of those numerous hermit saints who played so prominent a part in
establishing the Christian faith in these islands. The hill is deeply
grooved by a railway cutting; on it was held for many centuries a kind
of open market or annual fair, which attracted the wealthy merchants of
France, Flanders, and Italy. The fair generally lasted a fortnight,
during which time all other local business was suspended, the shops
closed, and the mayor handed over the keys of the city to the bishop,
who claimed large fees from the stall holders. Thirty marks were paid
for repairs needed at the Church of St. Swithun, and similar sums were
demanded by the abbeys. Bishop Walkelin was granted the tolls of the
fair for three days by William Rufus, his kinsman; but in the time of
Henry III the privilege was extended to sixteen days. The stalls were
arranged in long rows, and named according to the goods sold thereon, or
after the nationality of the vendors. Thus one row would be named the
Street of Caen, another that of Limoges, while the Drapery and Spicery
stalls were held by the monks of St. Swithun, who proved themselves
energetic traders at the great annual fair, which lasted until modern
times, and was removed in due course from St. Giles's Hill into the
city. Dean Kitchin writes: "As the city grew stronger and the fair
weaker, it slid down St. Giles's Hill and entered the town, where its
noisy ghost still holds revel once a year".

At the present day St. Giles's Hill is a pleasant spot from which to
view the venerable city. Down the valley, by the Itchen, rises the
Hospital and Church of St. Cross, a picturesque and peaceful group of
buildings viewed from any position, but particularly so taken in
conjunction with the ancient city and the fertile valley threaded by
numberless small streams. On the left side of the valley is St.
Catherine's Hill, a bold and outstanding spur crowned with a small belt
of trees surrounded by a circular earthwork. At one time a chapel