The Hospital of St Cross & Almshouse of Noble Poverty

24/10/2026

☔ When the weather says head indoors, we say put the kettle on.

Step out of the drizzle and into the cosy Hundred Men’s Hall Tearooms for a hot drink, a pasty and a slice of cake. A rather lovely reward for braving the elements.

Our wonderful volunteers have helped HMH go from strength to strength this year, and there’s plenty to celebrate, including new winter opening hours. 💛

Read their story and plan your next visit on our website: https://hospitalofstcross.co.uk/2026/10/more-time-for-tea-hmh-tearooms-goes-from-strength-to-strength/

23/10/2026

🎶 Beautiful music, a beautiful place and a cause close to home.

Join us at St Cross this Sunday for an evening with Juliet Howland, whose original songs draw on folk, Celtic and singer-songwriter traditions.

Part of her ‘Concerts in Beautiful Places’ series, this intimate performance in the Hundred Men’s Hall will raise funds for Wi******er Hospice, with all profits supporting its work. 💜

📅 Sunday 25th October
📍 Hundred Men’s Hall, Hospital of St Cross
🕕 Doors open 6pm · Music 6.30–7.45pm
🎟️ Tickets £12

Gather a friend or two and make a lovely evening of it.

Get your tickets at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/juliethowlandconcertsinbeautifulplaces/2441052

20/10/2026

Christmas is always such a special time and Southern Voices look forward to singing in the Chapel of St Cross, Wi******er every year for a wonderful selection of seasonal music. On Saturday 19 December at 7.30pm there will be audience carols together with highlights including: Once in Royal David’s City, O little one sweet, I saw a maiden, in dulci jubilo, Hark, the herald angels sing and finishing with Jazzy carols from Bob Chilcott, and much more.

Please join them: tickets £22 (concessions £14) and full information from: southernvoices.co.ukor from 0333 666 4466 (booking fees apply)

19/10/2026

☕ Winter walks, warming cuppas and a little time out at St Cross.

HMH Tearooms will be switching to winter opening hours from Monday 2nd November:

🕥 10.30am–3.30pm, Monday to Saturday
📅 Until Saturday 12th December, our last day of opening
🚪 Closed on Sundays

Pop in for a catch-up, make us part of your winter wander or simply take a moment to yourself. Our lovely volunteers look forward to welcoming you! 💛

08/10/2026

🎻 The First Movement – Saturday 21 November

A brand-new orchestra, its very first concert – and the rather special surroundings of the Chapel at St Cross.

Join The Orchestra Session on Saturday 21 November for an evening of beautiful string music from Bach, Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn and Dvořák.

Saturday 21 November | 7.30pm | Doors 6.30pm
Tickets £23 | Concessions £12

Book here: https://www.theorchestrasession.com/

07/10/2026

Christmas Wreath Making – Saturday 28 November

A morning of festive creativity at St Cross – and the chance to go home with something rather lovely for the front door.

Join Wi******er Hospice and Wi******er Flower Club for their Christmas Wreath Making Workshop. Your £45 ticket includes seasonal flowers, foliage and everything you’ll need to create your wreath, plus homemade mince pies, mulled w**e, tea and coffee.

Saturday 28 November | 10am–1pm | £45 per person

Book your place online at wi******erhospice.com

04/10/2026

A biting cold Christmas Eve. Midnight. And a visitor Scrooge most certainly wasn’t expecting.

If you prefer your Christmas entertainment with a few goosebumps to go with all the glitter, we have just the thing coming to St Cross.

This winter, The Three Inch Fools are taking on Dickens’ great ghost story, A Christmas Carol, blending illusion, live music and inventive storytelling to bring its supernatural world vividly to life.

Scrooge must confront his past, present and the future awaiting him – and decide whether there is still time to change his fate.

The Fools have spent more than a decade bringing their distinctive brand of theatre to castles, churches, stately homes, and historic buildings around the country. Now, for their first ever Christmas tour, things are becoming rather more intimate. And considerably more ghostly.

30 November–2 December | 7pm
The Hospital of St Cross, Wi******er

Recommended for ages 8+. Expect supernatural themes, moments of darkness and sudden sound and lighting effects.

Tickets are strictly limited – so we wouldn’t advise waiting for three ghosts to remind you to book:

The Three Inch Fools present a magical new take on the Dickens classic ghost story.

03/10/2026

Now that the nights are drawing in, we’re looking ahead to winter – and one particularly special evening in December.

On Friday 18th December, The Hanover Band and The Hanover Band Chorus will fill the Chapel at St Cross with one of the most celebrated works in the classical repertoire: Handel’s Messiah.

Performed on a specially erected stage, Messiah moves from moments of extraordinary stillness and reflection to the unmistakable exhilaration of the Hallelujah Chorus.

And the setting should be every bit as memorable as the music.

There is something rather wonderful about hearing an 18th-century masterpiece performed within ancient walls that had already witnessed centuries of worship and music before Handel wrote a note of it.

Whether Messiah is part of your own Christmas tradition or you’ve never heard it performed live before, this promises to be a beautiful way to continue the festivities.

Handel’s Messiah – The Hanover Band
Friday 18th December | 7pm
The Chapel, Hospital of St Cross

Tickets are now on sale and early booking is recommended. https://www.ticketsource.com/thehanoverbandfoundation/messiah/e-kkodqa

02/10/2026

Michaelmas Fair has officially brought our summer season to a close. The medieval encampment has disappeared, the stalls have been packed away and St Cross is returning to its rather more peaceful everyday rhythm.

It's also October. Which means we feel we can now safely mention the C word.

This winter, The Three Inch Fools return to St Cross – but this time there won’t be a picnic blanket in sight.

From 30 November–2 December, they’re swapping open-air summer theatre for something altogether more festive, as they bring a magical new production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to St Cross.

Expect illusion, live music and spine-tingling storytelling as Scrooge encounters the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come – all within surroundings that should feel particularly atmospheric after dark.

It’s The Three Inch Fools’ first ever Christmas touring production, and if you joined us for King Arthur & The Holy Fail earlier this year, you’ll already know just how inventive this lot can be.

A Christmas Carol
30 November - 2 December | 7pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets are strictly limited, so early booking is strongly recommended.

Find out more and book with The Three Inch Fools: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-christmas-carol-at-the-hospital-of-st-cross-tickets-2001882864537

25/09/2026

Tomorrow’s the day! The tents are going up, preparations are well underway and tomorrow morning we’ll be throwing open the gates for Michaelmas Fair at St Cross. And what a day we have in store.

The Hounds of Morrigan will be bringing centuries of medieval history to life with their living history camp, arms and armour, displays and arena combat. Courtlye Musick will fill the grounds with the sounds of the medieval and Tudor periods, while Rock Choir will bring us rather more up to date.

There’ll be traditional games to play, artisan makers and independent traders to browse, brilliant local charities to meet and plenty to keep younger visitors entertained – including face painting and the chance to get involved with games in the medieval camp.

And because hospitality has been our thing for nearly 900 years, there will naturally be plenty to eat and drink too.

All of it taking place within the buildings and grounds of one of Wi******er’s most extraordinary historic places.

If you’ve been following our Michaelmas posts and thinking “that sounds rather good”, tomorrow is the day to come and see it all for yourself.

Bring the family. Bring your friends. Bring the dog. Come hungry, allow plenty of time for a good wander and spend the day with us.

Michaelmas Fair – TOMORROW, Saturday 26 September
10.30am–4.30pm
£4 entry | Under 16s free | Dogs welcome

And remember, every ticket helps us care for and preserve the Hospital of St Cross, so days like this – and this remarkable place itself – can continue for generations to come.

See you tomorrow. 🏰