Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

This southern county has a splendidly varied range of fine buildings. Winchester, with its Cathedral, Castle, College and churches, has some of the finest medieval architecture in England. At Southampton the walled medieval port is still recognisable; in contrast, Portsmouth is of special interest for its extensive Georgian and Victorian dock buildings. The rich countryside abounds in attractive villages and small towns with notable churches and houses, from Norman Romsey Abbey and the quiet grandeur of The Vyne with its audacious portico by John Webb to the early nineteenth century Neo-Grecian of the Grange. Smaller delights include Jane Austen's house at Chawton and Stanley Spencer's unparalleled series of paintings in the Sandham Mermorial Chapel at Burghclere.