pm

Location & directions 

Directions: There are a number of ways to find us: *1.) Hop on a King Alfred Vintage Bus (participating in the Heritage Open Day). There are regular free bus trips from Winchester city centre to Hyde (approx 10 minutes) and back. *2.) Book onto our guided trail from Winchester city centre to Hyde: King Alfred’s Last Journey - a guided, child friendly trail between the 3 burial sites of King Alfred (aimed at children but everyone will enjoy discovering interesting facts). See Heritage Open Day bookings. 3.) Nearby Car Parks: Coach Park SO23 7EL, Worthy Lane SO23 7AB, River Park SO23 7DQ, St Peter's SO23 7DD 4.) What3words ///norms.airliners.averages

Contact on day: Francesca Sluman

Telephone number: +447811735871

Booking information 

Pre-booking requirement: Pre-booking required

Booking conditions: Early booking recommended

Booking opens: 08 Aug 2025 12:00 AM

Booking closes: 10 Sep 2025 12:00 AM

Max no of people per tour: 80

Est. tour duration: 1 hours 15 minutes

Accessibility Details

Access facilities may change due to planned refurbishment works