Photograph of an archery contest at Wolvesey Palace, Winchester
Taken about 1880
Archery was a popular Victorian sport with both men and ladies, and archery clubs organised competitions on quite a grand scale. In this image a contest is taking place in the grounds of Wolvesey Palace. Beyond the old palace boundary wall housing on the eastern side of the city can be seen, and to the left are the slopes of St Giles' Hill.
The residence of Winchester's bishops has been sited at Wolvesey since the tenth century. A mighty palace was built in the time of Henry de Blois, Bishop 1129-1171, but in the late seventeenth century Bishop George Morley initiated the construction of a new building using materials from the old one, and the mediaeval palace became a ruin.
The photograph was taken by Winchester photographer William Savage (1817-87) and is found in an album entitled 'Winchester Views of Modern Buildings'.