It has been a busy month in St Giles Hill Graveyard. The cool dry weather has meant that we have not had to do a lot of mowing or strimming, but we have still had a lot of activity.
- Charles Radcliff prospective Lib. Dem. candidate for Winchester City Council in the upcoming elections visited the graveyard on the 31st March to have a tour of the graveyard. Members of the friends committee Anna and Dave Stewart and Dominic Hiscock were also there to greet him. We discussed the importance of the graveyard for local people, heritage, and wildlife.
- With the impending transfer of duty of maintenance of the graveyard from church to Winchester City Council And following discussions at the end of march work visits have been made to the graveyard by Id Verde personnel and arboriculturists to carry out work that FSGHG are not insured for.
Tree men in St Giles Hill Graveyard.
- A work group from The Rotary Club visited on the 10th April and did some fine work preparing ground to sow chalk meadow grass seeds. We now have to wait for warmer and wetter times to do the sowing.
- Brian Cooper who makes bird boxes for nature trusts (including Winnall Moors) delivered 4 bird boxes to the graveyards on the 19th April. He also helped us put them up. We aim to put more boxes up at a later stage as well as bat boxes.
Brian Cooper putting up Bird boxes with the help of Dave Stewart in St Giles Hill Graveyard.
- Steve Brine MP for Winchester visited St Giles Hill Graveyard on the 23rd of April together with Alex Piney. From the Friends of St Giles Hill were Anna & Dave Stewart, Dominic Hiscock, and Mie Thorpe. We had a very pleasant stroll and discussion. Please see the link to the Hampshire Chronicle article for more details. https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/19265425.steve-brine-mp-tours-st-giles-hill-graveyard-volunteers/
Steve Brine with Dominic Hiscock and Dave Stewart from FSGHG.
- We are currently having discussions with the Rotary Club Conservation Group about a longer-term relationship that would benefit the graveyard. We hope to announce something soon.Closure of the graveyard for burials: The Privy Council had a meeting on the 28th St Giles Hill
- Graveyard is mentioned under the Burial Act 1853 (notices) – Order giving notice of the discontinuance of burials. Notices announcing this will go up on the graveyard gates. After a month it will go back to Privy Council for the final closure order, probably in July. The map below is part of the privy council meeting document.
As we come out of lockdown and the weather gets warmer and wetter, we will need volunteers so please offer your services by Emailing fsghg@stgileshill.org.uk or one of the committee members.