Penshurst Medieval Dole Table in Penshurst, England

Per Atlas Obscura, the Penshurst medieval dole table is one of the last surviving examples of a type of stone fixture that once stood in English churchyards. These tables were used from medieval times through the sixteen hundreds to distribute small portions of food, clothing, or money to the poor and traveling needy. The Penshurst church itself dates to eleven fifteen, and the first priest was installed by Archbishop Thomas Becket in his final official act before his murder in Canterbury Cathedral. The village remains rich with that history—timber-framed buildings and the adjoining Penshurst Place, home to the Sidney family for over four hundred fifty years.

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