Walkelin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Walchelin
Walkelin () was the first Norman Bishop of Winchester. He began the construction of Winchester Cathedral in 1079 and had the Old Minster demolished. He reformed the cathedral's administration, although his plan to replace the monks with priests was blocked by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc. Walkelin was important in beginning St Giles's Fair in Winchester and was greatly active in national politics. For example, he signed the Accord of Winchester, was involved in the Council of London in 1075, and sought to resolve a conflict between Anselm of Canterbury and William II. He was regent o
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
9 sectionsContents
- Early career
- Bishop of Winchester
- Reform
- Construction
- Politics
- Death
- Family
- Notes
- References
Walkelin () was the first Norman Bishop of Winchester. He began the construction of Winchester Cathedral in 1079 and had the Old Minster demolished. He reformed the cathedral's administration, although his plan to replace the monks with priests was blocked by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc. Walkelin was important in beginning St Giles's Fair in Winchester and was greatly active in national politics. For example, he signed the Accord of Winchester, was involved in the Council of London in 1075, and sought to resolve a conflict between Anselm of Canterbury and William II. He was regent of England for a few months at the end of his life.
== Early career == Walkelin was probably not related to William the Conqueror, whom he served as a royal chaplain. Before the Norman Conquest, he was probably a canon at Rouen Cathedral.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Walkelin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.