This race commemorates the Britain’s victory over the French in 1217. Part of the booty the victors seized from the French funded an almshouse in Kent, the Hospital of St. Bartholomew. The hospital and its chapel still exists. Antique cottages around it house 16 brothers and sisters.
To commemorate the 1217 victory, a special church service is held each year on St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 14. After the service, children race around the chapel. They are rewarded with currant buns.
