St. Catherine's Hill, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
St. Catherine's Hill is a small but dramatic chalk
hill to the south east of Winchester
in Hampshire
, England
. Rising steeply some 67 metres (220 ft) from the water meadows of the River Itchen
, the summit of the hill at 97 metres (318 ft) provides a fine view over Winchester.
The hill is owned by Winchester College
, and largely managed as a nature reserve by the Hampshire Wildlife Trust
. St. Catherine's Hill is at the westernmost extremity of the South Downs National Park
, having previously been designated as part of the East Hampshire AONB
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). In addition, much of the hill and adjoining Plague Pits dry valley
is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) due to its chalk downland flora, including 'practically the full range of downland orchids', with chalkhill blue
and other butterflies.
Recently St. Catherine's Hill has been the location of several local college parties that have resulted in police intervention.
hill fort, which is a scheduled ancient monument
. In the centre a copse of beech trees contains the site of the 12th Century chapel of St. Catherine. There is also a mizmaze
, probably cut between 1647 and 1710.
The hill was cut off from the Itchen water meadows for over a hundred years by the construction of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
in the 1890s and the Winchester By-pass (A33
) in the 1930s. The railway closed in the 1960s and the road was removed following construction of the M3 motorway to the east through Twyford Down
in the 1990s. Whilst this reunited the hill with its historic setting to the west, it is now largely cut off from the hills to the east. The routing of the original by-pass to the east of Winchester had been controversial and its replacement by the M3 led to a large scale protest (see main article Twyford Down protest).
. This is an upfold in the chalk at the western end of the South Downs
. In the Winchester area the core of the anticline has eroded to expose older rocks in Chilcomb
, Bar End
and Winchester itself, leaving a near complete ring of inward-facing chalk scarp
slopes including Magdalen (Morn) Hill to the north, Chilcomb Down and Telegraph Hill to the east, Deacon Hill, Twyford Down and St. Catherine's to the south and Oliver's Battery to the west. Whilst the highest part of the main ring of hills (which reaches up to 167 metres (548 ft) at Cheesefoot Head) is of the 'Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation', St. Catherine's is of the slightly older 'New Pit Chalk Formation'. Both date from the Turonian
stage of the Upper Cretaceous. St. Catherine's Hill is separated from the higher Twyford Down by the dramatic dry valley known as Plague Pits Valley to the east and south, and truncated by the valley of the River Itchen
to the west.
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
hill to the south east of Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Rising steeply some 67 metres (220 ft) from the water meadows of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
, the summit of the hill at 97 metres (318 ft) provides a fine view over Winchester.
The hill is owned by Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, and largely managed as a nature reserve by the Hampshire Wildlife Trust
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, England.They are the leading local wildlife conservation charity in Hampshire and the Island...
. St. Catherine's Hill is at the westernmost extremity of the South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
, having previously been designated as part of the East Hampshire AONB
East Hampshire AONB
East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England was designated in 1962. The designation was revoked in March 2010, together with the neighbouring Sussex Downs AONB, upon the establishment of the South Downs National Park. The southern part of the area is mainly rolling chalk...
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). In addition, much of the hill and adjoining Plague Pits dry valley
Dry valley
A dry valley is a valley found in either karst or chalk terrain that no longer has a surface flow of water.There are many examples of the latter along the North and South Downs in southern England...
is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) due to its chalk downland flora, including 'practically the full range of downland orchids', with chalkhill blue
Chalkhill Blue
The Chalkhill Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.Males have pale silvery-blue wings with black and white border . Females are dark brown, also with the black and white borders...
and other butterflies.
Recently St. Catherine's Hill has been the location of several local college parties that have resulted in police intervention.
History
The top of the hill is ringed by the ramparts of an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort, which is a scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. In the centre a copse of beech trees contains the site of the 12th Century chapel of St. Catherine. There is also a mizmaze
Mizmaze
Mizmaze is the name given to two of England's eight surviving historic turf mazes, and also to a third, presumably once similar site that is now merely a relic...
, probably cut between 1647 and 1710.
The hill was cut off from the Itchen water meadows for over a hundred years by the construction of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
in the 1890s and the Winchester By-pass (A33
A33 road
The A33 is a major road in England. The road formerly ran from Reading to Southampton, but now consists of three disjoint sections:*Reading to Basingstoke*The A30 road south of Basingstoke to just north of Winchester...
) in the 1930s. The railway closed in the 1960s and the road was removed following construction of the M3 motorway to the east through Twyford Down
Twyford Down
Twyford Down is a small area of ancient chalk downland lying directly to the southeast of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The down's summit, known as Deacon Hill, is towards the north-eastern edge of the area which is renowned for its dramatic rolling scenery, ecologically rich grassland and as a...
in the 1990s. Whilst this reunited the hill with its historic setting to the west, it is now largely cut off from the hills to the east. The routing of the original by-pass to the east of Winchester had been controversial and its replacement by the M3 led to a large scale protest (see main article Twyford Down protest).
Geology
Structurally, St. Catherine's Hill is part of the Winchester anticlineAnticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...
. This is an upfold in the chalk at the western end of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. In the Winchester area the core of the anticline has eroded to expose older rocks in Chilcomb
Chilcomb
Chilcomb is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is located very close to the city of Winchester and is on the South Downs Way long distance footpath.The parish had a population of 91 at the 2001 Census....
, Bar End
Bar End
Bar End is an area of Winchester, Hampshire, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Itchen to the north of St. Catherine's Hill and is the location of a park and ride car park serving the city centre....
and Winchester itself, leaving a near complete ring of inward-facing chalk scarp
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
slopes including Magdalen (Morn) Hill to the north, Chilcomb Down and Telegraph Hill to the east, Deacon Hill, Twyford Down and St. Catherine's to the south and Oliver's Battery to the west. Whilst the highest part of the main ring of hills (which reaches up to 167 metres (548 ft) at Cheesefoot Head) is of the 'Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation', St. Catherine's is of the slightly older 'New Pit Chalk Formation'. Both date from the Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...
stage of the Upper Cretaceous. St. Catherine's Hill is separated from the higher Twyford Down by the dramatic dry valley known as Plague Pits Valley to the east and south, and truncated by the valley of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
to the west.