In 1878 a rapid series of land sales and developments were under way on St Giles Hill.  The possible approach of the railway and the possible development of land for building on St Giles Hill led to considerable ownership changes in a short period of time.  When put up for auction by Messrs. Driver and Co on 5 July 1878 at The Royal Hotel “51 acres of land at St Giles Hill fronting the Alresford and Petersfield Roads” was sold.  Much of the land was purchased by Lord Northbrook and at the time the sales notice provided the note that the Corporation of the City of Winchester had “agreed to buy adjoining Land as a Public Park”.

The purchase of the Park or Recreation Ground as it became referred to was not without controversy.

The Ecclesiastical Commission following Church reforms were changing their approach to their land portfolios amongst other things. Knowing the Corporation of Winchester to have paths on the Hill the Commission wrote to the Council asking if they would like to buy a portion of the land that they were putting up for sale, as a recreation ground.  The Council were keen voting 19 to two in favour, but some locals anticipating a cost coming their way were robust in their opposition to the proposition.

The Council mainly through Mr Stopher, several times Mayor of Winchester, the proposer of the resolution at the Council meeting on 6 June 1878, stated that the City was keen to buy and create the Recreation Ground on St Giles Hill.  He argued that there were no recreation grounds in the lower end of the city and also that it would be good to get the children away from playing in the streets of Winchester, especially those with catapults.  The “waifs and strays would be drawn from the streets to a more suitable place” he stated.

Following letters to the Hampshire Chronicle, in particular, Mr Stopher had to refute several arguments including some made with anonymous signatures, these seen as “beneath notion stated”. The main argument by Stopher was to state that the purchase of land was never to be for a Park but for a Recreation Ground, the latter being a less costly proposition. He said the cost would be 2d a year to a £6 householder and 6s 8d the owner of the largest property.  For someone owning 10 cottages, he said 2d each would amount to 1s 8d a year or “five fourpennies worth of gin (laughter) a sacrifice that would not injure him, but would be conferring a boon to the city (hear, hear)”.

Mr Stopher went on to refute the comment that the hill was a climb, again having done his homework, when he spelled out the facts of the slope changes.  To the first gate 1 in 5. To the second turning 1 in 4.  To the corner 1 in 8.  To the brow 1 in 10.  Locals today can attest to this summary though the stepped section today is perhaps steeper now and seems to get steeper with every passing year.

To counter the view that the land was poor Stopher commented that far from being barren the allotments on the Hill commanded £8 an acre from citizens and was some of the best ground for growing potatoes in Winchester.

With land being lost and enclosed to public access in the area Stopher also stated the need to protect the Downs and walks. He also noted that Winchester’s population growth meant the need for more recreational space as the population grew it having already doubled to 20,000 in 50 years since 1821. Space for wellbeing and recreation isn’t a new topic, it seems.

The plan to purchase the land went through and £1250 (about £200,000 today) was paid for a site of 8 acres, two roods and 15 poles of land.  Later a small parcel of land was added and purchased from the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway and in 1894 a parcel of some 2 acres gifted by Lord Northbrook took the park to around 11 acres or 4.4 hectares, just over 6 football pitches that it is today.

Stopher foresaw the need for recreational access as the population was growing even if he also foresaw opportunity himself as he became somewhat a beneficiary of the overall development of housing in the St Giles Hill area, too.

The Park remains a great asset to the City and the Council is pursuing considerable works on it in its 5-year management plan approved in March 2023.  Views are being reinstated and considerable tree work undertaken not least to tackle ash dieback and plant better suited replacement trees.  From the end of August 2023, the Friends of St Giles Hill charity established in April 2023 is playing its part, with working parties on the Hill with more ambitious aspirations for the park to follow.

For more details see https://www.friendsofstgileshillpark.org/about