FAWLEY HUNDRED 



CHILCOMB 



woodland, since Beacon Hill rises to the south to a 

 height of nearly 500 ft. above the sea level. 



Skirting this high down-land Chilcomb Lane con- 

 tinues south as a rough pathway to meet the Roman 

 road from Bishop's Waltham to Winchester on the 

 southern border line of the parish. From here the 

 Roman road runs for some distance between the two 

 parishes, then turning to the north and west enters 

 Winchester at Bar End. As it turns north a rough 

 road known as Bull Drove branches off westward 

 through down-land and arable land to the River 

 Itchen, and crossing the bridge leads through a shady 

 lane between the flooded water meadows into Win- 

 chester. South of this road rises St Catherine's Hill, 

 a well-known landmark, encircled by traces of an 

 ancient fortification, and crowned by a clump of fine 

 trees 4 which mark the site of the ancient chapel 

 dedicated in honour of St. Catherine. This chapel, 

 once annexed to the rectory of Chilcomb, had been 

 suppressed before Leland visited Winchester(l 536-42). 

 Thus he says ' Ther was a very fair chapelle of 

 S. Catarine on an hill scant half a mile without 

 Winchester town by south. This chapel was en- 

 dowid with landes. Thomas Wolsey, cardinal, causid 

 it to be suppressid, as I hard say.' 6 



On the summit of the hill also, east of the sup- 

 posed site of the chapel, is a maze which, with the 

 school song ' Domum,' College tradition ascribes to 

 the ill-fated Winchester scholar who, having cut the 

 maze and written the song, died of a broken heart 

 and pointed a moral against depriving boys of holi- 

 days. At least the maze is of some considerable age, 

 dating back to the early seventeenth century, since 

 such mazes are of Dutch origin and came to England 

 with the Stuarts. On the south side of the hill 

 immediately rising from the narrow valley are the 

 Twyford Downs, while away to the west over the 

 Itchen valley and the quiet meadows and village of 

 St. Cross, with its square-towered Norman church, is 

 down-land sweeping away to a group of trees sil- 

 houetted against the sky line, known as Oliver's 

 Battery. To the north and west over the stretch of 

 low-lying water meadows appear the roofs and towers 

 of Winchester, the square cathedral tower and the 

 delicately-turreted college tower rising behind a thick 

 foreground of trees. To the north-east runs the rail- 

 way bank of the Great Western Railway, east of which 

 are sweeps of rolling arable land, in the distance the 

 houses of Chilcomb Within, and rising behind them 

 St. Giles's Hill, and again stretches of down-land. 



Of the other hills in Chilcomb, both St. Giles's 

 Hill (which is only partly in the parish) and St. Mary 

 Magdalen Hill (locally known as Magdalen or Morn 

 Hill) are in the north. The road from New Aires- 

 ford, cutting through wonderful down-country, rises 

 steadily over Magdalen Hill, and skirting the northern 

 slopes of St. Giles's Hill enters Winchester. On the 

 summit of Magdalen Hill a large group of tumuli 

 can be seen to the south of the road, while to the 



north is the Victoria Hospital for infectious diseases, 

 behind which is the site of the original hospital of 

 St. Mary Magdalen. This hospital, founded probably 

 in the twelfth century,' was used for Dutch prisoners 

 of war by Charles II, who in 1665 ejected the 

 master and inmates, obliging them to seek lodgings in 

 Winchester. The hospital was not pulled down i 

 until 1788, but it had been entirely spoilt and the j 

 inmates never returned. The charity still exists, the ' 

 houses now occupied by the recipients being a group 

 of small, low houses in St. John's parish, Winchester. 



Twice in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Mag- 

 dalen Hill was the scene of historic incident. Henry de 

 Blois, bishop of Winchester, went out to meet Empress 

 Maud on Magdalen Hill 2 March, 1141, and from 

 thence conducted her into the city in solemn procession.' 

 In 1214 the downs of Magdalen Hill were the meeting- 

 place of Archbishop Langton and other of the bishops 

 and clergy with King John, who ' at the sight of 

 them fell on his knees and shed many tears.' From 

 thence the king was conducted to the cathedral, though 

 he could not enter there until he had been absolved. 8 



The site of the ancient chapel of St. Giles is with- 

 out the boundaries of Chilcomb parish, which only 

 contains the southern portion of the hill, including 

 the site of the celebrated St. Giles's Fair of old days. 



The soil of the whole is calcareous loam with a 

 subsoil of chalk, difficult of cultivation, but producing 

 most kinds of grain and green crops. Hence the chief 

 employment of the inhabitants is agriculture, while 

 the lime works at Bar End and west of the village 

 of Upper Chilcomb have become quite an industry. 

 Before the time of the Domesday Sur- 

 M4NORS vey CHILCOMB was the name given to 

 a large tract of country round Win- 

 chester, comprising nearly loo hides, and called 'the 

 Hundred Hides of Chilcomb,' 9 the whole of which 

 is said to have been granted to the cathedral church 

 of Winchester by Kinegyls between the years 608 

 and 634.' 



The manor was evidently taken away from the 

 church afterwards, but was restored about 856 by 

 Athulf, king of the West Saxons, who also granted a 

 confirmation of certain privileges to Winchester 

 Cathedral for the land at Chilcomb, 11 and land and 

 privileges alike were confirmed to the church by sub- 

 sequent kings." The origin and early history of this 

 vast estate has been discussed by Professor Maitland, 

 who rejects as spurious all the royal charters relating 

 to it earlier than Ethelred's writ, which Kemble ac- 

 cepted as genuine, but the details of which as to the 

 constituents of Chilcomb the Professor questions.", 



At the time of the Domesday Survey Bishop 

 Walkelin held the manor of ' Barton and Buddies- 

 gate ' in Chilcomb, Winnall, Morestead, St. Faith, 

 Compton, Weeke, Littleton, and Sparsholt I8 for the 

 support of the monks of St. Swithun." Chilcomb 

 was assessed at one hide with land for sixty-eight 

 ploughs ; seven tenants held land of this hide from 



4 These trees were planted about the 

 middle of the eighteenth century by Lord 

 Botetourt, who commanded the Glouces- 

 tershire Militia, then quartered at Win- 

 chester. 



6 Leland, Itin, (2nd ed.), iii, 87. 



6 For its foundation and early history 

 see V.C.H. Hants, ii, 197-200. 



" Milner, flist. of Winchester, i, 160, 

 quoting from William of Malmesbury 



and Trussel ; Round, Geoffrey de Mande- 

 ville, 57-62. Mr. Round places the 

 meeting at Wherwell. 



8 Ibid. 1 80, quoting from Trussel and 

 Matthew Paris. 



9 The Hundred Hides included the 

 modern parishes of Avington, Easton, 

 Ovington, Tichborne, Kilmeston, Stoke, 

 Otterbourne, Twyford, Coldhannington, 

 Nursling, and Brambrdge hamlet. 



315 



10 Dugdale, Man. i, 210 ; Leland, Coll. 

 i, 613. 



11 Birch, Cart. Sax. ii, 96. 



13 Ibid, ii, 282, 419 ; iii, 413. 



12a Dom. Bk. and Beyond, 449-50, 496-9. 



18 The large manor of ' Barton and 

 Buddlesgate ' was an honour including the 

 smaller manors, which latter paid suit at 

 the court of ' Barton and Buddlesgate.' 



14 V.C.H. Hants, ii, 108. 



