In Herefordshire a rather quaint custom is still observed in the churches of St Dubricious, Hentland, St John the Baptist, King’s Caple, and St Tysillio, Sellack, which is unique to this small area. St Dubricious, Hentland holds their service at 3pm on Palm Sunday.

The churches hold an annual Pax Service, when Pax Cakes are distributed to all with the shaking of hands and the greeting, "Peace and good neighbourhood." After the Palm Sunday church service, Pax Cakes – round shortbread-like biscuits – are given out by the vicar.   They are stamped with the image of the Easter lamb and flag, and a blessing of “Peace and Good Neighbourhood” is spoken with each gift (hence the name of Pax Cakes as “pax” is the Latin for “peace”).

This tradition is generally said to have originated with the 1570 bequest of local landowner Lady Scudamore, though some attribute it to Thomas More, vicar of Sellack and Kings Caple, almost a century earlier.  The background to this appears to have been quarrelsome villagers and a desire that all enmity should be laid aside in order to prepare for the Easter Festival

It seems that parishoners were not getting on too well so she gave five shillings for cake and ninepence to buy ale to be consumed in church on Palm Sunday, hopefully thus ensuring peace and reconciliation between neighbours before they took their Easter Communion the following week.  At certain times the custom fell into disuse in some of the churches, but it has been revived, although the provision of beer has not been kept up.