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Council work is well under way to address the most immediate issue of ash dieback on trees throughout the park, particularly those by the path from the top of the steps and leading to the main viewpoint, though there are ash trees in other parts, needing attention, too. A main stand of Ash on St Giles Hill. This includes trees dotted around the Park especially those on the tricky to tackle ash on slopes down towards the Chesil Car Park. At the end of last year, I happened acr

The Friends of St Giles Hill Park held their Gathering at St Swithun’s School earlier this month.  The aim was to look back at progress so far in helping improve the Park but mainly to cover ambitions to achieve an overall long term Framework Plan for the Park. Currently, the management of the Park is based on a Winchester City Council 5 year Management Plan which is about half way through its lifespan.  However, the Friends, with the support of the Council and bodies ranging

Students busy clearing pathways For the first time, University of Winchester students joined the Friends of St Giles Hill Park recently to help improve the Park.  The tasks undertaken included litter picking, path clearance and helping nurture 100 trees planted in the park two years ago.  The collaboration came about after Steve Yang, Senior Lecturer at the University of Winchester joined a walk in the Park led by Harry Mycock, Chair of the Friends of St Giles Hill Park in th

On a recent sunny October morning, the Friends of St Giles Hill Working Party were joined by seven members of the City Council Transformation Team, more than doubling the Working Party on the day. The tasks accomplished, which are part of the Management Plan included the clearing of unwanted vegetation such as brambles, Old Man’s Beard and self seeded sycamore from around the 100 native trees supplied by Winchester City Council and planted by volunteers on St Giles Hill in De

The Savills team with Harry, after an enjoyable morning's work in the park. The Friends of St Giles Hill Park were delighted to host five volunteers from Savills Estate Agents who gave their time to help improve St Giles Hill Park on a sunny October morning recently. Associate Director from Residential Sales Rob Tottle was joined by Carmen Lever, Emily Medland, Haley Prescott and James Waddington from Savills to help boost the work of the Working Parties of The Friends of St

You may not know it but the progressive rock band, Big Big Train released the song “Winchester from St Giles Hill” in September 2013 and twelve years later in September 2025 over seventy fans from the UK, Europe, New Zealand and the USA gathered on St Giles Hill to celebrate the music. The Viewpoint has probably never been so packed. Photo: Martin Haskell Gregory Spawton, the band’s co-founder, hailing from Bournemouth wrote the song but loves the history of Winchester, hen

When our 6 year old grand-daughter was staying with us and we told her we thought we might take her to see bats she was very worried....

Climate change is affecting Britain's native trees. How will they cope with increasingly unstable weather and the onset of new diseases?

More than 30 Park Friends helped celebrate 130 years since work began on the so-called Milner Extension to St Giles Hill Park.

A new guide to St Giles Hill offers three trails up to and around St Giles Hill Park and a chance to delve into the area's rich history.

Local tour guide Lorraine Estelle unearths the story behind the strikingly beautiful steel "running fox bench" in St Giles Hill Park.

Last week, Park Friends took part in a guided walk to enjoy the Park's autumnal leaf colours, followed by tea with the City's mayor.