WHY DID THEY DO THAT?

In every town or city there are some things that evoke the `Why did they do that?´ response. Winchester is no exception, so this page is dedicated to some of the incongruities and oddball things that can be seen about the City, if you know where to look! We invite your comments on the items on this page. Send us your views using the contact form provided on this site , we will post the comments, and any replies.
If you have a candidate for inclusion on this page, use the same link to tell us about it.

This lamp standard is probably the last in Winchester to be gas fired. It has stood in Great Minster Street just outside the Cathedral grounds since Victorian times. Until fairly recently it could be seen working day and night. In recent years the lamp owners saw fit to replace the original Victorian lamp housing with a brand new unit, complete with piezo electric ignition and photocell control.
The lamp still lights at night, and is fuelled by gas, but it has lost the essential quality that made this lamp such a pleasure to see.
It is (or was) a rare example of J. and E. Webb's patent sewage gas destructor, and should have been kept intact, for yet another generation of sightseers to enjoy.

 The flame not only provided illumination but also burnt off any gases rising from the sewer to which the lamp was connected.  SU 480 293
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It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with this new building, but should it have been built in this particular terrace? Does it highlight the genteel elegance of the surrounding buildings, or brutally intrude on them. Is it `just right´, `not quite´ or `awful´? Please use the ‘Contact Us’ form  to express your views.