The Deanery was the ancient
house of the Priors, of which it contains many interesting memorials.
Here are the Great Hall, now subdivided, and the Hospitium, used as
stables. The Deanery entrance has three pointed arches, beneath which,
as we have stated, the poor pilgrims and other wayfarers received food
and alms. On his numerous visits to Winchester, Charles II used to lodge
at the Deanery, until Prebendary Ken (afterwards Bishop of Bath and
Wells) refused to allow Nell Gwynne to enter the house, with the result
that she had to content herself with an inferior residence outside the
precincts.
Of Wykeham's "College of St. Marie", or New College, Oxford, this is not
the place to speak, especially as it has already been dealt with in the
"Oxford" volume of this "Beautiful England" series. His other
"College of St. Mary", or, as it is commonly known, Winchester College,
has a history extending far beyond that of most of our great public
schools; and Winchester was celebrated for its educational institutions
in Saxon days.
[Illustration: WINCHESTER COLLEGE: THE OUTER GATEWAY FROM "ARCADIA"]
Wykeham's idea in founding these two colleges was one for which he had
no precedent before him, so that his design was to a large extent in the
nature of an experiment.
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