Close by

Emerging from Winchester Cathedral for a quick dash through the Close before we were due to meet friends, I spotted this sign, but there was no time to follow the arrow and see what it was all about. Frustration!



It made me think, however, that I ought to have chosen my Hampshire reading matter with more thought of where I was going and instead of taking a book about music and an American novel, I should have had something of local interest or connections, and there are plenty to choose from.

In anticipation of making a return trip before long, I've consulted The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to Great Britain and Ireland and my very own Hampshireman, Mr. C., to find a few literary associations for the county.

Jane Austen is at the top of the list, of course, and then in no particular order are Dickens (Portsea), Gilbert White (Selborne), Edward Thomas (Steep), Patrick O'Brien's famous Captain Jack Aubrey (Master and Commander, etc.) lived in the county, Arthur Conan Doyle practised medicine in Southsea and set The White Company� in Hampshire, and then, as far as I can gather though it is the subject of debate, Trollope's The Warden� is based on St. Cross in Winchester. The walk we took, pictured here, follows in Keats' footsteps, and earlier we skirted Romsey, home - in its Kingsmarkham guise - to Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford (Not in the Flesh etc.).

Comments

[rosie]

Hadn't realised the (possible) Trollope/St Cross connection, I think that part of Winchester is so beautiful (not that I've been for many years).

The Sylvia Townsend Warner society had a brilliant day out in Hampshire a few years ago; starting at Jane Austen's house in Chawton (Warner wrote the British Council's pamhlet on Austen), then on to Gilbert White's house at Selborne (Warner compiled a book about Timothy, White's tortoise) and finally to Steep for Edward Thomas (not sure that there was a Warner connection there, but interesting nonetheless).

I couldn't beleive me eyes when I saw that Chawton has a tearooms called Cassandra's Cup (after Jane's sister): how long before the pub is rechristened as Jane's Jug?

[Karin]

Sorry you had the frustration of seeing the 'Books' sign and weren't able to do anything about it, but the good thing is that it wasn't a one-off event but a booksale in the Cathedral Close (in aid of the Cathedral choir?) which runs throughout the summer. The books under the open arches at the front of the area are available for fairly long hours (with an 'honesty' box) but there is also a room with more books that is open when the sale is manned (but I think this is most days till about October).

So come and visit Winchester again sometime!

Thanks for an interesting blog, and I liked the picys of the flint wall and the view along the river (which I see each time I walk into town!)

Karin (from Winchester)

[Lindsay]

An odd omission from your list, given your recent employments (over four pounds of which is in my freezer, many thanks) is Isaak Walton!

And may I express some scepticism about The Warden. Winchester may have inspired Trollope - and a particular case at St Cross acted as the catalyst for the story - but Barchester is normally located further west. The great Mgr Ronald Knox reconstructed it, with the trains going into Paddington. So Salisbury or further n or w feels more likely for the location alone. And the cathedral close has always felt more S than W to me, but that's a purely intuitive reaction.

[adele geras]

Cassandra's Cup is lovely. The whole of the ceiling is studded with hooks and a cup hangs from each and every one. A nightmare for the people who have to DUST THEM, but beautiful to look at. The food is also good. We had smashing teacakes there and very good soup. Vaut le detour, as they say, though it's only across the road from Jane Austen's house. Please forgive lack of accent on 'detour'...can't manage those in comments boxes. Nice to have you back, Cornflower.

[Susie Vereker]

Interesting pics. I'd never have thought of photographing the flint wall as it seems everyday to us Hampshire folk!
By the way, the books at the Cathedral are the usual sort of selection of second-hand books. Last time I was there I bossily moved Brigif Keenan's Diplomatic Baggage from fiction to non-fiction for the organisers. Must have been the girly cover that foxed them.
I wonder where Mr C comes from.