Winchester

01962 862492

winchester@rawlingsopticians.co.uk

Address

60 High Street
Winchester
SO23 9BX

Opening Times

Monday to Friday	08.30 - 17.30
Saturday	08.30 - 17.30

About the
Winchester
branch

About the Winchester branch

Welcome to our flagship Opticians in Winchester

We are an independent business, proudly serving the Winchester community since 1923, offering Optical and Hearing Care services. With over a century of trusted heritage, we are the go-to choice for eye care and hearing care in the area. Our experienced team brings unparalleled knowledge, and many staff members have been with us for decades.

We provide comprehensive eye examinations,

Including OCT scans (Optical Coherence Tomography). This advanced imaging technology allows early detection of conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other retinal diseases, enabling faster diagnosis, more effective treatment plans, and greater peace of mind. Regular use of OCT can help monitor subtle changes in eye health over time.

Designer glasses

With a colourful and ever-changing array of frames to choose from, our ranges are curated from collections of niche and more well-known designers. We also stock sports eyewear, Maui Jim sunglasses (both prescription and standard) and low-vision aids. Our friendly dispensing team uses tools like iPad imaging to help you find the perfect frame. We carry ranges from Cartier to Lindberg, with Moscot and Bellinger and other brands letting you stand out from the crowd. With every patient having a personal shopping experience we will help you look your best and see your best.

As well as being a destination for unrivalled frame choice, we are specialists in:

Complex and hospital prescriptions
Paediatric spectacle dispensing
Myopia Management for children
Contact lens fittings for all ages

Ortho-K available in Winchester

Winchester is also our Hampshire hub for Ortho-K lenses – a revolutionary non-surgical solution that corrects your vision overnight. (Also available at our Purley branch.)

Now offering audiology

In 2023, our centenary year, we expanded to include a fully equipped audiology suite, with our own Rawlings audiology team. Come to Rawlings for:

Free hearing tests
Microsuction wax removal for adults and children aged 5+
Custom earplugs
The latest in hearing aid technology including hidden devices and waterproof aids

What our Winchester customers say about us

Jeanette was fantastic - highly recommend to anyone struggling with ear wax issues. I had lost hearing in one ear and was thoroughly miserable - she sorted me out in one session and then identified my other ear was actually quite blocked up too. She explained everything clearly, answered all my questions and was really helpful.

Siobhan Fox
4 August 2025

I was treated with the utmost courtesy and respect from the beginning of my test till the finish, including my eye scan. I felt in very safe, expert hands and will definitely use them again should I have the need. I absolutely recommend.

Susan Tisdall
29 July 2025

We have been with Rawlings in Winchester for two years after moving to Hampshire. The care and service we receive are excellent and everything works incredibly smoothly. I would recommend Rawlings to everyone

Jerry Thomas
29 July 2025
Very thorough check up. I asked for the appointment as sight changes noted within 10 months. Yes, changes noted and new lenses ordered. Thank you!

Christine Pilgrim
29 July 2025

Great stock and excellent service, would recommend to anyone.

Max
3 July 2025

I didn't wait long for an appointment and when I arrived, they gave great and thorough care from start to finish and nothing was too much trouble. I was delighted and will make them my permanent optician.

Jane Reidy
3 July 2025
Excellent, friendly and personal service at both the Winchester and Chandlers Ford branches. Orders are fulfilled quickly. Highly recommended.

john hall
19 June 2025

Very helpful and easy to book to get my ears sorted

Louise Crockett
10 June 2025

Good welcome by reception, promptly seen, well looked after, everything explained step by step, thank you Simon!

Vinay
10 May 2025
Professional, friendly, capable and above all helpful team who explain everything where you want it without overburdening you with information. Options explained without any 'hard sell' at all, just providing the choice. I have continued to use Rawlings even though I no longer live in the area as they are so good.

David Sharpe
10 May 2025

After a poor experience at one of the optician chains I came to Rawlings and the experience couldnt have been more different. The optician was friendly and efficient, answered my questions and gave me useful information about eye surgery options should they be needed in the future. I am over 70 and feeling confident in the care I receive of my eyes is absolutely crucial. I will return to Rawlings and would highly recommend.

Jane Hansell
10 May 2025

Excellent appointment

Lorraine
10 April 2025
Your staff always put my wife and myself completely at ease with their ever present smile and very professional approach, thank you.

Chris Moore
10 April 2025

Very nice environment and friendly staff, not to mention how thorough they are. I have been to the Winchester branch with my young boys for eye tests (one of them has glasses now) and they are very well equipped to deal with little people. I can only recommend this practice.

Réka Farkas
10 April 2025

After seeing my GP I needed to have some hard earwax removal and Rawlings managed to have space the same week. After making my booking online they called to check I had everything I needed to prepare for the appointment. Once arriving I was greeted very quickly and taken to my appointment. The Hygienist was so lovely and welcoming and explained every step in detail to reassure me of any worries I had. The appointment was so quick. I will definitely be going back in the future.

Alice Quinnell richards
10 March 2025
I was dealt with most professionally and kindly by Pamela Potts. I have a clear view of the way ahead.

Christopher Van der Noot
10 March 2025

I was dealt with most professionally and kindly by Pamela Potts. I have a clear view of the way ahead.

Christopher Van der Noot
24 February 2025

Rawlings Winchester have looked after me and my eyes for about the last 20 years. They are fantastic. Helena and Debbie are brilliant, professional and extremely attentive, I couldn’t fault them and the care they provide.

Jess James
5 February 2025

Our Winchester branch staff

Manager

Chris Hobbs

FBDO

I’ve worked for Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care since 1991, when I began working as a technician in our optical workshop. After spending 10 years in that role, this experience provided me with a fantastic foundation in the technical aspects of spectacle lenses and frames. It’s a valuable background that still helps me to this day, when it comes to helping you choose the best frame and lenses to suit your lifestyle and image.

I qualified as a Dispensing Optician from City & Islington College in 2004, continuing my employment at Rawlings while studying in my spare time. Soon after, I became manager of our Hedge End branch, where I spent 10 years in the role. Whilst I enjoyed my time in Hedge End, I jumped at the chance to manage our Chandlers Ford branch when the opportunity arose. Having grown up and attended school in Chandler’s Ford, it was a natural move. The branch had recently relocated to new premises, and its new position in Fryern Arcade came with a complete redesign. It was great to help the practice grow and expand. I’m now delighted to be the manager at the Winchester branch.

Being local, I live close by in Eastleigh, and my passion is the guitar, which I have played for 30 years. I have a collection of five guitars – my pride and joy being a Gibson Les Paul. I play in a local band and we enjoy performing the occasional gig in pubs in Hampshire.

Assistant Manager

Roger Beckett

FBDO

I qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 1990 and have worked across the Hampshire area in the optical profession for most of my career. Since joining the Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care in Winchester in 1999, I’ve appreciated being part of a truly independent, family-run practice that gives me the freedom to offer trusted advice on a full range of eye care and hearing care services. I now work as an Assistant Manager at the Winchester branch

I have a particular passion for spectacle dispensing and enjoy working closely with families through our paediatric eye care services, working with brands like Tomato Glasses to help children in Winchester find the right frames and feel confident in their vision.

At home, my interests include gardening, geology and science. I am also a keen cyclist

Optometrists / Contact Lens Opticians / Audiologists

Rachael Smith

BSc MCOptom DipTp(IP) MBCLA

Read bio

I have worn glasses since the age of 4, but life changed and my passion for optics was ignited when I had my first contact lenses at age 10. Over the years I have developed this area of special interest and I have consulted for major contact lens companies both in discussion groups and on new product trials. I still love my contact lenses for socialising and sport but these days usually enjoy matching one of my pairs of glasses to whatever clothes I decide to wear.

After graduating from City University in London I worked in Petersfield and the surrounding area, followed by the Isle of Wight before settling near Winchester in 1999. Outside of work I love to cook (and of course I always wear my contact lenses for chopping onions – no streaming eyes!) I sing in Thornden Community Choir, and travel as much as I can. I especially love skiing – I think almost 30 years of working indoors with no windows makes me long for the vast expanse of the mountains. I also go to several conferences each year – I find exchanging ideas with other Optometrists and keeping right up to date is part of what makes me love my job so much!

Debbie Heath

FBDO CL

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My first job after leaving college was with Whitbread’s Brewery working in customer services, but after five years an opportunity arose to work at CIBA Vision (now Alcon), a contact lens manufacturer.

Whilst I was there as a Customer Service Supervisor my interest in the clinical side of contact lenses grew and grew and I realised that I really wanted to work with the people wearing the lenses, rather than the people making the lenses!

I was able to gain my Dispensing Optician qualification whilst working at CIBA Vision, and this was the first step towards becoming a qualified Contact Lens Optician in 2003. I continued to work at CIBA Vision whilst also seeing patients in the “real world”. Combining the two careers gave me a unique insight into the more technical side of lenses and enabled me to become involved in problem solving difficult cases. I eventually joined the Professional Services team offering advice to other contact lens opticians and Optometrists. However ultimately I decided my real enjoyment came from helping patients, so In May 2003 I joined Rawlings as a Dispensing and Contact Lens Optician, and currently work at the Hedge End and Winchester practices. I specialise in fitting multifocal contact lenses, and have a keen interest in myopia control and ortho keratology. I am also regularly involved in spectacle dispensing, and am happy to advise on low vision aids.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, particularly my young son, and I love to travel whenever the opportunity arises.

Emma Perkis

Hearing Care Assistant

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I have been working in Optics for 24 years and am a Dispensing Assistant in our Winchester branch. I was first involved in Audiology around 10 years ago when I worked for a multiple opticians where I enjoyed learning to carry out hearing aid repairs and other related tasks, so when Rawlings announced they were going to merge Hearing Care into the business I was thrilled! I had moved to working to Rawlings in 2022 as I knew an independent opticians would give me wider experience and more time to build a relationship with my patients and be part of a close-knit team, so the launch of hearing care here was the cherry on the cake for me.

During my HCA course, my passion for Audiology grew. One of my favourite things I learned was how to take impressions of the ear. I am excited to have my own clinics now and be an extra pair of helping hands for our growing Audiology team.

I have 2 sons, 1 dog, 3 cats – and 1 husband, all of whom keep me busy in my spare time.

Ryan Blake

MSHAA, RHAD

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My audiology career started in 2014 at a large chain of opticians where I was initially employed in the optical side of the business, however I quickly realised I was more interested in ears than eyes. I embarked on the hearing care assistant course, and was soon trained to program hearing aids, complete hearing assessments, and manage the aftercare of hearing aids.

I decided I wanted to gain more knowledge and expertise – by this time I knew that audiology was where my future lay so I started my foundation degree in Hearing Aid Audiology at De Montfort University and graduated in 2021.

During the course my interest in hearing aid technology grew tremendously and my understanding and passing on the benefits that private hearing aids offer over NHS aids for my patients is my top priority. By working at Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care I can give patients more choice due to Rawlings being independent, so I am not restricted in my recommendations by being tied to a single manufacturer. This really allows me to offer the best advice and was the main reason for me choosing Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care to progress my audiology career.

I currently live in the town of Andover with my young family. I have a toddler who always keeps me busy so any hobbies I once had are now on hold.

Bill Mills

MSHAA

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I am passionate about my job, and I believe in giving excellent service delivered with trust and integrity and clients regularly refer friends and family to me. When the position of Audiology Lead with Rawlings Opticians came up, I knew it was the perfect role as I wanted to work with a genuinely “independent” hearing device provider, not one which is either owned or allied to one particular brand.

I knew from experience that this would give me the opportunity to give a more professional service to tailor the hearing solution more specifically to the patients’ individual requirements. Offering wax removal and earplugs as well leads to an interesting and varied working day.

My life as a Hearing Aid Audiologist began in 2014 when I decided to have a career change as having had many years of international travel working in the textile industry, I wanted to be based in the UK for a better work/life balance. I enjoy working with people and to be able to genuinely improve someone’s quality of life puts a smile on my face (as well as my patients!) when they realise what a difference hearing well can make to them. Providing audiology services has seen me working in Devon for a hearing brand before moving to Hampshire to deliver hearing care for a national optical company. Previously based in Lymington, I have worked across multiple locations across Hampshire and Dorset.

I’m a hearing aid wearer, as my hearing was damaged while working in the textile industry. I like to wear Widex aids and have been doing so for the past 3 years

Simon Cabell

BSc MCOptom

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My Optics career started at a local contact lens manufacturer as a college student in the 1980s. I then joined Rawlings in 1993 after graduating from Aston University. I qualified in 1994 while working at the Alton and Winchester branches.

After a couple of years I joined the Hedge End branch and now work mainly at Hedge End with one day a week back in Winchester. I have been involved with staff training in a supervisory role which is very rewarding and was also a committee member and instructor at the Aston University Archery Club. At Rawlings I enjoy fitting a wide variety of modern high tech. contact lenses particularly with sports and hobbies in mind.

Out of work I enjoy playing guitar and running. In my free time I also support local charities such the Portsmouth Hospital’s Charity the Rocky Appeal. I also enjoy sporting events such as the Great South Run. My family and I also like to visit museums and places of historical interest.

Jasnique Tiwana

BOptom MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret

Read bio

I started my Optics journey in a High Street chain where I worked from the age of 18 (in Birmingham before moving to the sunny south) with my interest in the field starting at a young age when I needed glasses and later moving into contact lenses. However, at 18 I embarked on a degree course in the completely unrelated field of Forensic Science!

Although I enjoyed the course, which allowed me to travel and study for part of the course in Holland, I quickly realised that a career in Optics was really what I wanted to pursue. More years of studying followed in order for me to attain my optometry degree from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. My Forensic Science background has given me an eye for detail and precision, and the medical element of that first degree has given me a great skillset for my career as an Optometrist – a role that involves an investigative element too!

I particularly enjoy the precision involved in making people see to the best of their ability with spectacles or contact lenses whether child or adult. I know from my own experience how life enhancing good vision is. Outside of work I have a particular passion for travel and food and immersing myself into different cultures and trying new experiences.

Jeanette Fox

Read bio

I started my career in refrigeration and air conditioning, spending many years in that industry. After being made redundant when the company downsized, I decided it was time for a change — and that’s when I joined Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care.

At first, I worked on the optical side, but as the audiology service grew, I was offered the chance to take the HCA course. I jumped at it — and I’m so glad I did! I absolutely love my role. Every day, I get to meet interesting, lovely people and help them hear more clearly again, which is incredibly rewarding.

I’m married, and between us we have four children and six grandchildren who keep us on our toes! I enjoy walking, watching rugby and football (especially Liverpool FC), and I’m always up for a good cocktail — though not necessarily in that order 😊

Our dispensing team

Chris Hobbs FBDO (Manager)
Roger Beckett FBDO (Assistant Manager)
Debbie Heath FBDO CL
Martin Davidson FBDO
Emma Perkis
Joshua Williams

Travel information

Nearest car park

Tower Street – Long stay
The Brooks – Short stay

Nearest bus stop & routes

Bluestar 1 From Chandler’s Ford / Southampton
X66 From Romsey
68 from Salisbury
86 from Basingstoke
25 from Andover
69 from Fareham

Nearest train station

Winchester

Nearest AED/Defibrillator

Savills, Ground Floor, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RZ, Monday to Friday 9:00 – 17:30

Disabled access

Good access through the front door and into the ground floor consulting room (Please specify when booking an appointment if a ground floor consulting room is desired)

Out of hours eyecare for customers of the Winchester practice

There are occasions when emergency treatment is needed for the eyes. If you are concerned and it is outside of our opening hours there is an eye casualty department based at Southampton General Hospital which is open Monday to Friday. The phone number for advice to see if you require an urgent appointment at the hospital is 02381 206592. For more information click on this link.

Outside of Eye Casualty opening hours call Casualty on 02380 777222, where an eye doctor is on-call for emergencies. Alternatively you can contact your GP to access their out of hours service or call 111 for further advice.

If you are not sure whether you need emergency attention click this link for further information. Click here for directions to the hospital.

Search the Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care website

Winchester

Address

Opening Times

Eye Examination

Contact Lenses

Hearing Assessment

Wax Removal

About the
Winchester
branch

About the Winchester branch

Welcome to our flagship Opticians in Winchester

We provide comprehensive eye examinations,

Designer glasses

Ortho-K available in Winchester

Now offering audiology

What our Winchester customers say about us

Our Winchester branch staff

Chris Hobbs

Roger Beckett

Optometrists / Contact Lens Opticians / Audiologists

Rachael Smith

Debbie Heath

Emma Perkis

Ryan Blake

Bill Mills

Simon Cabell

Jasnique Tiwana

Jeanette Fox

Our dispensing team

Travel information

Out of hours eyecare for customers of the Winchester practice

Our Branches

Services

About us

Winchester

Address

Opening Times

Eye Examination

Contact Lenses

Hearing Assessment

Wax Removal

About the Winchesterbranch

About the Winchester branch

Welcome to our flagship Opticians in Winchester

We provide comprehensive eye examinations,

Designer glasses

Ortho-K available in Winchester

Now offering audiology

What our Winchester customers say about us

Our Winchester branch staff

Chris Hobbs

Roger Beckett

Optometrists / Contact Lens Opticians / Audiologists

Rachael Smith

Debbie Heath

Emma Perkis

Ryan Blake

Bill Mills

Simon Cabell

Jasnique Tiwana

Jeanette Fox

Our dispensing team

Travel information

Out of hours eyecare for customers of the Winchester practice

Our Branches

Services

About us

About the
Winchester
branch