| Parish/District | Asgarby and Howell/North Kesteven |
| Location | c. 4m south east of south porch of St Oswald’s church |
| Category | Churchyard cross |
| National Grid Ref | TF 13506 46243 |
| Designation | Scheduled / Listed II* |
| Stone Type | Limestone |
| Refs | AP Survey record 1993 Davies, D. S., 1913, L N &Q, p. 142. |
| Visits | AP: 1 Dec 1993 | DS/HH: 23 Jul 2012 |DS: 24 Apr 2015 | |
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. The top surface of the second step is level with the ground and probing suggests a buried step c. 0.35m beneath it. The upper step has disintegrated and the socket-stone is effectively now standing on its rubble core.
The socket-stone has interesting stops at its corners which form knobs with a roll moulding above them. The resultant upper surface is an irregular octagon with a slightly chamfered edge. The north west lower corner of the socket-stone has broken away but the fragment remains in situ.
The shaft rises from the socket as a square section with stops to give an octagonal form. Just below the stops (c.0.15m up the shaft) there is an inscription around all four sides. It is difficult to read now, but both Trollope (1872, p.411) and Davies (1913, p.142) give it: Orate pro anima Johannis Spenser Rectoris ecclesieistius. I.H.C. (Pray for the soul of John Spenser Rector of this church? I.H.C.). John Spenser was the rector at Howell from 1424 to 1448 … did he have the cross erected, or was the inscription applied to a pre-existing cross?
There are a series of narrow, vertical, rectangular slots cut into the shaft which are of unknown function – perhaps something was fastened to it? The top of the shaft appears to be broken off; it has a small hole at its centre.
