St Faith's Fair
Contributors 2007
Contributors 2008
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Gallery 2007
Gallery 2008
Medieval Costume
Medieval Cookery
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St Faith's Fair 2008
 | This year's pilgrimage to Christchurch and
St Faith's Fair has been completed...
In the year 1257 Henry III granted a charter to Baldwin de Redvers, Lord of the Manor of Christchurch, allowing a fair to be held upon the vigil, feast, and morrow of St Faith.
In the year 2007 local community groups celebrated the 750th anniversary of this royal charter by holding a costumed medieval market upon St Faith's feast day - 6th October - in the courtyard of Ye Olde George Inn, Castle Street, Christchurch.
Images of this St Faith’s Fair can be seen in
Gallery 2007.
In 2008 Christchurch Folk organised a costumed history walk beginning at noon on
St Faith’s Day – Monday 6th October – to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the first Fair held under the royal charter.
Many took part in this unashamed excuse to once again dress up in medieval garb. The day concluded with a procession through the Monday market to Saxon Square, where a proclamation was read out. This was followed by music and dance.
Images of this St Faith’s Fair can be seen in
Gallery 2008.
Christchurch Folk also produced, with the kind assistance of local historian David Eels and sponsorship from the Christchurch Local History Society, a free leaflet about St Faith’s Fair and medieval Christchurch. Modern pilgrim badges and a reconstruction of the 1257 royal charter are on sale - available from the Ducking Stool Tea Rooms, Red House Museum, and
Christchurch Information Centre.
Christchurch – where the past is only a footstep away.
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Christchurch Twynham
 | Christchurch is a small market town on the south coast of England. Traditionally in Hampshire, it is now just on the Dorset side of the Hampshire-Dorset boundary. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 under its Saxon name of Twynham, the place 'between the rivers', for it is situated on a tongue of land between the rivers Stour and Avon.
About the year 1095 Ranulf Flambard, a chief minister of William II Rufus, had the Saxon church and chapels demolished and began the building of a new grand church in the Norman style. With the growth of the Priory the town prospered, with pilgrims attracted by the many holy relics. Its fame was such that the town soon became known as Christ’s Church at Twynham, and hence Christchurch. The church had a chapel dedicated to St Faith.
The layout of the town, and many of its street names, are testimony to the lives of its earlier residents. They did not live in history. They, like us, lived in the present.
The medieval fairs, like the weekly market, were probably held within the walls of the town, but the Fairmile Road, originally Port Lane, may be where the itinerant traders set up a camp and improvised fairground in advance of fair day.
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Saint Faith
Saint Faith is reputedly a maid from Agen in France who was arrested during the persecution of Christians by the occupying Romans during the late 3rd century. When she refused to make sacrifice to the pagan gods it was ordered that she should be put to death by being roasted on a gridiron over a fire. Some stories relate that a miraculous shower of rain extinguished the flames, which led to her subsequent beheading. When some onlookers protested in sympathy for the girl they too were beheaded.
In the year 866 her remains were transferred to the Benedictine community at Conques, which was on the pilgrimage route to the shrine of St James at Compostela. This accounts for her popularity throughout Europe. Westminster Abbey and old St Paul’s both had chapels dedicated to her.
During the French Revolution in 1792 the monastery fell into decay, but the medieval treasures, including the remains of St Faith, were kept hidden by the local villagers until the abbey was restored. Her relics, and a jewel-encrusted reliquary statue of her, remain at Conques.
In Latin she is known as Sancta Fides; French: Sainte Foy; and Spanish: Sante Fe. She is the patron of pilgrims, prisoners, and soldiers. Her three shields depicted here feature heraldic arms attributed to St Faith during the late middle ages, a modern representation of a martyrs crown, and an image of St Faith derived from a medieval icon. Also depicted is the face of St Faith from her golden reliquary statue at Conques. |  |
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Contacts
For further details:
E-mail: stfaithsfair@btinternet.com
Kaz - 07806 308731
St Faith's Fair is being organised by Kaz, Bev and Phil, three members of Christchurch Folk. Christchurch Folk hosts traditional music sessions every month at Ye Olde George Inn and The Ship Inn. Members have also provided traditional music for charity parties, held seasonal celebrations, performed mumming plays, and organised community events. |
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