Talk:Hospital of St Cross

Wayfarers dole
Perhaps a mention of the fact that you can go to St Cross and ask for 'The Wayfarers Dole' An amount of bread, and beer. This tradition has been going on for centuries. Can someone else find out more information on this? Bettybutt (talk) 03:09, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Found this: THE WAYFARERS DOLE The Hospital of St Cross is famous worldwide for its unique and ancient tradition of the Wayfarer's Dole. The founder of this tradition was a Cluniac monk whose order always gave bread and wine to travellers at a time when St. Cross stood on an important east-west route for merchants and pilgrims. Today's Dole, a drink of beer and some bread, has come to reflect this custom. It is still given at the Porter's Gate to visitors who request it.Bettybutt (talk) 03:13, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't it be included in the article? I think that if you're still looking for more information on it, it was featured on today's Songs of Praise. On a personal note, It's free, I'm guessing? The C of E.          God Save The Queen! (talk) 17:51, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

Oldest Charity Claim
The article claims this charity to be the oldest surviving charitable institution in the United Kingdom, however I have found evidence to the contrary. This government article suggests that The King's School, Canterbury is a charitable institution and was founded considerably earlier.


 * agreed - very doubtful and removed. Dormskirk (talk) 07:57, 27 July 2019 (UTC)


 * St Cross is the Oldest English Almshouse
 * in continental use. It never stopped working as almshouse unlike other institutions, some founded much earlier than St Cross. That is usually the source of confusion. 2A00:23C7:558C:C301:B5E5:9DEF:FAFE:32C (talk) 21:38, 14 October 2023 (UTC)
 * FWIW, this IP is COI for this org Special:Diff/1180172524 DarmaniLink (talk) 23:40, 14 October 2023 (UTC)