There are two socket-stones on a small traffic island on Ermine Street in the centre of Appleby. The eastern stone is referred to as Appleby (1) and the western as Appleby (2).

Parish/DistrictAppleby/North Lincs
LocationAppleby 1: Adjacent to Appleby 2 on a traffic island at the junction of Ermine Street (B1207) and Risby Road.
CategoryMarket Cross (?)
National Grid RefSE 9492 1489
DesignationListed II
Stone TypeLimestone
RefsAndrew, W., 1836, History of Winterton, p.40; Davies, D. S., 1915, Lincs N & Q Vol XIII No.5 pp130
VisitsDS/HH: 12 March 2012

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. The juxtaposition of market crosses with the village stocks is common – Appleby’s stocks had already disappeared by 1915 when Revd Davies reported: “Mr. Andrew in his History of Winterton, p.40., mentions that “from the records of the Tower, Appleby appears at one time to have had a market weekly on Thursday [sic]. It is now discontinued, but the Market Cross still remains in the Village. … The shaft has disappeared, as well as the stocks which stood near to it” (Davies 1915, p.131)

Davies records only one cross base in Appleby and from the measurements he gives it is likely to be Appleby I. The market charter granted to Geoffrey de Nevell in 1267 was for a market on Wednesdays, to be held at the manor. It is probable that this cross was a market cross associated with Appleby market – old maps show a widening of Ermine Street in this vicinity (Lyons 1991 p.198) and one might speculate that the market place had a cross at each end (c.f. Linby, Notts). However, this cross is unlikely to be in situ, and has almost certainly been moved to enable twentieth century traffic flow.

The socket stone is a two tier octagonal drum pedestal on a square base. The square is stopped to form the lower octagon and the upper octagon is turned by half a face (i.e. by 22.5o) … the overall effect looks robust and pleasing. The socket is square and empty.

Photograph of the green with the Stocks Tree still standing – Appleby 1 is visible to the left . . . is there a second cross base to the right of the tree? – date unknown but probably 1960s (Appleby Village Website)
Appleby (1)

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