St Faith's Fair 2008

Your journey pilgrimage to Christchurch Twynham and St Faith's Fair begins here... In the year 1257 Henry III granted a charter to Baldwin de Redvers, Lord of the Manor of Christchurch Twynham, to hold a fair 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 St Faith’s Fair 2007 can be seen in the Galleries. However, the charter was actually granted on 28th December 1257, while the king was wintering at Westminster. This means that 2008 is the 750th anniversary of the first fair to be held under the royal charter – which gives a second opportunity to celebrate the medieval history of Christchurch! We are not intending to hold a market this year. Instead, Christchurch Folk is organising a costumed history walk through the town on St Faith’s Day itself – Monday 6th October. This is an unashamed excuse to once again dress up in medieval garb! Other medieval-themed events may also take place around the town on the days close to St Faith’s Day. Christchurch Twynham – where the past is only a footstep away. ~

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, which included pieces of wood believed to be from the Christ’s cradle and the sandals of St Thomas Becket. Its fame was such that the town soon became known as Christ’s Church at Twynham, and hence Christchurch. 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 town had a weekly market and two annual fairs; one on Trinity Thursday and the other around St Faith’s feast day. The medieval fair field was probably a short distance outside the town, beyond the walls and burgh-gate. This is now the area of Fairfield off Bargates. The Fairmile Road, originally Port Lane, which leads towards Bargates, is possibly where the itinerant traders set up a camp and improvised fairground in advance of fair day. :

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.

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. Christchurch Folk

Forest FM

On Friday 14th September 2007 organisers Kaz and Phil made their radio broadcasting debut by promoting St Faith’s Fair on Forest FM. They featured live (and in costume) on the Pete Samuels morning programme, and the 45 minutes long interview was repeated later as the evening Community Matters programme. Forest FM is Dorset’s first community radio station and can be heard on 92.3 in the Verwood area or via broadband everywhere else. Forest FM

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