St Catherine's Hill, Dorset
St Catherine's Hill | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | Christchurch | |
Postcode district | BH23 | |
Police | Dorset | |
Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire | |
Ambulance | South Western | |
St Catherine's Hill is a 53-metre (174 ft) hill in the borough of
Humans have been visiting the hill as far back as the
Toponymy
The hill takes its name from a chapel dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria that once stood on its summit.[1] 12th century documents suggest the hill was formerly known as Richedon,[2] Old English for ‘Great Hill’, perhaps to compare with Littledown across the River Stour to the south-west. In 1331, a chapel dedicated to St Catherine was described as being "newly built on the hill of Richesdon".[3][4]
Older documents refer to an unlicensed chapel dedicated to St Leonard at Rishton, but there is some debate as to whether this was the same place, and therefore, whether the hill was the site of a former chapel.
History
Animal remains from before the
The earliest evidence of its use as such is
A chapel was built within the boundaries of the old Roman signal station. Though it is not definitely known when it was constructed, a document from 1331 states that a chapel dedicated to St Catherine was "newly built on the hill of Richesdon". This appears to have been granted without the knowledge of the Bishop of Winchester,
The chapel site was investigated in 1921 by The Bournemouth Natural Science Society, with guidance from
In
20th century onwards
During
In the early 20th century, sand and gravel extraction took place on part of the hill, such as on the east side of the plateau, where the whole of what was once Toothill has been removed. The remaining pit has become partly filled with water. Extraction continued until at least 1933, when a local newspaper complained that a tumulus was being sold off at a shilling a load.[20][19] A reservoir was first constructed on the hill in 1895. It was rebuilt in 1930 and a second reservoir was added in 1960. The reservoirs provide Christchurch and West Hampshire with four million gallons of water.[20] In the 1960s and 70s, most of the west side of the hill was developed for housing.[24]
A survey conducted in 2012, showed that the hill was mainly used for leisure and educational activities, such as walking,
Geography
St Catherine's Hill, together with Ramsdown and Blackwater hills, comprise a 3-mile (4.8 km) long ridge running roughly north to south between the Avon and Stour valleys just to the north-west of where the rivers converge in the borough of Christchurch in Dorset.[11][30][31] The top of this ridge is almost a level plateau, 45 metres (148 ft) above sea-level at the southern end and 49 metres (161 ft) in the north. St Catherine's hill, in the south, forms the highest point of this three hill chain at 53 metres (174 ft) and has some of the steepest slopes at 1:1 or 45°.[30][31] The 400 acres (160 ha) site is a mixture of woodland and heath and is part of a larger Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The eastern slopes and foot of the hill, an area referred to as the Town Common, is almost exclusively open heath and as such has also been designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).[18][31]
St Catherine's Hill was formed during the
The soils covering the hill and surrounding area are acidic and generally low in nutrients. These soils support a selection of habitats from wet and dry heathland, to deciduous and coniferous woodland and scrubland.
Coniferous woodland dominates the top and western slopes of the hill and comprises mostly
Some rare invertebrates inhabit the hill and its surrounding area. The
References
- ^ Hodges p. 14
- ISBN 978-1-85975-761-1.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link - ^ ISBN 978-0-902978-18-8.
- ^ a b Hodges p. 17
- ^ Mrs Arthur Bell (1916). From Harbour to Harbour : The Story of Christchurch, Bournemouth, and Poole from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. G Bell and Sons Ltd, London. p. 68. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Hodges p. 11
- ^ Hodges p. 2
- ^ Hodges pp. 2–3
- ^ Hodges p. 3
- ^ a b Hodges p. 6
- ^ a b Hodges p. 1
- ^ Stannard p. 1
- ^ Hoodless pp. 31 & 64
- ^ Hodges pp. 8–9
- ^ a b Hodges p. 18
- ^ W G Wallace. Proceedings of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society, Vol XIII, 1920-21. BNSS. p. 63. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Hodges p. 10
- ^ a b c Chris Chapleo (November 2006). "Christchurch's St Catherine's Hill". Dorset Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ a b Hodges p. 22
- ^ a b c d St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 5 – History) p. 33
- ^ a b c Hodges p. 23
- ^ a b Hodges p. 24
- ^ "ROC and WMO Monitoring Posts". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- ^ Hodges p. 25
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 6 – Access and Use) pp. 35–36
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 6 – Access and Use) p. 38
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 {Section 8 – Actions) pp. 61–62
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 6 – Access and Use) pp. 36–37
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 2 – Background) p. 13
- ^ a b c d St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 3 – Physical Features) p. 14
- ^ a b c St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 1 – Introduction) p. 1
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Appendices) p. 17
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 4 – Ecology) p. 19
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 3 – Physical Features) pp. 14 & 15
- ^ a b c d St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Appendices) p. 18
- ^ a b c d e St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 2 – Background) p. 8
- ^ a b c St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 4 – Ecology) p. 22
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 3 – Physical Features) p. 15
- ^ a b St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 4 – Ecology) p. 26
- ^ St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 4 – Ecology) p. 21
- ^ a b St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023 (Section 2 – Background) p. 9
Bibliography
- Hodges, Michael A. (2005). St Catherine's Hill – A Short History. Christchurch: Natula Publications. ISBN 1-897-887-45-0.
- Hoodless, W.A. (2005). Hengistbury Head, The Whole Story. Poole Historical Trust. ISBN 978-1-873535-60-8.
- Stannard, Michael (1999). The Makers of Christchurch: A Thousand Year Story. Natula Publications. ISBN 1-897887-22-1.
- "St Catherine's Hill and Town Common Management Plan 2012–2023" (PDF). Bournemouth Christchurch Poole Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.