Winchester, ancient capital of Wessex, is a crucial part of Britain''s heritage. In his latest book, David Hilliam condenses the city''s long and fascinating history into a collection of memorable ''curiosities'' that are still to be seen today. Visitors - and even residents - frequently walk by some of these age-old fragments of the past without fully realising just what they are, or how they relate to Winchester''s memorable past. For more than two thousand years Winchester has been one of the most important cities in Britain: important for William the Conqueror, who built his first castle here; for the Saxons, who buried their kings here; for the Romans, who first laid out its streets - still used by twenty-first century traffic; and for the Celtic tribe the Belgae, who traded in Winchester and thus provided its ancient name - Venta Belgarum - ''market-place of the Belgae.'' Winchester Curiosities is an intriguing collection of historical facts and legendary tales, together with a wealth of photographs, old engravings and specially commissioned drawings. Also included is useful information for visitors, as well as essential websites for the armchair traveller.
