Ewerby

The imposing market cross at Ewerby is well known, but there is also a lost churchyard cross, recorded by Trollope (p.365). Both are recorded below:

Market Cross

Parish/District	Ewerby and Evedon/North Kesteven
Location	On a small green by Main Street, west of St Andrew’s church
Category	Market cross
National Grid Ref	TF 12109 47290
Designation	Scheduled / Listed II
Stone type	Limestone
Refs	AP Survey 1 Dec 1993; D. S. Davies, 1913, Lincs N&Q Vol XII No.5 pp129-150;
Visits	AP: 1 Dec 1993 \| DS/HH: 24 Aug 2012

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 (see below).

Ewerby market cross has a circular base of seven steps, principally constructed of limestone blocks. Step heights are: 6^th=0.25m; 5^th=0.24m; 4^th=0.25m; 3^rd=0.24m; 2^nd=0.19m; top=0.15m. The lowest step is partially submerged by rising ground on the east side of the monument, but is visible on the west. The cross occupies a circular area c. 4.5m in diameter. All three lower steps are medieval in date with 19th- and 20th-century alterations. The four upper steps are entirely modern and date from the 19th-century restoration. On the uppermost step rests the socket-stone, a large square slab with moulded and chamfered corners. There is a small cross inscribed into the western face of the socket-stone, dating from the 19th-century restoration. Set into the middle of the socket-stone is the shaft, a modern addition, square in section at the base with chamfered corners tapering upwards in octagonal section, and terminating in a simple chamfered octagonal top. The full height of the cross is approximately 4m.

Pevsner (and the listing) give the restoration date as 1908, but the Sleaford Gazette of 6 August 1898 (p.5 c.6) suggests the steps were restored in 1897, as part of the Jubilee celebrations, and that the new shaft and cross head arrived, and were installed, in August 1898. The report notes that a few days after installation, the cross head was blown down and smashed in a gale. It was never replaced.

Storm damage also occurred in February 1990 and it is likely that the current shaft dates from recent repairs following this incident.

Churchyard cross

Parish/District	Ewerby and Evedon/North Kesteven
Location	In churchyard of of St Andrew’s church, Ewerby
Category	Lost Cross (churchyard cross)
National Grid Ref	TF 12144 47260 (estimate)
Designation	None
Stone type	Not known
Refs	Trollope, Revd E., 1872, Sleaford etc, p, 365; D. S. Davies, 1913, Lincs N&Q Vol XII No.5 pp129-150; Rawnsley, W. F., 1927, Highways & Byways in Lincs, p.79;
Visits	DS/HH: 24 Aug 2012

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’ (this cross was made for John Hauberg at the expense of the Rector). The base also bore four shields – including the arms of England and of the Umfravilles. He also notes that ‘at the back of the head of the cross were figures of the Virgin, St Peter and St Paul’. Davies (1913) adds that in 1352, Sir Alexander Aunsel and others petitioned the King for a license to give John de Haburgh one rood of land for the enlargement of the Cemetery of Iwardby at a cost of 6/8. Inq. p.m., 26 Ed. iii.

Rawnsley, writing in 1927, notes ‘besides the Market Cross there are parts of two others, in the church and churchyard.’ So, presumably the cross base was still visible in the churchyard at this time. It is not visible now, but there are fragments of cross shaft stored within the church, under benches in the tower (photo below). These have not been properly examined and recorded, although this would be useful. They may just represent parts of the broken octagonal shaft of the market cross.