Who was St Swithin?

More than 100 years after Swithin, the Bishop of Winchester, died on 2 July, between AD 861 and 863, he was adopted as patron of the restored cathedral. New biographies talked of his great deeds, piety and miracles – such as restoring a basket of broken eggs dropped by a woman who'd been jostled by workmen.

Swithin is said to have asked to be buried where raindrops from the church’s eaves would fall. This made him a popular saint in times of drought. An old proverb claims if there’s rain on St Swithin’s day, 15 July, it will continue for 40 more.