The Hospital of St Cross is one of the oldest almshouses in England, founded in 1136 by Bishop Henry of Blois. It is still a functioning home for pensioners, as it has been for nearly nine centuries, and the residents still wear the black robes of the original foundation or the mulberry gowns of the later "Noble Poverty" almshouse added in 1445. The medieval church, the quadrangle, and the great hall are all substantially intact.
The complex is a remarkable architectural survival: Norman doorways, Romanesque arches, medieval kitchens, and a church that contains excellent 13th-century decorative work. The whole thing sits in grounds of unusual tranquillity on the southern edge of Winchester, at the end of the water meadow walk from the cathedral. Admission to the grounds and church is inexpensive; the Wayfarer's Dole is free.