Winchester Cathedral: A Thousand Years of Buried Kings, Self-Built Bishop,

A millennium ago, Winchester Cathedral wasn't just the seat of the bishop, but the longest church in Europe. For over six centuries, kings were buried here, including Cenwalh, who began construction in 648, not finishing in 1070. Yet what's most remarkable about this cathedral is what isn't there: the original structure. Not a single stone of the Old Minster, the original church, remains. When it began to fall apart in 1093, it was dismantled stone by stone, and the stones repurposed into the new cathedral.

The outline of the Old Minster can still be seen today, under the present nave. Besides a brief stretch under Norman transepts and a tower, the present substance is a mix of Gothic styles: Early English, Perpendicular and late medieval. For centuries, the cathedral was a site of power struggles. Kings were crowned here, battles were fought over control of Winchester, and saints were buried. However, the cathedral wasn't always a peaceful place. In 1107, the central tower fell, interrupting work on the nave and causing panic among the workers.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons