Parkland and Water Meadows

Parklands and Water Meadows owned by the Hospital of St Cross

The grasslands surrounding the Hospital of St Cross are owned by the Hospital and are carefully managed for nature conservation.  Their location, next to the River Itchen on the outskirts of Winchester City, is important as they are a green corridor for wildlife providing vital feeding and breeding sites.  The extent of the Hospital owned land is shown on the map (on right).

In October 2022 a public presentation was held in St Cross Chapel to explain what improvements had been made to the meadows during the 10 year period of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s (HIWWT) tenancy and we also touched on our plans for the future of the Meadows.  The HIWWT have finished their tenancy and a new local landowner has taken up the lease and will continue to graze livestock on the Hospital’s grasslands.

We were pleased to see so many people at our presentation in October and we wish to thank all those who attended.  As promised, there is a link to a summary of the answers to questions that were asked during the meeting here – please click here to view the document..

Dog walking: To ease the dogs on leads restrictions (we were forced to impose during the pandemic) our new grazier has agreed to indicate if livestock are grazing in an area with signs. In return we ask that the following guidance is adhered to:

LIVESTOCK GRAZING IN AN AREA – DOGS ON LEADS
NO LIVESTOCK PRESENT – DOGS UNDER CONTROL

Dogs under control means:
• Your dog is near you and on the path
• You are certain it will come to you when called
• You don’t let your dog chase wildlife
• Ensure that your dog’s behaviour is not unsettling or a threat to other visitors.

At all times, please ensure you are watching your dog and clean up after it.
THANK YOU