A tour through time - St Giles Hill Medieval Graveyard

Once the site of the medieval church/chapel of St Giles, first mentioned in 1080, it sits near the crest of St Giles Hill. The oldest surviving headstone is from 1694, and the youngest is from 1973.

The graveyard exhibits examples of Baroque grave art (generally pre-1740) that focused on memento mori - images of skulls, cross-bones, scythes, and hourglasses. There are also good examples of Rococo grave art that flourished from roughly 1740 through to the late 1700s. The themes focus on asymmetric curves, shell-like motifs, weeping cherubs, crowns and trumpets. The site also has 7 WW1 Commonwealth War Graves and a fine “Titanic” memorial.

An interesting feature of the graveyard is an old “rubbish heap” with the remains of glass and ceramic objects that were once placed on the graves. A selection of artifacts retrieved from this feature will be on show and mainly span the period 1870 to 1930.

During the event, there will be poster displays and tours describing various aspects of St Giles Hill Graveyard, focusing on the four themes below.

- Traumatic times - WWI and Titanic.
- Echoes of the past - important local people.
- Ancient beginnings – St Giles medieval chapel and St Giles Fair.
- 300 years of graveyard art.

Tours will run approximately every 2 hours, beginning at 10:00, starting with a general introduction to the graveyard and the work of Friends St Giles Hill Graveyard.

Timings

Friday 18 September:

1000 to 1700

Location & directions

St Giles Hill Graveyard, Alresford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0JX

Directions:

What3words location: https://what3words.com/aquatic.reshaping.tickles. OS Grid Ref: SU 49094 29441

Contact on day:

David Stewart

Telephone number:

+447772300271

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

Access is via the front gates on Alresford Rd. There is a steep, lime-tree-lined access track. At the end of the track, there is a slope that could be a challenge for some people.

Additional information

There is no on-site parking. The nearest parking is the Chesil Street Car Park. Getting to St Giles Hill Graveyard on Public Transport: From the Town Centre (Abbey Gardens), either take the no. 2 bus going to Tesco Winnall or the no. 64 bus going to Alresford. Get off at Baring Rd bus stop. The nearest public toilets are at Chesil St Parking or Abbey Gardens.

Max number of people:

15

Estimated duration:

1 hour(s)

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