| Parish/District | Keelby/West Lindsey |
| Location | south of the nave, in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s Church |
| Category | Churchyard cross |
| National Grid Ref | TA 16505 09926 |
| Designation | Scheduled / Listed II |
| Stone Type | Limestone |
| Refs | AP Survey 4 Aug 1997; Davies, D S, 1915, Lincs N & Q, Vol XIII No.5, p.157 |
| Visits | AP: 4 Aug 1997 | DS/HH: 12 Mar 2012 | DS: 21 Aug 2026 |
The remains of a standing cross survive in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s at Keelby – it was mentioned by Archdeacon Bonney when he visited in August 1846 (p.83). It comprises a single stone step (or stone base) a socket stone and a portion of cross shaft.
The step or base is c. 1.5 x 1.7m and constructed of stone blocks – the corner stones have been removed, leaving only the central stones supporting the cross base. This base may or may not be medieval.
The socket stone is large, c.0.88m square by 0.5m tall, with a chamfered upper edge. The stump of shaft is set into the socket stone with lead. It is square in section at the base and rising above moulded and chamfered corners in tapering octagonal section to a height of 1.16m.
The top of the shaft is flat with a linear slot in the centre, containing the stub of an iron fitting set in lead. This fitting looks more like a shaft repair or extension device rather than the more usual sundial base mounting. The shaft top is, anyway, too tall for it to have conveniently served as a sundial.
The location of the cross is puzzling. Keelby church has a north door entrance and the cross is positioned south of the nave some distance from the church well away from any pathways. The setting of the church in the churchyard makes it unlikely that the church once had a south door. Perhaps this cross was once a village cross, later moved into the churchyard as the green diminished and road layouts changed?
