Although now ruined, this Norman Fortified palace of the Winchester bishops still reflects their importance and great wealth. Wolvesey was one of the greatest of all medieval royal and ecclesiastical buildings. This site was established at Wolvesey in Anglo-Saxon times, during the tenth century. The first stone building was built about 1110. The chapel and the ruins are all that remain of one of the largest non-monastic buildings of the twelfth century.

Wolvesey was used at times for the bishops’ residence and for ceremonial purposes, including visits by royalty. One of the last great events to be held at the palace was the wedding banquet of Mary Tudor and Philip II of Spain after their marriage at Winchester Cathedral on July 25, 1554.

In 1680 it was decided to demolish most of the buildings and build a new palace in the Baroque style. However, a significant amount of ruins remains to allow the visitor an impression of what it must have been like when it was fully functional.