Winchester monarchs such as King Canute and William Rufus. It was once an important pilgrimage centre and housed the shrine of Saint Swithun. The ancient Pilgrims' Way travelling to Canterbury begins at Winchester. The plan of the earlier Old Minster is laid out in the grass adjoining the cathedral. The New Minster (the original burial place of Alfred the Great and Edward the Elder) once stood beside it. The cathedral has a girls choir and a boys choir, which sing on a regular basis at the cathedral. Winchester Cathedral Close contains a number of historic buildings from the time when the
Thomas Henry (patron of the arts) Thomas Henry (patron of the arts) Bon-Thomas Henry (1766 in Cherbourg, France – 1836 in Cherbourg) was a French painter and patron of the arts. After studies in his hometown, Henry was forced while traveling to take shelter during a storm at Bordeaux, where he settled and became a partner with a merchant who sent him to Saint-Domingue. He returned to France after the Haitian Revolution, and learned the restoration of paintings from fellow artists. He was a pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault. He augmented his skill in restoration with expertise learned during travels to Italy, Belgium, and England. This led