Description of the attraction
The Holy Cross Hospital and Home for the Noble Poor was founded in Winchester, UK between 1133 and 1136. It is the oldest charity in the United Kingdom. Its founder was Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, grandson of William the Conqueror.
It is not only the oldest but also the largest charity house in medieval England. The orphanage is still operational, it is run by a Master, and is home to 25 elderly people who are called "brothers." They belong either to the Holy Cross Hospital Society, founded in 1132, and wear black clothes with a silver cross, or to the Poor Noble Order, founded in 1445, and wear maroon. They are sometimes called "black brothers" and "red brothers". Brothers must be single, divorced or widowed and over 60 years of age. The most needy people get to the charity house. Each is provided with a separate apartment, usually consisting of a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. The living quarters were built in the 15th century and are all on the ground floor. It should be noted that the brothers are not monks, the Hospital of the Holy Cross is a secular organization.
The ancient tradition of helping travelers is still preserved here - anyone who asked the gatekeeper about it can get a piece of bread and a glass of ale for free.
The complex of stone buildings surrounds two courtyards. The smaller Outer Courtyard is overlooked by a gate (16th century), a brewery (14th century), a guest wing, a kitchen where food is prepared for the Master, 25 brothers and 100 poor people, a gatekeeper and a three-story Beaufort tower, built around 1450 and named after Cardinal Beaufort. The Hall of the Brotherhood, which accommodates the Master, 25 brothers and 100 poor people, the living quarters of the gallery and the church form the Courtyard. The church was built in the XII-XIII centuries and looks more like a miniature cathedral than a chapel in an almshouse. The walls of the church are one meter thick, and the building itself is an example of a transitional style - from Norman architecture to Gothic.
