CustomFamous
The Wayfarer's Dole
A crust and a cup for any traveller who asks.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Medieval almshouse, church and Porter's Lodge
- Legend from
- Living custom
- Tone
- Light-hearted
Ask at the gate, and an almshouse gives you bread and ale as it has for centuries.
The Hospital of St Cross, south of Winchester, was founded by Henry of Blois in the 1130s and is one of England's oldest almshouses. Any visitor who asks at the Porter's Lodge can still receive the Wayfarer's Dole: a horn or small cup of ale and a morsel of bread. The Hospital says the custom came from a monk of Cluny, whose order always gave bread and wine to travellers. A visitor writing in October 2026 confirmed that the porter still had it available. Admission charges apply to the site.