The city is 1,025 years old as a corporate town.  Its staple business in medieval times was the sale of wool or its manufacture into cloth.  Standing midway between two great tracts of sheep country, it was the natural mart for this important trade and therefore prospered and became rich.  St. Giles’ Fair, once famous and of great importance to cattle and sheep farmers, finally expired about the middle of the last century.  In its prime it was of such a nature that the jurisdiction of the Mayor and the City Courts was in abeyance for sixteen days from the twelfth of September.  It was held on St. Giles’ Hill just without the town.  The fair was under the patronage of the Bishop, who appointed a “Justice of the Court of Pavilion” during the period of the fair.

[Illustration:  West gate, Winchester.]

The chief excursion that every one takes, and that every one should take, from Winchester is to St. Cross.  The beautiful old Norman church and its equally beautiful surrounding buildings almost rival Winchester Close itself in their interest and charm.  A short walk southwards through the suburb of Sharkford leads direct in a little over a mile to this goal of the archaeologist.  A slightly longer but pleasanter route goes by the banks of the Itchen.

St. Cross is the oldest charity, still living its ancient life, that remains to us.  Its charter is dated 1151, but it was founded nearly twenty years earlier by Bishop Henry de Blois.  The document set forth that thirteen “poor men, so reduced in strength as to be unable to raise themselves without the assistance of another” should be lodged, clothed and entertained, and that one hundred other poor men of good conduct should dine here daily.  The munificent charity of the founder was soon abused and the funds had the common habit of disappearing into the capacious pockets of absentee masters.  William of Wykeham and his immediate successor, Beaufort, caused reforms in the administration and added to the foundation, the latter instituting an almshouse of “Noble Poverty,” which was partly carried out by Bishop Waynflete in 1486.  The brethren of this newer foundation wear a red gown; those of the old, a black gown bearing a silver cross.  Even within living memory scandals connected with the administration were perpetuated; an Earl of Guildford taking over L1,000 annually during a period of fifty years for the nominal mastership.  This peer was a nephew of Bishop Brownlow North.  It was in 1855 that the Hospital was put on its present footing and the charity of the hundred diners finally became the maintenance of fifty poor people of good character in the vicinity.

To the average tourist the chief interest seems to be the dole of bread and beer which must be given to whoever claims it until the two loaves and two gallons of liquor are exhausted.  The well-clothed stranger who has the temerity to ask for it must not be surprised at the homoeopathic quantity which is handed to him.  I am informed that the genuine wayfarer receives a more substantial dole.