| Parish/District | Alkborough/North Lincs |
| Location | c. 4m south of the nave of St John the Baptist church |
| Category | Churchyard cross |
| National Grid Ref | SE 88201 21879 |
| Designation | Listed II |
| Stone type | Sandstone/gritstone |
| Refs | Davies, D S, 1915, Lincs Notes & Queries, vol 13, No5 p.129 |
| Visits | DS/HH: 16 Nov 2006 | DS/DAS: 18 Jul 2023 |
A section of square sandstone shaft c.2 metres high standing in the churchyard of St John the Baptist’s church, approximately 4 metres south of the nave. It is not known if it is located in a buried socket stone.
It is interesting that this cross shaft is NOT shown on the drawing of Alkborough church made by J C Nattes c.1800 and which shows the church prior to its major restoration by Scott in 1887. Nattes is generally a very good recorder of churchyard crosses and it is notable that he has omitted this peculiarly interesting example. Was it actually there in 1800?
It was definitely present by 1915 as Davies records it (Davies 1915 p.129-30) and notes that there is a square hole in the top of the shaft for the cross head to be attached (or for a further shaft extension) and that the shaft is curiously weathered or worn ‘by the sharpening of arrows and instruments of husbandry on it.’ This suggestion is repeated by Pevsner (1989, p.96), however, it seems most unlikely as the reason for its unusual spiral shape. Also, the sandstone is an unusual stone for a standing cross in Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire and must have been imported from elsewhere (?north of the Humber).
The top of the shaft shows evidence of very recent damage.
