The Growth of Old Minster

The Growth of Old Minster. Winchester Cathedral. The walls marked in black on the plan are those of the first church dedicated to St Peter and St Paul and built by King Cenwalh of Wessex in about 648 shortly after his baptism. The church may have been intended to serve the adjacent royal palace. With the appointment of Wine, the first bishop, in 660, it became the cathedral church of Wessex., Old Minster was originally a simple cross shape building. A detached gate to dedicated to St Martin was built to the west in the eighth century and St Swithun was buried in the open between the tower and the west front, in 863. Early in the tenth century wings were added to the west front of the church, and in 971-80 a memorial building with a central tower was erected over the site of St Swithun's tomb, uniting St Martin's Tower to the of original west front., The east end of the church was completely rebuilt the next ten years, and dedicated in 992-94. It had apses to the north and south and a great central apse, crowned by a five stage tower carrying golden weather-cock.