Winchester palace

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Winchester palace was started by Charles II in 1682 with Wren as architect. Substantial progress was made but it was far from finished when Charles died in 1685 and his successor, James II, beset with problems, abandoned the project. In the Seven Years War and the War of American Independence, the shell of the palace was used for thousands of prisoners of war. In the early years of the Revolutionary War it gave shelter to French refugee clergy, but in 1796 was handed over to the military for use as a gaol. What was left of it was destroyed by fire in 1894.

J. A. Cannon

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