Construction of the cathedral began in 1079 under Bishop Walkelin, and on April 8, 1093, in the presence of nearly all the bishops and abbots of England,
the monks removed from the Saxon cathedral church of the Old Minster to the new one, "with great rejoicing and glory" to mark its completion.
The earliest part of the present building is the crypt, which dates from that time.
William II of England and his older brother, Richard, Duke of Bernay are both buried in the cathedral.
The squat, square central tower was begun in 1202 to replace an earlier version which collapsed, partly due to the unstable ground on which the cathedral is built. It has an indisputably Norman look to it.
Work continued on the cathedral during the 14th century, in 1394 the remodelling of the Norman nave commenced to the designs of master mason William Wynford, this continued into the 15th and 16th centuries, notably with the building of the retroquire to accommodate the many pilgrims to the shrine of Saint Swithun.
After King Henry VIII seized control of the Catholic Church in England, and declared himself head of the Church of England, the Benedictine foundation, the Priory of Saint Swithun, was dissolved (1539) and the cloister and chapter house were demolished, but the cathedral continued.

Important events which took place at Winchester Cathedral include:

* Funeral of King Harthacanute (1042)
* Coronation of Henry the Young King and his queen, Marguerite (1172)
* Second coronation of Richard I of England (1194)
* Marriage of King Henry IV of England and Joanna of Navarre (1403)
* Marriage of Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain (1554)
* Funeral and burial of Jane Austen (1817)

Jane Austen, who died in the city, is buried in the cathedral's north aisle of the nave.

*Source - Wikipedia