St Briavels Bread & Cheese Dole May 29, 2011

The 'St Briavels Bread and Cheese Dole' dates back to the time of Milo, Earl of Hereford (then lord of the Forest of Dean) in the 12th Century.

Each year on Whit Sunday bread & cheese is thrown from the wall of the castle to local 'Dole Claimers' dressed in medieval costume! 'Dole claimers' could be anyone who paid a penny to the Earl of Hereford entitling them to gather firewood from the nearby Hudnalls wood.

Some believe in the power of these edible morsels and preserve them for good luck (miners originally used them as charms to protect against accidents). Today some people choose to place them in matchboxes and rest them under their pillow to inspire dreams of the future!