St Catherine's Hill, Surrey facts for kids
St Catherine's Hill is a special hill located just south of Guildford in Surrey, England. It is famous for the old, ruined chapel that sits right on its top. This hill is about half a mile from Guildford, close to the village of Artington and the River Wey. The area around the village is made of sandstone rock that sticks out, and it is also near the historic Pilgrims' Way, a path people used to travel long ago.
The Chapel on the Hill
The hill gets its name from the chapel found at its peak. This building is a ruined ancient monument. It was likely a "chapel of ease," which means it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main church in Guildford, St Nicholas Church.
The chapel was built in the early 1300s by Richard de Wauncey, who was the rector (a type of priest) of St Nicholas Church. For many years, a five-day fair was held here. This fair was officially allowed by King Edward II in 1308.
Discoveries from the Past
In 2020, something exciting was found on the hill. A small cave was discovered during work on the railway line that runs under the hill between Guildford and Portsmouth.
Inside this cave, there are special carvings. These are decorative niches carved into the sandstone walls. Experts believe these carvings were part of a medieval shrine. A shrine is a holy place, and this one might date back to the 1300s, just like the chapel.
St Catherine's Hill in Art
St Catherine's Hill and its chapel have inspired many artists. A famous painter named J. M. W. Turner (who lived from 1775 to 1851) created pictures of the hill. Some of his engravings (a type of print) are even kept in the Tate Gallery.
Another artist, Percy Robertson (1868–1934), was a watercolourist. He painted a beautiful view from the hill in 1891. These artworks show how important and beautiful St Catherine's Hill has been to people over the centuries.
