Addlethorpe has a fine (if now somewhat wonky) churchyard cross with two steps. This 1829 engraving of Addlethorpe church shows the cross stump on the right.
Aisthorpe
A lost cross . . . A cross base was reported in Aisthorpe churchyard in 1964, but nothing can now be found.
Alford
A socket stone, now at Tothby Manor near Alford, is thought to have once been on Mile Cross hill nearby. It is called the Plague Stone.
Alkborough
Alkborough has a curious spiral shaped cross shaft in the churchyard. Tradition says this was caused by sharpening scythes on the stone , but this seems unlikely.
Allington
Allington’s village cross once stood next to the stocks on the village green. It was extensively restored in the 19th C and is now imprisoned behind bars on the tiny piece of remaining village green that remains.
Alvingham
A lost cross . . . A stone cross base was recorded at Alvingham in 1963 but no trace can now be found.
Ancaster
The stump of Ancaster’s market cross stands on Roman Ermine Street, and has been demolished by vehicle collisions on several occasions.
Anderby
Anderby churchyard cross, comprising a socket-stone containing a section of shaft, stands near to a tree to the south of the tower of St Andrew’s Church.
Anwick
Anwick’s churchyard cross has a most unusual fluted shaft set into a layered socket stone. It is unique in the county. (So unique it may not be a cross shaft!)
Appleby (1)
The setting of the Appleby crosses today, looks rather dismal and is dangerous for cross-spotters – but it was not always so. The site of the cross bases has probably survived because, until its felling in 1978, they shared it with a large elm tree known as Stocks Tree.
Appleby (2)
The second of Appleby’s cross bases is a square block with the corners stopped to form an octagon. Most of the square part of the base is buried, with just the corner stops showing.
Aunsby
A fragment of decorated cross shaft believed to be from Aunsby churchyard, now used as a garden ornament. It was said to be ‘Found in a delivery of building rubble that came from the churchyard’ in around 1970.
Bag Enderby
In the churchyard of St Margaret’s at Bag Enderby there is the socket stone for a medieval cross, 3.15m south of the south porch
Bardney
There are two cross fragments relating to Bardney which are thought to derive from the excavation of the abbey site conducted by the Revd Laing 1909-1914.
Barholm and Stowe
There is a memorial cross in St Martin’s churchyard at Barholm and Stowe erected in 1919, to the memory of Captain Thomas Carew Trollope Bart. of the 1/1 Lincolnshire Yeomanry who died in 1915. It is listed as a war memorial although it is not a village memorial in the usual sense as it only commemorates one person. It is in the form of a standing cross with a crucifix head and re-uses a medieval socket stone which was presumably already located in the churchyard, although there are no records of it prior to this re-use.
Barrowby
A cross base/socket stone for a standing cross has been placed on the concrete slabs at the east side of the south porch of Barrowby church and is obviously not in situ.
Barrow on Humber
Barrow market cross (also known as the Butter Cross) with a single square step (or bench) 2.02m x 1.99m with 0.46m visible above modern ground level. Old photographs show rather more of the base.
Barton upon Humber
A square socket stone 0.68m x 0.70m stepped down to octagonal the stepped down again to smaller octagon – The socket is square.
Beckingham
A stone shaft with a stepped base standing at a crazy angle – very unusual but presumably a cross shaft (it’s scheduled as one!)
Belleau
Cross base and part of shaft. The cross base has shields in quatrefoils at the centre of each side. There is no detail on the shields. The HER gives the date as 14th C – but I guess that’s just a default statement.
Benniworth
The churchyard cross at Benniworth stands alone in a completely cleared area of the graveyard, 10m south of the tower – it is an almost surreal setting. The socket stone is massive but has a horizontal fault two-thirds up, that makes it look like two stones – indeed, Davies took it be so, but the unevenness of the joint confirms it is one stone with a major fault – the crack has been repaired with mortar in some places, which has dropped out in others.
Bilsby
The remains of a medieval standing cross survive in the churchyard of Holy Trinity church at Bilsby, to the south east of the church porch. The socket stone, which is now partially buried stands about 0.18m above present ground level and is about 0.85m square with rounded edges.
Binbrook
There is a splendid cross situated about 3m to the east of the south porch of St Mary and St Gabriel’s church at Binbrook. Arguably it is a complete cross with base, shaft and head – although I have to say that my first impression was that only the upper part of the shaft had survived and had been re-erected in the socket stone.
Blyton
The churchyard cross at Blyton is a tiny little thing – it would be easy to miss it if you weren’t searching for it – but just in the right place to the south and slightly east of the south door.
Boston
No standing crosses survive in the town of Boston but there are several reports and some illustrations of market crosses that were once in the town.
Bottesford
There is a cross head set in a socket stone c. 5m south of the door of St Peter’s church at Bottesford in North Lincolnshire. The socket stone is square and is completely undecorated – it is so plain that it’s hard to imagine that it was a medieval cross base
Bourne
Mr. J. J. Davies in his book ‘Historic Bourne’, tells us that not a stone or trace of this cross remains. but there is a tradition in the town that its destruction took place in the year 1863.
Braceborough
We failed to find the cross base noted in the HER. We did notice an interesting stone immediately to the east of the south porch. This looks much more like a font than a cross base.
Bradley (1)
There is a really good cross at Bradley church – the shaft is complete and parts of the knop survive, but the head is absent. It is sited about 6m to the south of the nave of the church.
Bradley (2)
Stump of chamfered shaft with broach-stops on square base. Overall height approximately one metre. Stands near line of former road leading to church, perhaps originally a wayside cross, but not necessarily in original position.
Brant Broughton
The Lincs HER (and the sign on the monument) suggests that the Brant Broughton war memorial was created from an existing medieval cross base in Brant Broughton churchyard.
Brigg
The building known as Brigg Buttercross is located at the centre of Brigg market place and may have been so named because it replaced an earlier, medieval market cross.
Brigsley
There is a churchyard cross about 12m south of St Helen’s church, Brigsley, which has a socket stone anda portion of shaft surviving (overall height c. 1.5m). The base stands on some stone but there are no steps. The base is nearly square 0.71m (E-W) by 0.69m (N-S) with corners cut to octagonal and pointed stops. The socket stone is c.0.45m high.
Brinkhill
A good standing cross survival, just 6m SE of the S door of St Philip’s, Brinkhill, with the base, shaft and knop complete and a restored head added.
Bucknall
Close to the south door of St Margaret’s church at Bucknall there is a limestone block/slab c. 0.8m square with a chamfer visible on one side. It is known as a tithe stone, and it is said it was used as the place for the paying of tithes.
Burgh le Marsh
It is presumed that Burgh would have had a market cross, but no record exists. Davies presumably looked for it in 1915, for he writes: ‘The cross disappeared years ago, probably when the Market House was built’.
Burwell
Burwell Butter Cross is one of the few examples of an 18th century market cross building to survive in Lincolnshire.
Butterwick
There is no surviving cross at Butterwick, but written reports of a cross to the east of the church survive:
Byard’s Leap
There is a report of a standing cross at Byard’s Leap in Stukeley’s Itinerarium Curiosum p. 87, ‘here is a cross of stone, and by it, four little holes made in the ground’. No cross survives today.
Carlby
Square cross base with a fragment of octagonal shaft.
Castle Carlton
Remains of a medieval cross at the site of the deserted medieval village of Castle Carlton. The remains lie within the churchyard of the former Holy Cross Church, and comprise a square-shaped cross base and a small part of the cross shaft.
Caythorpe
Caythorpe Churchyard cross was restored in 1906. Historic drawings suggest it was once a village or market cross, moved into the churchyard and restored in the format of a churchyard cross
Claypole
The cross is located c. 5m SE of the S transept of St Peter’s church, Claypole. It has been restored as a war memorial using surviving fragments of a medieval cross.
Clixby
All Hallows church, Clixby, is the 13th century chancel of a larger church which was a ruin until 1889, when the chancel was restored and a west porch added. It is now a CCT church. The remains of the cross stand in the churchyard to the west of the church. If the nave had survived, it would have been at the west end of the nave or tower.
Coningsby
LOST CROSS Davies gives the following report of a cross base at Coningsby: Village Cross – The base of an old cross is to be seen in a public house yard at the east end of the village. The stone
Corby Glen
Corby Glen has a good classic market cross – still in the Market Place, although that has now inevitably declined to a car park. It is set on an octagonal base of three stone steps, which are mounted on a brick base. There is a Nattes drawing of this cross of 1804, showing it set beside the village stocks, before the brick base was added. A later drawing of c.1850 (Caroline Anne Brereton) shows the stocks gone and the brick base in place. The height of the stone steps is variable but c.0.3m. All the steps are medieval in date, with later repair represented by iron clamps.
Cranwell
Cranwell village cross now forms the dreary equivalent of a traffic island in the centre of Cranwell village. The site was clearly once the village green with the village pond and pump nearby, visible on early photographs and OS maps.
Crowland – Overview
Crowland is something of a special case as it has a series of boundary crosses which are said to have been erected to mark the boundaries of the lands of Crowland abbey. The history of the Crowland crosses has been
Crowland – St Guthlac’s Cross
Guthlac’s stone has been researched and illustrated by many historians – it is illustrated in Camden’s Britannia (1695) and in Stukeley’s Itinerarium Curiosum (1724). There is much speculation as to the origin and meaning of the inscription, which appears to have been recut (possibly by the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society) in the 18th century. Camden recorded the inscription as: AIO/HANC/PETRAM/GVTHLACVS/HABET SI-/BI METAM
Crowland – St Vincent’s Cross
Here is a cross of no fixed abode . . . and with an identity problem! What we presently know as St Vincent’s Cross has also been called Kenulph’s Cross and Turketel’s Cross. It is situated just outside the Lincolnshire country boundary (now Peterborough District). The cross stood in a tiny, fenced enclosure in an arable field until 1991, when it was moved to a small, grassed area by the roadside some 250m to the north.
Crowland – Kenulph’s Cross
Kennulph’s Stone was one of the several boundary stones marking the lands of Crowland Abbey. The HER states: After a succession of lawsuits about the possessions of Crowland Abbey in the marshes, and the appointing, in 1389, of a commission to enquire into the marking of boundaries, new stone crosses were erected at Kenulfston and elsewhere. In 1394 men of Deeping destroyed the cross and were imprisoned in Lincoln Castle, where they remained till their friends set up another cross at Kenulfston.
Crowland – Triangular Bridge
Trinity Bridge is a unique triangular stone bridge built in 1360-1390 by the monks of Crowland Abbey to replace earlier wooden structures, possibly dating back to the tenth century. It spanned the confluence of the river Welland and a tributary but these watercourses were diverted in the mid-seventeenth century and now no water flows beneath the bridge.
Crowle
Crowle churchyard cross is a large and imposing structure – so much so, that one can’t help but wonder if it was once the market cross, now come to rest in the churchyard – Crowle had a market charter from 1305 and Cross Street forms part of the old market place, although there are no references to a market cross.
Deeping St James
Deeping St James cross is possibly the most written about cross in Lincolnshire on account of its demolition and rebuilding as a lock-up in 1819. The work was carried out by a local craftsman Tailby Johnson at a cost of nine shillings. We do have an image of the remains of the cross before its alteration (c.1800?) and it looks to be a large and impressive structure, although its shaft is missing and a small (iron?) cross has been fixed in its place.
Denton (1)
A cross base and part of a shaft survive SW of the porch in the churchyard of St Andrews at Denton. The socket-stone is approximately 0.77m square in section and stands up to 0.27m above the present ground surface. It is undecorated with a moulded and chamfered upper part which develops into a top of octagonal section; the upper edge is slightly chamfered.
Denton (2)
Denton village cross stands on what was once the village green, east of the church – in 1715 a charity school was set up on part of the green, including where the cross stands. In 1894 a new school was built behind the old one, which became a private house – now Leys House – Thus the village cross is now located in its garden.
Digby
Denton village cross stands on what was once the village green, east of the church – in 1715 a charity school was set up on part of the green, including where the cross stands. In 1894 a new school was built behind the old one, which became a private house – now Leys House – Thus the village cross is now located in its garden.
Dorrington
Dorrington village cross was located on the village green adjacent to the village pump when mapped by the O.S. in 1888. Trollope says part of this green was known as ‘Play Garth’ and it also had a ‘remarkable oak. When we visited in June 2006 the cross was enclosed in the rose garden of No. 73 Main Street and inaccessible. By 2019, the bungalow had been demolished and a small development of new houses was in progress. The cross is now set apart from the adjacent houses (closest to No. 75) in a small enclosed and gravelled area.
Dunsby
Dunsby village cross is a sad tale of loss. The cross was presumably once on a green adjacent to All Saints church but by the 19th century, housing and road development had confined it to a narrow verge at a road junction – it was already nearly buried when surveyed for scheduling in 1993.
Easton
This appears to be an entirely modern (1840) standing cross, erected at the entrance to Easton House (demolished 1951). The listing description states: Ashlar. Chamfered tapering cross shaft rises via roll and bar stop chamfers to square top supporting a cross on square base. The plinth sits on 2 steps and has chamfered angles with pyramidal stops and rolls.
Edenham
In the churchyard of St Michael’s church, about 12m SW of the tower, we find a worryingly ramshackle cross. It has two steps, a socket stone and a section of shaft. There are modern (19C?) repairs holding the shaft in place, but is much in need of some masonry conservation.
Epworth
A very famous market cross in Epworth, outside the Mechanics Institute Library (the Old Court House of 1802). Pevsner and the listing state that the cross was reset in 1806. Was this a routine makeover or homage to its Wesleyan fame?
Ewerby (1)
Ewerby was granted a market charter in 1254, so it is right to think of the village’s impressive cross as a market, rather than village, cross. Trollope (p.365) also notes a churchyard cross – now lost
Ewerby (2)
The Ewerby churchyard cross is reported by Revd Trollope (1872) when apparently the cross base still stood in the churchyard. Trollope states it bore the legend ‘Sumptu Rectoris fuit haec crux facta Johannis Haubergh, moeroris expers sit in omnibus annis’
Farlesthorpe
A battered fragment of shaft survives at Farlesthorpe – We struggled to find it as the churchyard was overgrown, but eventually located it 15m south of the west porch of the church at the top of a slope. It is a fragment of octagonal cross shaft – no base visible. The shaft was 18 cms (across) octagonal and there were 4 dowel holes in its upper surface.
Firsby
Firsby’s churchyard cross is mentioned in Allen (1834, p.147): ‘In the churchyard, at a short distance from the porch is a pillar of stone, which it is probable, at one time had a sun dial on its top’, and in Bonney’s Church Notes (for 1847): ‘Stump of cross S. side of the churchyard’ and Davies describes it thus: ‘The lower half of the base is square, and the upper half octagonal. It measures 31ins. by 32ins. The shaft is 5ft. 2ins. long and x111/2 ins. square at the bottom.’
Folkingham
Folkingham held a market charter from 1239 and the major feature of the town (now a village) was its long, thin market place lined with fine Georgian houses. It had a market cross but this seems to have been taken away in a town makeover around the 1790s. Creasey/Yerburgh (1825) writes: ‘In the middle of the market-place was a large pond, on each side of which were usually laid enormous piles of timber. Nearly opposite the Green Man public house, stood the Market-cross, Butchery, and Town-hall, which seemed to have been erected at a period when elegance and conveniency received little or no attention. On the opposite side of the market-place stood the House of Correction.’
Fosdyke
Just a lonesome socket stone in the churchyard of All Saints at Fosdyke. It is a single block of limestone, c. 0.76m square with moulded and chamfered corners rising to an upper surface of octagonal section. It now is a maximum height of 0.3m above the present ground surface, the lower part of the stone being buried. On the upper surface of the stone is a rectangular socket for the cross shaft – now filled with water.
Freiston
Freiston is an interesting case as the church here (St James) was originally a Benedictine Priory until dissolution in 1539. It is possible (but unlikely) that it served the local community as a church during its monastic phase, but after dissolution the nave of the monastic church was retained and converted into a parish church and the rest of the monastic structures were abandoned. The ‘churchyard’ cross is some distance from the church (c. 110m WNW) and an engraving from Thompson (1856) shows the cross not in a churchyard, but on open ground with a set of stocks adjacent.
Friesthorpe
There is just a socket stone at Friesthorpe, about 5m south of the south door of St Peter’s church. It is c.0.63 x 0.60m with simple chamfer on the upper edge. It is partly buried, with about 0.24m of it visible above ground. The socket is rectangular (0.21 x 0.23m) and is lined with lead. A small fragment of shaft survives in the very base of the socket.
Friskney
Friskney’s remarkable churchyard cross is first reported in Oldfield’s History of Wainfleet (1829, p.182) where he states: ‘Near the south gate of the churchyard is an ancient stone having a hole in the centre, in which was formerly fixed a stone pillar, either for the support of the rood cross or of a sundial. On the four corners of this stone are the mutilated figures of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle.’
Fulbeck
Fulbeck village cross stands on a small green to the south east of the church. Nattes drew the cross stump in 1805 showing three steps, the socket stone and a small section of shaft. He shows the village stocks adjacent and the church in the background. The cross was restored (over-restored?) in the mid nineteenth century, and a new shaft knop and head added.
Fulstow
Fulstow’s churchyard cross is south east of the south porch of St Lawrence’s church. It comprises a socket stone set on a single step, with a surviving portion of shaft.
Gedney Hill
This is a wonderful muddle and miscellany of a cross. – There is a drawing of Gedney church, including the cross, done by J C Nattes c.1800 and although the cross is incidental to the drawing, Nattes has drawn it in its five-sided form (sort of) and shows a tall base and socket stone with a large piece of surviving shaft.
Gelston
An idyllic village cross with a stunning view – best visited in Spring when the daffodils are in bloom.
Grantham (Market Cross)
Grantham has three crosses to describe – Its market cross and two lost crosses: the Eleanor Cross and the Apple Cross. Grantham’s Eleanor Cross is described in the section on Eleanor crosses (here) and the Apple Cross is described in
Grantham (Apple Cross)
Grantham’s Apple Cross is a lost cross – it once stood on the market place to the west of St Wulfram’s church and recent research has attempted to reconstruct its form and to chart its extraordinary history.
Grayingham
There is a cross base lying by the side of Low Road, Grayingham, near to the Old School House. It has been known locally as the Plague Stone but there does not appear to be any local tradition to back up this suggestion, which is probably just based on its form (i.e. a big square stone with a recess in it).
Great Steeping
Great Steeping has an important cross base in the churchyard which is in poor condition and in need of detailed recording.
Grimoldby
Grimoldby has a fine medieval cross base having an unusually tall section of cross shaft (2.64m). This has been extended and given a modern cross head relatively recently.
Grimsby
The cross is presently situated in the churchyard, c.10m south of the south transept entrance to St James’s church. It is said (in the HER) to have been moved from the market place in 1847 – As the old market place is only a couple of hundred metres to the east, that seems highly probable, although the HER comments that ‘previously the stump and pedestal were on the North side of the church, while part of the stem was found elsewhere. The socket may predate the rest of the cross’.
Gunby
A cross base with a section of surviving shaft, 3m south of the nave of St Nicholas church, Gunby. The socket-stone is c. 0.66m square in section and stands up to 0.32m above the irregular ground surface. It is plain with chamfered upper corners.
Haltham
There is a cross base with a fragment of shaft c. 8.5m south of the nave of St Benedict’s Church at Haltham on Bain. There are some interesting stones which have been placed on the cross base, but none seem to relate to the cross itself.
Harlaxton
Harlaxton village cross is located on a small green at a road junction in the centre of the village. It has been restored to create a sort of obelisk, although some parts of it appear to derive from a medieval cross. A newspaper report of 1889 (see below) suggests it was damaged in that year and given ‘an immediate and complete restoration’ by Mrs Sherwin Gregory.
Haxey (1) The Buttercross
This is one of three surviving crosses in Haxey which appears to be a market cross – it is sometimes known as ‘the Buttercross’ although there does not appear to be a market charter for Haxey. It is probably at the centre of what was the market place, although, sadly, this means it has now become a rather dismal traffic island – recently with protective iron bollards set around it.
Haxey (2) Mowbray Stone
This cross is at the east end of the church just beyond the churchyard wall on the pavement edge. It is known as Lady Mowbray’s Stone and is a large medieval socket stone reused as a horse mounting block with rough steps added at the sides and modern brick repairs. It is adjacent to the churchyard and you can’t help but wonder if it was a churchyard cross moved out to its present secular position for a new role?
Haxey (3) Greenhill Cross
Greenhill cross is now somewhat hidden away on a much reduced green at the junction of Greenhill Road, High Street and Church Street. It has also (confusingly) been known as the Mowbray Cross (The Mowbrays were the medieval lords of Haxey manor). It shares its grassy mound (all that remains of the green, now a traffic island) with several trees which pretty much obscure it.
Healing
A socket stone at Healing converted (in a most unseemly fashion) into a sundial.
Heapham
Heapham churchyard cross is c. 5.5m south of the door of All Saints. It was drawn by Nattes when he sketched Heapham church in 1793
Heckington
Heckington has a rather fine cross in the churchyard, located about 8m SW of the south transept of St Andrew’s. A substantial socket stone is set on a low plinth which is on top of a set of three steps – this would not be out of place in a market place
Helpringham
Helpringham had a market charter granted in 1259 and with it, an impressive market cross with five steps on the village green.
Holbeach
Holbeach was an important Fenland market town. It was granted a market charter in 1252 and would have doubtless have erected a market cross to emphasise its prerogatives.
Holton-Le-Clay
At Holton-le-Clay there is a cross base with a piece of shaft, located about 6m south of the south door of St Peter’s church. It is a square base with corners moulded and chamfered to octagonal with a rectangular shaft also chamfered to octagonal.
Horncastle
William Stukeley’s map of Horncastle, drawn c. 1722, shows a cross in the market place. This cross disappeared many years ago, however, one could argue there is still a cross in Horncastle market place, as the monument erected to the memory of Edward Stanhope in 1894 is a classic ‘spire-type’ cross, set in centre of the market place.
Howell
Since 1931 the parish of Howell has been combined with Asgarby. The churchyard cross at St Oswald’s Church, Howell, stands upon three steps (one of which is buried). They support a large socket-stone containing a stump of shaft c.1.5m high.
Huttoft
The strange tale of Huttoft churchyard cross . . . Davies tells us: ‘This cross was restored in the year 1895, but unfortunately it was blown down in a gale during 1903, and very much damaged. The present Rector and Churchwardens carefully gathered the broken portions and had the cross so skilfully re-erected and restored that the damage is hardly noticeable.’
Immingham
In the churchyard of St Andrew’s, at Immingham, there is a socket stone mounted on a brick base – presumably to serve as a sundial. The stone is c. 0.65m square and c. 0.5m deep and has a fragment of broken shaft, still set in lead, in the socket which is cut flush with the top surface of the base. There are a series of fixing holes and a slot cut into its surface, typical of sundial fixings.
Ingoldmells
The cross at SS Peter & Paul, Ingoldmells was ‘restored’ and converted to a war memorial which was unveiled on Sunday 5 September 1920. The original components used in the war memorial cross are the socket stone and a short length of the shaft.
Keelby
The remains of a standing cross survive in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s at Keelby. There are the remains of a single stone step (or stone base) a socket stone and a section of cross shaft.
Kelstern
There is an interesting collection of stone objects in the churchyard at Kelstern – only one of which may relate to a standing cross. The grouping of stones is on the south side of the church, about 7m south of the nave, in line with the chancel arch, and comprises a socket stone, a possible shaft and a pile of stone fragments. They will be described in this single report.
Kettlethorpe
The churchyard cross at Kettlethorpe was restored to be the village war memorial in 1919, although the names of the fallen are inscribed on tablets in the church, and not on the cross itself.
Kingerby
Davies, in 1915, (p.161) gives a good account of these two intriguing stones which appear to have been reused and rebuilt as gateposts on some now lost pathway from Kingerby Manor to the church. They are on private land, and permission was sought to survey and photograph them.
Kirkby cum Osgodby
In St Andrew’s churchyard there is a socket stone, now well hidden away under the canopy of a great yew tree by the south door of the church. It was covered in ivy on our visit, which we cleared away for examination of stone.
Kirkby on Bain
St Mary’s church at Kirkby on Bain was rebuilt in 1802, but there was a medieval church (possibly in ruins) on the site previously. Revd John Conway Walter states ‘on the south side (of the church) lies the square base of a churchyard cross, shorn of its shaft, probably by the reckless Puritans’.
Kirton in Holland
Kirton was granted a market charter in 1308 and became a busy market centre, the importance of the market and town only declining in the 20th century. The market place was on the wide road junction in front of (south of) the parish church of SS Peter and Paul. The 1887 O.S. 25” map shows the remains of the market cross along with a pump and a guide post still in place. Inevitably the whole of the area is now given over to traffic management.
Leasingham (1)
The Venerable Edward Trollope reports the sites of two lost crosses in Leasingham.
Leasingham (2)
When Rt Revd Edward Trollope died in 1893, a standing cross was erected to his memory in the churchyard at Leasingham. It was designed by architect Arthur Henry Skipworth whose design drawing of the cross was published in the journal ‘The Builder’ in 1902.
Lincoln (Medieval crosses)
Lincoln was a major medieval religious and economic centre. It must have possessed an abundance of standing crosses of every description and yet, with the exception of the small masonry fragment said to derive from Lincoln’s Eleanor Cross (now at Lincoln Castle), very few traces remain in relic or name.
Lincoln (The Obelisk)
There is one oddity that we might include as a ‘cross’ for Lincoln . . . on the High Bridge over the river Witham in Lincoln there once stood a small chantry chapel, built c.1235 and dedicated to St Thomas. Following the Reformation the chapel became a dwelling and shop and was eventually taken down in 1762. It was replaced with an extraordinary stone obelisk designed and built by John Dixon of Hull which functioned as a water supply with a conduit and cistern. This was altered in 1863 with the addition of a drinking fountain and public urinals (on the east side).
Linwood
A socket stone holding a fragment of shaft, located in the churchyard of St Cornelius’s Church, Linwood. It is c. 12m south of the chancel in line (ish) with the chancel arch. The socket stone is quite badly eroded. No chamfer or corner decorations visible. Lead lining/fixing for shaft visible due to erosion. It is made of calcareous Tealby stone – and probably the shaft is also.
Little Steeping
Little Steeping cross was restored, as part of a wider church restoration project, in 1913. There are several newspaper reports of the reopening of the church and rededication of the cross on 24 June 1913. The plinth, socket stone and a very short section of shaft are thought to be medieval.
Long Bennington
A socket stone with a piece of repaired shaft, 6m south of the porch in the churchyard of St Swithun’s at Long Bennington.
Long Sutton
Quoting from Thomas Allen, Davies reports a place called ‘Sutton-two-crosses’ and also that ‘near the south-west angle of the churchyard in an angle of the road, is a base of a stone cross’. He could not find these crosses and neither could AP, who visited on 24 March 1994.
Louth
In 2015, two fragments from a decorated pre-Conquest cross were discovered in a rockery in Louth vicarage garden. Everson and Stocker’s analysis of these stones leads to the suggestion that they are part of a mid-tenth century cross erected to mark the bishop of Lindsey’s promotion of Louth and Louth market.
Ludford
A cross base and piece of shaft just inside the gate (to the left) in St Mary and St Peter’s churchyard. The socket stone is c.0.7m square with a chamfer, with a short length of octagonal shaft standing next to it.
Lutton
St Nicholas, Lutton, is a superb pre-Reformation brick church (restored 1859), which presumably had a medieval predecessor. There was a small socket stone on the left hand side (W) of the door which was photographed by Hilary in 1989.
Mareham le Fen
A restored (1904) medieval cross in the churchyard of St Helen’s Church, 5m south of the south door.
Market Deeping – Market Cross
Market Deeping had a market grant from 1220 and a market charter from 1304 and, as the name implies, was a busy market centre until the latter half of the twentieth century. Davies notes that: ‘…the Dean of Stamford points out that there was without doubt a Market Cross in the town, for it is mentioned in the survey, 1563, but all trace of it has vanished’.
Market Deeping – Towngate Cross
Davies says that the Towngate Cross is located where the Toll Bar once stood. It was quite possibly a boundary cross marking the northern limit of Market Deeping.
Marshchapel (1)
The churchyard cross at Marshchapel is sited c.10m south of the porch. It has a partly buried square socket stone c. 0.9 x 0.9m with about 0.35m above ground. The upper edge is chamfered and there is an unusual ‘overhang’ worked into the top of the stone.
Marshchapel (2)
The remains of two standing crosses are in the churchyard of St Mary’s at Marshchapel and there is some slight confusion in the records of their descriptions and background, but cross number (2), which is (now) set on gravel to the north of the tower, is generally octagonal in shape, whereas number (1) – listed as a churchyard cross – has a square base.
Marston
The charming 17th century sundial in the churchyard of St Mary’s in Marston is thought to re-use a massive medieval socket stone as its base – all the other elements of the sundial (plinth, shaft and head) appear to be later.
Marton
Davies, writing in 1915, describes a cross base in Marton churchyard. He notes: ‘On the south side of the church stands a cross consisting of two steps, base, and an unusually long shaft’. He gives measurements for all the surviving elements of the cross. No cross is shown in Marton churchyard on early O.S. maps, but Monson’s Church notes of 1835 (p.261) records a cross shaft, and there is a Nattes drawing of Marton in 1793, showing the cross.
Mavis Enderby
It seems that Mavis Enderby cross was restored from just a 1.11m section of surviving cross shaft. It is the base section of the shaft, 0.3m square, rising through stopped chamfers to a tapering octagonal form.
Metheringham
No market charter is recorded for Metheringham, but it has an ancient market cross and a Saturday market is recorded. White’s 1856 Directory records: ‘An ancient cross which stood in the village, was replaced by a new one in 1835, at the cost of about £25, and a market is now held round it on Saturday evenings’.
Miningsby
Neither a cross, nor now even a church, survive at Miningsby but there is trail of evidence to suggest a standing cross may once have been there.
Mumby
The base of a cross and part of the shaft in the churchyard of St Thomas of Canterbury’s church at Mumby. The socket stone is now partly buried with c.0.33m above the present ground surface. The socket stone is c.0.86m square – the upper part of the stone is octagonal in section with moulded corners and is deeply chamfered along the upper edge.
Navenby
There is a socket stone, placed on its side, in Navenby churchyard. It may be part of a market cross that is reported in Navenby’s medieval market place.
Nettleham
There are the remains of a possible socket stone in the churchyard of All Saints church at Nettleham.
Newton
There is a modern/restored cross on a remnant of the village green in the village of Newton (near Folkingham). The socket stone has an infilled socket and may be from an earlier cross.
New Bolingbroke
There was never a market cross at New Bolingbroke, but an open market hall was built here in the 1820s, when the new ‘town’ was established.
North Cotes
There is a socket stone amongst the gravestones, just a few metres south of the south porch of St Nicholas’s church at North Cotes. Although only the socket stone remains, its position close to the main church door is probably the original location for a churchyard cross.
North Kyme
There is a village cross on what was probably once the village green – now the wide junction of Main Street (A153) and Church Lane – in the centre of North Kyme. It was extensively restored in 1821.
North Ormsby
There is a cross in the churchyard of St Helen’s at North Ormsby, but the church was made redundant in 1980 and subsequently sold for conversion to a private dwelling. It has not been possible to access the site for survey or photography.
North Rauceby
There is a restored cross on a small triangular green c. 100m south east of St Peter’s church in North Rauceby. The Lincs HER suggests that the cross base was moved from the churchyard and restored on the green in 1863/64 although the source for this information and date is not clear.
North Somercotes
There is a restored cross in the churchyard of St Mary’s at North Somercotes, located to the south of the west end of the church. The cross head, which is modern, takes the form of an ungainly cross with splayed ends and chamfered edges.
North Witham
This is Revd D S Davies’s own church, so it’s right and proper there is a churchyard cross here. It comprises a socket stone with a portion of shaft . . . although the two may not actually belong together.
Old Clee
Parish/District Old Clee/North East Lincs Location previously in churchyard – now inside the church Category Churchyard cross National Grid Ref TA 28998 08458 Designation The church is Listed I. The cross is mentioned in the listing Stone Type Limestone Refs
Partney
The churchyard cross at St Nicholas church, Partney, is remarkable on account of the deeply carved figures of the evangelists on the four corners of its socket stone. The winged symbols of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle (for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are depicted.
Pinchbeck (1)
Parts of a stone cross were were discovered buried in the dyke bank near to the site of the Red Lion Inn at Glenside North (Northgate) during works in 1973.
Pinchbeck (2)
Tom Bray (2005) reports a ‘Sexton stone’, north west of the door, where it was said the sexton stood to read the notices for the week. Bray also gives a photograph which looks as if it might be an octagonal socket stone.
Quadring
There is an octagonal socket stone in the churchyard of St Margaret’s church, Quadring, about 10m south of the nave. It is not thought to be in situ.
Quarrington
There are records of TWO LOST CROSSES at Quarrington White’s Lincolnshire Directory of 1856 (p. 549), records the following: There were in the parish two ancient crosses, one of which (1) is still standing (five feet high) at the north
Raithby (1)
Raithby churchyard cross was restored in 1903. Davies records: ‘. . . On a piece of white marble, sunk into the face of the base, is this inscription “ To the | Glory of God | this cross is restored | in loving memory of Sister Constance | 1903.”’.
Raithby (2)
Raithby (2) is the discarded socket stone from the restoration of Raithby (1). It has been placed 1.3m to the south of the restored cross, begging the question as to which (if either) is the original cross location.
Reepham
William Marrat, writing on Reepham in 1816, notes: The base and steps of the cemetery cross remain yet in front of the south door [of the church]. A hundred years later, Davies reports only one step (almost buried in the ground) 1.78m square with a socket stone 0.94m square by 0.51m high and with a socket 0.3m square.
Rippingale
ippingale was granted a Market Charter for a Wednesday market in 1258 and this cross, at the south edge of Rippingale’s village green, may have been the market cross. The 1887 O.S. map shows ‘Cross’ on the small green east of the churchyard. Davies notes that in 1913 it was protected by railings.
Roughton
The churchyard cross at Roughton is unusual in that it has a rectangular socket stone – the greater majority are square. Roughton’s socket stone measures 0.6m E-W x 0.44m N-S. There is c. 0.2m showing above ground.
Rowston
Rowston is a good example of a village cross surviving on a small fragment of village green – which it presently shares with a mature tree. It has two steps surmounted by a socket stone with a fragment of shaft. Davies records an inscription on the bottom step ‘Restored 1910’
Ruskington
Lost Cross Parish/District Ruskington/North Kesteven Location opposite the churchyard gate Category Lost cross (Market cross?) National Grid Ref originally in vicinity of TF 08310 51068 Designation N/A Stone Type – Refs Trollope, Revd E., 1872, Sleaford etc, p, vii; Visits –
Saleby
A nice churchyard cross – surprisingly not mentioned by Davies! It is a few metres south east of the south door of St Margaret’s church at Saleby. It has a socket stone with carved heads at the corners and a fragment of shaft.
Scredington
The cross on Mareham Lane has been variously described as a Roman milestone, a pilgrim cross and a wayside cross but is almost certainly a boundary cross . . . The earliest reference to the cross is in White’s 1856 Directory which states:’ In a field where there was formerly a lake or mere, is a Roman mile-stone, now called mere-stone.’
Searby
A cross is reported at Searby cum Owmby by Davies (1915), who says it is modern and erected by a vicar of Searby, Mr Townsend, around 1895. Davies records two steps, a base and a cross 1.98m high.
Sibsey
There is a churchyard cross directly in line with the doorway of St Margaret’s church at Sibsey. It has a socket stone, which is set on another stone (or a plinth), with a portion of shaft surviving.
Silk Willoughby
Silk Willoughby village cross is located on the west side of the main street of the village. It is a very fine cross with carvings of the symbols of the evangelists on the four sides of the socket stone.
Skillington
Skillington has a repaired village cross set on a small green bounded by Park Lane and Church Street, to the south east of the church.
Skirbeck
Davies (1915) reports a churchyard cross with an octagonal base made of two stones with bevelled edges. This cross can no longer be located.
Sleaford (1)
Sleaford is one of Lincolnshire’s main market towns and was granted a market charter in 1154. There is a sizeable market place to the west of the church with documentary reports of a market cross of c.1575, removed around 1800.
Sleaford (2)
Sleaford has a modern (1851) spire-type cross on the main street near the station to commemorate Henry Handley, MP for South Lincolnshire from 1832 to 1841.
Somersby
The village of Somersby is mostly famous as the birthplace of Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892), the Poet Laureate for much of the Victorian period. But Somerby’s other claim to fame is its churchyard cross which is a fine example of a 14th century standing cross which has survived intact. It has been extensively photographed, drawn and discussed in print – it is Lincolnshire’s best known standing cross.
South Elkington
The churchyard cross at South Elkington is very close (3.5m) to the SW corner of the south porch, although the porch was presumably rebuilt in the 1840s restoration and may be larger than any medieval predecessor.
A socket stone with a levelled stump of shaft survives. It is interesting to note that when Davies recorded the stone in 1915, there was 0.2m above ground; in 1998, AP measured 0.15m and by 2024 there was only 0.12m showing above ground.
South Ormsby
A socket stone with a portion of shaft survives in the churchyard of St Leonard’s at South Ormsby. Its position is most odd as it is at the extreme edge of the churchyard trapped between two fences – the iron railings of the churchyard, and a later post and rail fence for the field. Arguably, it is on the correct side of the church, for the main door/porch is on this north side, but it is unusually distant from the church. There is a drawing of the church by J C Nattes from c.1790 – this shows only the cross, no gravestones, and it looks to be far nearer the church, although it is difficult to be sure. It seems likely that the cross has been moved out towards the churchyard perimeter to permit new (perhaps high status) 19th century graves to be introduced.
South Somercotes
The remains of a standing cross survive in the churchyard of St Peter’s Church to the south east of the south porch. Now a CCT church.
Spalding
Spalding was an important market centre before the Conquest and that status has continued into the 20th century. A market charter for a Friday market was also granted in 1242. No market cross survives in the town today, but old maps show a cross in the Market Stead.
Spilsby
Spilsby has a fine market cross – often termed the Buttercross – situated at the eastern end of Spilsby market place.
Its base is formed of five steps of limestone blocks, probably medieval in origin, which have been repaired and rebuilt with sandstone flags. Further additions were made in the present century when the lowest step was raised and the top of the uppermost step chamfered with a layer of mortar screed.
Springthorpe
Springthorpe is included as a lost cross (and a modern cross) and this record arises from an intriguing entry in the book English Church Furniture edited by Edward Peacock and published in 1866. One might hope and expect it to include many records of churchyard crosses destroyed, but sadly it does not – except for one curious footnote under the entry for Springthorpe. The footnote records a marginal comment made in the register by the Springthorpe churchwarden at the time : [1563] Roland Chambers of Kirton and Mabel Wilson were married 22 Nov and on the same night the cross in the cemetery was overthrown.
Stainton by Langworth (1)
In the village of Stainton by Langworth is another case of settlement encroachment of the village green resulting in the village cross ending up in someone’s private garden.
Stainton by Langworth (2)
There has been a church at Stainton from at least the thirteenth century and probably from long before that. In 1795 the incumbent, George Bassett, applied for and was granted a faculty, stating that ‘the parish church of Stainton being a very old building suddenly fell down and was obliged to be entirely rebuilt . . . the parishioners have erected and built a very good church on the scite of the old one.’ The resultant church is thus entirely eighteenth century, incorporating a few medieval features from the original church. These now include a large octagonal font bowl with ‘ballflower’ decoration.
In 1846, Archdeacon Bonney, reportedly found this font bowl lying upside down in the churchyard (Harding, 1937, pp137-8). Everson and Stocker think the base on which the font now sits is the spurred base of a twelfth-century pier shaft, however Hilary and I think it more likely to be a socket stone from a lost churchyard cross.
Stallingborough
The churchyard cross at SS peter and Paul, Stallingborough, is located 20m south of the west end of the church adjacent to the pathway leading to the church. It has been converted to a sundial, which is dated 1725.
Stamford
Stamford is an important town and market centre developing from the late ninth century onwards, and the medieval town will have had a plethora of standing crosses – including an Eleanor Cross – but no trace of any medieval crosses remain today.
Stapleford
There is a churchyard cross about 10m south of the nave of All Saints church in Stapleford. The cross comprises a socket stone with a possible fragment of shaft (or possibly not) in the socket.
Stixwould
There is a fine churchyard cross 9m south of the nave of St Peter’s church at Stixwould, although it has an alarming lean to the south.
Stoke Rochford
Stoke Rochford has a splendid, reconstructed, pre-Conquest churchyard cross in the churchyard. It is fully described in the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Structure
Sudbrooke
Sudbrooke has a churchyard cross near to the south door of the church of St Edward the Confessor. Its origins and history are not clear: White’s 1856 Directory (p.158) records: ‘The church (St Edward) is a plain brick building, and has in its burial ground the remains of an ancient cross’.
Sutton St James (1) The Butter Cross
St Ives cross (aka the Butter Cross) in Sutton St James is architecturally unusual and is mentioned and illustrated in Stukeley’s Itinerarium Curiosum (1724). It is a good example of a medieval standing cross with an octagonal stepped base but it is rare in having angle brackets; a very unusual feature for standing crosses.
Sutton St James (2)
There are the remains of a standing cross about 1.4km south west of St Ives Cross at the crossroads of Broadgate and Old Fen Dike. It was drawn by J C Nattes c.1795 and commented on by Marratt
Swineshead (1) Market cross
Swineshead was an important market town and held a market charter for a Thursday market from 1227 – it is said that the market prospered until the middle if the 17th century when it was suppressed by the corporation of Boston. The base of a market cross survives in Swineshead market place. These days it is a part of a landscaped and planted area surrounded by railings and dominated by a war memorial, but historic photographs show it in an open square adjacent to the village stocks.
Swineshead (2) Stump Cross
There is a second cross in Swineshead on the corner of South Street and the road to Bicker – known as Stump Cross Lane. Nattes drew the cross c.1800 (Remains of a Cross near Swineshead) showing it, intriguingly adjacent to a milestone with VII inscribed on it. This is probably the distance to Boston.
Swinstead
There is a village cross at Swinstead set on a small triangular space (now a traffic island) to the north west of the parish church. It was drawn by Nattes in 1804 and he shows it grouped with the village stocks and communal well. It comprises two octagonal steps surmounted by a square plinth, socket stone and a short fragment of shaft..
Tattershall
Tattershall was granted a market charter in 1202 by King John (it is said, for the annual fee of a trained goshawk) and the town developed into an important medieval market centre. There is a fine market cross, known as the Butter Cross, in the market place.
Temple Bruer
William Stukeley, writing in 1776 (p.87), reported: ‘Over against Temple Bruer is a cross upon a stone, cut through in the shape of that borne by the Knights Templars, and I suppose the boundary of their demesnes.’
Tetford
There is a standing cross 4m south of the door to St Mary’s church Tetford. It comprises a socket stone and a fragment of shaft. The socket stone has armorial shields deeply carved on its north and west faces.
Tetney
There are the remains of a cross near the path leading to the north door of St Peter and St Paul’s Church at Tetney. This is the main door of the church and the positioning of the cross probably reflects that route. The cross comprises a socket stone with a short length of surviving shaft.
Thornton Curtis
There is quite a grand cross in the St Lawrence’s churchyard at Thornton, about 10m south of the nave. It comprises three steps, a shallow plinth and a socket stone containing a portion of shaft which is decorated with fleurons.
Threekingham
There is a standing cross about 25m south east of the chancel of of St Peter’s church at Threekingham. When visited by AP in 1993 and by Hilary and me in 2000, it was almost completely engulfed in mature ivy and pretty much defied normal survey. It comprises a socket stone and a portion of shaft.
Thurlby
There are remains of a standing cross in the churchyard of St Germain’s church at Thurlby, located c.13m west of the tower. The setting is under a fabulous cedar tree although, sadly, this has become storm damaged in recent years. The cross comprises a ‘plinth’, a single step, a socket stone and a portion of cross shaft.
Toynton St Peter
There is a standing cross just 2.6m from the west door of St Peter’s church at Toynton St Peter. It comprises a socket stone and a sizeable portion of cross shaft. It is a most interesting cross because the socket stone has figure carvings on its corners – but the figures appear to be upside-down – In other words, the socket stone was in use the other way up for something else, before it was a socket stone. Pevsner suggests it was a square font bowl, inverted and converted to form a cross base.
Tydd St Mary (1) churchyard
There is part of a medieval cross shaft erected close by the churchyard fence about 8m SW of the west tower of St Mary’s church at Tydd St Mary. It may have been discovered during grave-digging and re-erected here. There does not appear to be a socket stone below it.
Tydd St Mary (2) White Cross
There is the buried socket stone of a boundary cross (known as the White Cross or Sutton Cross) on a roadside verge (which is the parish boundary) 80m north of Poultry Farm on Draw Dike between Sutton St James and Tydd St Mary.
Tydd St Mary (3) Manor Hill Cross
There is a boundary cross set on a grass verge on the north east side of the road junction at the southern end of the Master Dike, a drainage channel which runs along the parish boundary between Tydd St Mary and Sutton St James. The cross comprises a sockets stone and part of the shaft.
Ulceby
There is a churchyard cross about 8m south of the nave of St Nicholas church, Ulceby – adjacent to the path to the south porch. It is all square in plan and comprises a socket stone set on a plinth with a short piece of cross shaft. The base is set in a roughly paved area in an otherwise largely cleared area of churchyard.
Utterby
There is a churchyard cross south east of the south porch of St Andrew’s Church in Utterby. When Hilary first photographed this cross in December 1991, its two steps were visible but the socket stone was engulfed in ivy. Six years later when Alison surveyed it for scheduling, all was completely covered by ivy (see her survey drawing) and it seems she must have assessed it by feel alone! Thankfully when Hilary and I visited in 2007, it had been cleared and we were able to make a measured survey of the stones.
Waddingworth
Here is a cross base which has escaped designation and that none of us have seen – except for Richard Croft who photographed it in 2014. It is in the churchyard of St Margaret’s church – now in private ownership – a fact which dissuaded both AP and DS/HH from visiting at the time, although current owners are (reportedly) happy to allow access.
Wainfleet All Saints
Wainfleet was a busy and thriving medieval port and commercial centre with a string of charters for markets and fairs. The town still retains a sizeable market place (now a car park) with a splendid market cross – usually known as the Butter Cross.
Wainfleet St Mary
There is a standing cross in the churchyard of St Mary’s church, about 6m south east of the south porch. A portion of the shaft is visible, but the socket stone is buried.
Waithe
Archdeacon Bonney visited Waithe on 6 August 1846 and recorded: ‘The remains of the cross on S. side of the ch. yard.’
James Fowler restored Waithe church in 1861 and is presumed to have restored the churchyard cross during the process. The only medieval parts to survive are the socket stone, and possibly parts of the lowest step.
Walcot
There is a standing cross shaft amongst gravestones to the south west of the south porch of St Nicholas church in Walcot. Records suggest this is a shaft only, with no socket stone below, but none of us have checked.
Washingborough
Washingborough did not hold a market charter, but its village cross has all the stature of a good market cross. Four substantial steps and a large socket stone with a tolerable Edwardian restoration of shaft and cross-head. There is a charming painting by the Revd Sibthorp of the cross in the mid 19th century – prior to restoration which shows that the base and socket stone have not been substantially altered by the successive restorations and repairs.
Wellingore
There is a fine village cross at Wellingore which has been moved from the centre of the village to a small green at the northern end of the village. The move was carried out in 1931 when the village High Street was by-passed to allow motor buses to pass through without mishap. The village cross was in the way of the new A607, Cliff Road.
Welton
There is a modern churchyard cross at the west end of St Mary’s church in Welton. It commemorates Dr Richard Smith, founder of Christ’s Hospital School, Lincoln (the Bluecoats School). Smith was born in Welton in 1533 and was buried in the churchyard in 1602. He was also notable for being the physician to Lord Burleigh at the court of Elizabeth I. The cross was dedicated in the presence of a large assembly on Thursday 8 September 1910.
West Rasen
West Rasen held a market charter from 1219 and it is thought the market place lay close to the old (packhorse) bridge. No market cross is known . . . unless the rather fine cross in the churchyard of All Saints is the market cross relocated to the churchyard? – There is a local tradition that this is so.
West Torrington
West Torrington has an intriguing churchyard cross. When Archdeacon Bonney visited St Mary’s on 11 October 1847, he noted ‘There is the stump of a cross on S. side of ye ch. yard.’ By the time David Davies surveyed it c.1915, it had been successively restored and memorialised.
Westborough (1)
Westborough has a substantial cross base with four large steps set on its village green. There is no market charter recorded for Westborough but this cross has the aura of a market cross.
Westborough (2)
There is a particularly fine standing cross at All Saints church, Westborough, which does not appear to have been altered or moved. It is located c. 5m from the south porch and is one of a small group of Lincolnshire crosses (with Bradley and Brinkhill) that seems to have survived intact up to the knop.
Weston (1)
The cross in Weston churchyard seems to have been relocated there from the village, for Nattes (c.1800) has a drawing of something very similar, labelled as: ‘Remains of the cross in a wall near the Inn at Weston’. The Inn is presumably the Chequers Inn (later, The Carter’s Arms) adjacent to the church. The church guide records that the cross was restored in1897 (modelled on the Somersby cross) as part of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebrations.
Weston (2)
Weston’s second cross is possibly the remains of a wayside cross that was found at Beggar’s Bush crossroads in August 1895. A brief report in the Stamford Mercury of 23 August 1895 states: ‘the base of the old parish cross has been unearthed at Weston, on the road leading to St John’s. It is an interesting relic of bygone days.’
Whaplode
Whaplode has an interesting cross, situated in the churchyard of St Mary’s. It is shown on Nattes’s drawing of the church of c.1800 and certainly seems to be within the churchyard at that time – but it is in a very odd position which does not relate to the church in the way that churchyard crosses usually do – i.e. sited close to the main entrance or former main entrance.
Winterton
Winterton held a market charter from 1334 and it is possible that the cross remains in All Saints churchyard may be a relocated market cross. However, its position, c.4m from the main entrance door to the church is also perfectly valid for a churchyard cross. The cross is shown in the same position in J C Nattes’s drawing of Winterton church c.1800.
Winthorpe
When Archdeacon Bonney (p.184) visited Winthorpe on 25 October 1847, he commented: ‘Stump of a cross on the S. side of Ch. yard. Ch. yard ample and fenced with a ditch and post and rail.’ The Boston Guardian of 2 July 1880, reporting the restoration of the church fabric, noted: ‘In the churchyard is an ancient stone cross raised on three steps, the pedestal of which supports a dial’. Davies recorded the cross in 1915 and states: ‘The base … is bevelled at the top and has a shield on each side …The shaft is carved for about 9 in. at the bottom’. He does not mention the sundial. Early postcard photographs of Winthorpe, St Mary’s, show the cross stump near the church porch.
Witham on the Hill (1)
There are no early references to a churchyard cross at St Andrew’s in Witham on the Hill, and Davies does not record a cross in the churchyard, although he does record a village cross: ‘The base, with a portion of shaft, stands in the Park just outside the village. It was removed by General Johnson many years ago from the hamlet of Lound in this parish.’ More recent attempts to locate this village cross have failed and it seems quite possible that it is the elements of this village cross that were brought to the churchyard in 1920, to create the present war memorial.
Witham on the Hill (2)
There is a potential socket stone placed against the south wall of St Andrew’s church. It is 0.8m square and 0.35m high with moulded corners in a similar design to many cross bases.
Wrangle
The cross remains in the churchyard of St Mary and St Nicholas at Wrangle are a bit of an oddity – and may not even be the parts of a standing cross. They are located a few metres south of the south porch of the church and comprise a socket stone with a portion of shaft, having a bronze sundial set on the top. They are in the right place for a cross – and also in the right place for a sundial!