Plan your visit

Travel

By rail

Winchester is on direct routes from London Waterloo, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Birmingham and the north of England. 

Both Winchester Cathedral and the University of Winchester are a 15 minute walk, or a 5 minute taxi ride, from the station. 

By road

Winchester is just off Junctions 9, 10 and 11 of the M3. It is also accessible via the A34 from Newbury and Oxford.

Parking at the University is available at the Dytche car park, off Milnthorpe Lane but it is very limited and not guaranteed. Our strong recommendation is for people to use public transport or the park and ride system available: https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/park-and-ride/ Blue badge holder spaces are outside the main reception on Burma Road. Passengers can also be dropped off outside The Stripe, where the festival welcome desk is located.

There is no parking at the Cathedral. On Sundays, buses don't run from the Park and Ride car parks but taxis can be booked from these points. The car park on Chesil Street is free on Sundays and is a ten minute walk away from the Cathedral. Find out more about parking in Winchester city centre.

Accommodation

Find hotels, B&Bs and self catering accommodation on the Visit Winchester website.

You can also contact visitor information on 01962 840 500 or at tourism@winchester.gov.uk.

Accessibility

All venues are wheelchair accessible and both the University and Cathedral have accessible toilets.

At the University there is a lift at the main reception which will take you down from Blue Badge parking to The Stripe, the main festival venue.

Upon entry into the Cathedral you will find a touch map for visitors with partial, limited or full blindness.

Hearing loops are available in all festival venues at the University and at the Cathedral. Festival stewards will advise you on where to sit to make use of these.

If you have questions about access, please contact us at events@hymnsam.co.uk. 

Catering

At the University

Complimentary tea and coffee will be available to ticket holders in the main reception area from 9.30am to 11.30am.

On-site catering is very limited at the University due to the event falling over a weekend so you are most welcome to bring your own lunch to eat in the King Alfred Centre, or alternatively lunch can be sought from Winchester city centre, a 10-minute walk from the university.

At and around the Cathedral

The Cathedral Café serves coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. It is open from 10am to 4.30pm each day. Ticket holders will be eligible for a discount of 50% on the entrance fee.

Find out more about city centre cafés and restaurants on the Visit Winchester website.

Bookshop

Church House Bookshop will run a bookstall on each day of the festival, with a great selection of speaker books and other titles. Author signing sessions will also be here.

Payment by cash or card. Unfortunately we are not able to accept book tokens.