Leil's son Rud Hud Hudibras reigned for thirty-nine years after him. Once the civil war was over, Hudibras restored peace once more to the people. It was he who built Kaerreint: that is, Canterbury. He also founded Kaerguenit, or Winchester, and the fortress of Paladur, which is now called Shaftesbury. [II.9]

Geoffrey writes that WINCHESTER was founded by Rud Hud Hudibras, son of Leil. The city is extremely prominent in the Historia, featuring as a site of major battles; a significant religious centre; and an object of prophecy. Tatlock points out that in Geoffrey's day, one of the two most prominent churchmen in England was Henry, bishop of Winchester (1129-1171), and he speculates that Geoffrey may have emphasized Winchester's past religious prominence in a deliberate attempt to bolster the bishopric's claims to metropolitan status (p. 36); the suggestion in the Prophecies of Merlin that Winchester will lose its episcopal see and be swallowed by the earth, he takes as evidence that Geoffrey did not write all of the Prophecies (pp. 37-38). He points out that Winchester, YORK and LONDON are the places mentioned most often in the Historia (39).

For the history of the see of Winchester, visit the Winchester Cathedral website.

Arvirargus took refuge in Winchester and Claudius followed him there. Claudius besieged the city and strove to capture it with various war machines. When Arvirargus saw that he was beleaguered, he mustered his troops, threw open the city gates and went forth to battle. [IV.14]

Trahern landed on the coast near to a town called Kaerperis in the Welsh language. He attacked the town and captured it within two days. This news spread through all the tribes and King Octavius thereupon conscripted an armed force from the whole island. He marched to meet Trahern not far from Winchester in a field called Maisuria in the Welsh language, and there he began the battle and won the victory. [V.8]

Winchester appears as the site of battle in the conflicts between the Romans and the Britons. Winchester (Venta Belgarum) was an important Roman centre. Of particular significance are the burials at Lankhills Roman Cemetery.

The King [Constantine II] handed Constans his first-born over to the church of Amphibalus in Winchester, so that he might enter a monastic order. [VI.5]

Amphibalus may have been Geoffrey's creation; see his entry on the Early British Kingdoms site.

Winchester next appears in the run-up to King Arthur's reign. After Vortigern abandons the Britons, the Saxons make it one of their first targets (VI.16). It features in the prophecies which Merlin delivers to Vortigern. The description of the activities of the Hedgehog (VIII.9) have been taken by one modern interpreter to refer to the building of the London underground!

Vortigern immediately conceded everything they demanded, given only that he might be allowed to escape alive. When everything had been promised them on oath, the Saxons freed him from his chains. They went first to London and captured the city. Next they took York, Lincoln and Winchester, ravaging the neighbouring countryside and attacking the peasantry, just as wolves attack sheep which the shepherds have forsaken. [VI.16]

Three springs shall burst forth in the town of Winchester and the streams which run from them will divide the island into three parts. Whoever will drink from the first will enjoy long life and will never be afflicted by the onslaught of illness. Whoever will drink from the second shall perish from insatiable hunger: pallor and dread will be clear to see on his face. Whoever will drink from the third shall die a sudden death, and it will not be possible for his body to be buried.

The Daneian Forest shall be wakened from its sleep and, bursting into human speech, it shall shout: "Kambria, come here! Bring Cornwall at your side! Say to Winchester: 'The earth will swallow you up. Move the see of your shepherd to where the ships come in to harbour. Then make sure that the limbs which remain follow the head! The day approaches when your citizens will perish for their crimes of perjury. The whiteness of your wools has done you harm and so, too, has the variety of their dye. Woe to the perjured people, for their famous city shall come toppling down because of them!'"

"A Hedgehog loaded with apples shall re-build the town and, attracted by the smell of these apples, birds will flock there from many different forests. The Hedgehog shall add a huge palace and then wall it round with six hundred towers. London will view this with envy and will increase her own fortifications threefold. The River Thames will surround London on all sides and the report of that engineering feat will cross the Alps. The Hedgehog will hide its apples inside Winchester and will construct hidden passages under the earth. [VII.4]

Next [Aurelius] went to Winchester, to restore that town as he had restored others like it. As soon as he had repaired everything that needed such attention if the town was to be restored at all, he took the advice of Bishop Eldadus and visited the monastery near Kaercarraduc, which is now called Salisbury. [VIII.9]

[Utherpendragon's] brother Aurelius was lying ill at the time in Winchester. When this was made known to Paschent, Gillomanius and the Saxons who were with them, they were delighted, for they thought that with Aurelius ill the kingdom could easily be conquered....Eopa [an assassin] thereupon shaved off his beard, had his head tonsured, took the habit of a monk and set off for Winchester with a load of pots which he had filled with medicines. As soon as he arrived in the town, he offered his service to the King's retainers, who received him warmly.... He mixed a poison and gave it to the King.... The poison ran quickly through [Aurelius's] veins and the pores of his body, and thus death, which has the trick of sparing no man, came to him while he slept.... While these things were happening at Winchester, there appeared a star of great magnitude and brilliance, with a single beam shining from it. The end of this beam was a ball of fire, spread out in the shape of a dragon. From the dragon's mouth stretched forth two rays of light, one of which seemed to extend its length beyond the latitude of Gaul, while the second turned towards the Irish Sea and split up into seven smaller shafts of light. [VIII.14]

After this great undertaking, Uther set out for Winchester with all possible speed. Messengers who came to meet him told him of the King's death, saying that Aurelius was soon to be buried by the bishops of the country near the monastery of Ambrius and inside the Giants' Ring, the construction of which he had himself ordered during his lifetime. When they heard of his death, the bishops, abbots and all the clergy of the diocese had assembled in the town of Winchester. They arranged his funeral in a way becoming to so great a King.... Uther ordered two Dragons to be fashioned in gold, in the likeness of the one which he had seen in the ray which shone from the star. As soon as the Dragon had been completed-- this with the most marvellous craftsmanship-- he made a present of one of them to the congregation of the cathedral church of the see of Winchester. [VIII.16-17]

The passages above show that Winchester is clearly significant to both of Arthur's immediate predecessors, Aurelius and Uther. Arthur himself does make an appointment to the see:

Then the saintly Dubricius, who for a long time had wanted to live as a hermit, resigned from his position as Archbishop. David, the King's uncle, whose way of life afforded an example of unblemished virtue to those whom he had instructed in the faith, was consecrated in his place. At the same time Tebaus, the celebrated priest of Llandaff, was appointed in the place of the holy Samson, Archbishop of Dol: this was with the approval of Hoel, King of the Armorican Britons, to whom Tebaus' life and saintly habits had commended him. The bishopric of Silchester was given to Maugannius, that of Winchester to Diwanius and that of Alclud to Eledenius. [IX.15]

But Winchester does not feature in a way which would explain its later medieval association with Camelot (an association made by Thomas Malory, and forever enshrined by the presence of a Round Table with medieval antecedents in Winchester Great Hall). Arthur does, however, fight his penultimate battle outside the city:

... the Perjurer [Mordred] reformed his army and so marched into Winchester on the following night.... Arthur... buried his dead and then marched on the third day to the city of Winchester and laid siege to his nephew who had taken refuge there. Mordred showed no signs of abandoning his plans. He gave his adherents every encouragement he could think of, then marched out with his troops and drew them up ready for a pitched battle with his uncle. The fight began and immense slaughter was done on both sides. The losses were greater in Mordred's army and they forced him to fly once more in shame from the battle-field. He made no arrangements whatsoever for the burial of his dead, but fled as fast as ship could carry him, and made his way towards Cornwall. [XI.2]

It is immediately after this battle that Arthur and Mordred meet for the last time, at CAMLANN.

As soon as Constantine had been crowned, the Saxons and the two sons of Mordred promptly rose against him. They failed in their attempt to overthrow him; and, after a long series of battles, they fled. One of them made his way into London and the other to Winchester, and they took command of those two cities.... Constantine continued to harass the sons of Mordred. First he forced the Saxons to submit to his authority; and then he captured the two cities which I have mentioned. He killed one of the young men in front of the altar in the church of St Amphibalus, where he was taking refuge. [XI.3-4]

This is Winchester's last appearance in the Historia.