Park History | St Giles Hill Park

History

St Giles Hilltop has played an important role in the life of the City of Winchester - and at times in the development of the national economy - over the past 900 years.

Waltheof's execution

In 1082, the Hill was famously the scene for the execution of Earl Waltheof, a scion of one of the wealthiest families in the land. Waltheof had fallen out of favour with William the Conqueror after he lent his support to rebellions against Norman rule. He was subsequently arrested on the King's orders and brought to Winchester where, at the age of 26, he was convicted of treason and, early one morning, led up the steep slopes of St Giles, and beheaded on the Hilltop.

Medieval Fair

Until the late 19th Century, the land on which today's park sits was owned by the Bishop of Winchester. In 1096, with the church reeling from the cost of building Winchester Cathedral, the king granted the Bishop a license to hold a three-day fair at the Chrurch of St Giles, located just steps from the Hilltop.

The first St Giles Fair took place in 1096 and, over time, it became regular event, its duration extended from three days to eight and, later, 14. A warren of temporary and permanent stalls and small shops were erected on St Giles Hilltop to accommodate merchants, who came from across England and Europe to exhibit and sell their wares. All other shops within a ten mile radius were forced to close their doors for the duration of the fair.

At its height, the Fair was one of the most important in Europe. Traded goods included wool, silk, furs and cloth, horses, sheep and other livestock, ferrets, monkeys and song birds, agricultural produce, dates, spices and wine. Its popularity peaked in about 1200 but began to decline in size and importance in the 14th and 15th Centuries, hastened by the impact of the Black Death, a decline in trade with the Continent and the rise of London as the country's political and commercial centre.

Map showing location and extent of St Giles Hill Fair, circa 1300. (Source: Historic Towns Trust and Winchester Excavations Committee 2017.)

Enroaching development

By the time the diocese lost much of its real estate in the financial reforms of the mid-19th Century, the Fair had degenerated and become the Magdalen Hill Fair, largely limited to trade in cheese, cloth and horses. The Hilltop itself had largely reverted to bare downland and was used for grazing livestock, although by the late 1800s nearby land was being developed, with the construction of several large villas. A quarry operated along the southern side of the Hill, with some of the stone used for local construction as well as for repairs to the Cathedral.

A new park "for the purpose of public exercise and recreation"

In 1878, the Winchester Urban Sanitary Authority bought a large area comprising the west-facing flank of the Hill from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, as well as a smaller, adjacent section of land from the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway. The purpose of these purchases was to create a land that should be used as a ‘pleasure ground’ for residents of the growing city.

In 1894, during the mayoralty of Thomas Stopher, Lord Northbrook gave a further section of land to the City - a generous gift acknowledged in the form of a vellum roll presented to Lord Northbrook. The local authority commissioned the landscape gardener H.E. Milner to advise on the layout of a new park, and over the years that followed, the grass downland was transformed into a tree-clad Victorian pleasure garden with magnificent views over the city and St Catherine’s Hill.

Today, the park still plays an important part in the life of the City fulfilling its original purpose of promoting public health and well-being. It is a much-loved place for exercise, recreation, dog-walking and picnicking, and has also become a tourist attraction with many visitors making the climb to its famous viewpoint and frequently posting photos on social media.

Today's challenges

Maintaining the Park's stock of trees and other plants, as well as its extensive network of paths, steps and railings, has long been a challenge for the local authority. Over the past thirty years, the Park's infrastructure has become worn, its trees overgrown and self-seeded trees and scrub have filled in some of the area's famous views.

In February 2022, City Councillor Charles Radcliffe proposed at the Winchester Town Forum that the City Council prepare a new Management Plan aimed at tackling these challenges. A five-year plan was subsequently drafted and was adopted by the Town Forum in March 2023.

In the course of preparing the new management plan for the Park two things become clear. First there is a great deal to be done and second the City Council will not have the resources to do everything needed.

In response a group of local residents have established the Friends of St Giles Hill Park and are now in the process of registering as a charitable corporation whose aims include re-establishing regular working parties and fund-raising for proposed improvements. They plan to work closely with the City Council and other local institutions such as the City of Winchester Trust, the Hampshire Gardens Trust and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.