Art and About: A walk around Winchester Palace, Southwark cathedral & the Liberty of the Clink

We look at the Palace of the Bishops of Winchester in Southwark and consider the archaeological, built and documentary record for the palace including written accounts and drawings of its former extent. We examine its role in events and what it tells us about changing patterns of use and power. We also consider the wider significance of the ‘Liberty of the Clink’ and the amazing changes that have taken place here over the centuries. In particular we will consider the connection of the palace to Thomas a Becket. We will also connect William the Conqueror, Bishop Odo, Count Eustace of Boulogne, Henry Blois to the district. Much scrutiny of Domesday Book and other medieval references will be made. We will also consider the later iterations of the Clink including its seamier side – the ‘Stews’ and the notorious sex industry of the late medieval/early modern period (The ‘Winchester Geese’ included). The later industrial heritage will also be discussed and we will look into the warehousing arrangements that surrounded the palace and the role it played in those buildings and the trade of the Clink over many centuries. The major architectural survival from medieval times is, of course, the great church of St. Mary Overie, now Southwark Cathedral. We will discuss the story of this great London landmark and consider its exterior and interior and the procession of characters from history that have been connected with it.