Mini Stays
Winchester
Mini Stays are for teachers, language schools, agents or other organisations who would like to bring a group to one of our wonderful small and friendly English towns! This service is especially suitable for school groups coming to England during term-time.
120
Max students
90 mins LGW
60 mins LHR
Time to/from airport by road
90 Mins
Time to/from London by road (coach)
direct
Train to London
Best Time to visit?
All year
What’s the vibe?
Historic, Cultural, Elegant, Lively, Foodie
Why Winchester?
Winchester is the perfect place for a group of young students to explore.
It's safe. It is a small, friendly city where your students can safely experience life in England.
It's interesting. It is England’s ancient capital and full of historic buildings, monuments and museums.
It's beautiful. It has a magnificent cathedral and lovely hill and riverside walks.
It's fun. It has swimming, tennis, golf, a science centre and planetarium, a theatre and a cinema.
If you've got a moment, take a look at this video of our beautiful city. It's also very easy to get to lots of other fantastic places from Winchester - including Stonehenge, Portsmouth, Southampton, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight.
It's very easy to get to London - and the main London airports - from Winchester.
Activities & Excursions
We can organise the perfect itinerary for your group. This can include private coach trips or use trains and buses.
Here is a typical week's itinerary - this example is for Winchester. We can adapt your group's activities to take account of your budget and your students' interests.
If you don’t want us to organise the itinerary for you and include all planning and transport in the price, you can do-it-yourself. We will make a small charge for advising/helping you with this.
|
Sun |
Mon |
Tues |
Wed |
Thurs |
Fri |
Sat |
|
|
Morn |
Lessons |
Lessons |
Lessons |
Lessons |
Lessons |
London full-day trip |
|
|
Noon |
Arrive, collection by host families |
Visit Winchester Cathedral, Round Table |
Trip to Stonehenge |
Visit Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium |
Swimming at River Park & Walk up St Giles Hill |
Free for shopping in town! |
London full-day trip |
|
Eve |
Dinner and settle in with families |
Dinner, meet for a sing-song with local guitarist |
Dinner with families |
Dinner with families, cinema trip |
Dinner with families |
Party |
London full-day trip |
Places to visit
There is a wide range of places you can visit, starting with local visits and places futher afield.
Local places you can visit on foot
Winchester Cathedral and the Round Table
Winchester's world-famous cathedral is remarkable for its hidden treasures: Anthony Gormley's Sound II statue in the crypt, the Winchester Bible and Jane Austen's tomb. Parts of the film of the “Da Vinci Code” were shot in and around the Cathedral.
Repainted in its present form for King Henry VIII, the Round Table has for centuries been venerated as the mysterious table of the 'Once and Future King' Arthur. The names of his 24 knights are written around the edge of the table, surmounted by King Arthur on his throne.
Walk through the Winchester Water-meadows to St Cross
The Winchester Water Meadows is a large and beautiful green space with riverside walks. Starting in the town centre, walk along the river through the water meadows to St Cross Hospital. Admire the medieval architecture, explore the nature reserve, see a cricket match (or stop for a game of rounders) and take part in a 900-year-old tradition as you receive the Wayfarer's Dole.
Walk through the Winchester Water-meadows to St Cross
The Winchester Water Meadows is a large and beautiful green space with riverside walks. Starting in the town centre, walk along the river through the water meadows to St Cross Hospital. Admire the medieval architecture, explore the nature reserve, see a cricket match (or stop for a game of rounders) and take part in a 900-year-old tradition as you receive the Wayfarer's Dole.
Other places to visit in Winchester
Other local activities
Leisure centre
A public sports centre, with swimming pool and gym. Take students swimming or to use other facilities.
Tennis
There are lots of public tennis courts around the Winchester area for a game or two!
Golf
Organised by arrangement, including group sessions where students are taught the basic shots.
Sing-songs
We can organise a young guitarist to meet your group and get them singing some English songs!
Cinema
Winchester only has one cinema, “The Screen” but it has a good programme, published in advance.
Car boot sale
Every Sunday morning, near the station. Second hand things for sale by individuals. A good opportunity to buy some cheap, interesting things and chat in English!
Easily reached by coach or public transport
London
Winchester is on an express train line to London. Trains take one hour to reach Waterloo Station, which is on the south bank of the river Thames, very close to many of the main sights, including the River, Houses of Parliament (Big Ben), London Eye.
Stonehenge and Avebury
Stonehenge is one of the most fascinating ancient monuments in the world - of great interest to those who love ancient history, mystery and science. It is situated not far from Winchester, near Salisbury, in Wiltshire. It can be visited by coach, train+bus or using local buses, changing at Salisbury. Stonehenge is very famous, but don’t overlook Avebury – another famous Stone Circle, to the west of Stonehenge. You can easily visit both in one day.
Portsmouth
The naval city of Portsmouth is easy to reach by train and offers attractions such as the Historic Dockyard, where you can board Nelson’s HMS Victory and the 1860 HMS Warrior, alongside Gunwharf Quays for designer shopping and waterside dining, and the Spinnaker Tower, which provides stunning views from the top.
Romsey (bus)
15 kilometres from Winchester, this pretty market town has a Norman Abbey and a fascinating range of local shops. It is situated on the River Test, a very famous trout-fishing river.
Alresford (bus)
Around 12 kilometres from Winchester, another market town with beautiful pubs, shops, tea-rooms and gift shops. Famous for the production of water-cress (a type of salad) and for the “Watercress Line”, a preserved steam railway for tourists.
Other places you can visit by train or coach
Bournemouth
Brighton
Portsmouth
Oxford
Southampton
Brockenhurst (New Forest)
Dorchester (Thomas Hardy country)
… and many other places of interest.
Visits by mini-bus or coach
(places not easily visited by public transport)
South Downs, Chichester
Beaulieu
Paultons Park – Theme Park
Transport
options
Getting around is easy for groups based in Winchester
On foot
You can visit some very interesting and attractive towns, for example Romsey (a small market town on the river Test) or Alresford (a very pretty town famous for its production of water cress, a type of salad) by local bus. Fares are reasonable, though more expensive than similar journeys in most other countries.
Local bus
Winchester itself is a small city, and the centre and other places of interest (the Water Meadows, by the river) and St Cross (monastery) can easily be visited on foot. For groups wanting to walk further, there are also fantastic countryside itineraries on foot of between 3 and 15 kilometers.
Train
Winchester has direct connections with:
London
Bournemouth
Brighton
Portsmouth
Oxford
Southampton
Brockenhurst (New Forest)
Dorchester (Thomas Hardy country)
…and many other places of interest.
Train travel in the UK is not cheap, but special fares are available for groups.
Coach
A private coach gives you total flexibility and is the best option for groups of 30+