North Rauceby’s restored village cross on a small green south east of the church
Parish/DistrictNorth Rauceby/North Kesteven
LocationOn a green at the road junction south east of the church.
CategoryVillage cross (restored)
National Grid RefTF 02208 46390
DesignationScheduled / Listed II
Stone TypeLimestone
RefsAP Survey, 1 Dec 1993; Davies, D S, 1913, Lincs N & Q, Vol XII No.5, p.145; Trollope, Sleaford, etc, p.286; Whites 1856 Directory, p.454; Assoc Archit Soc Reports & Papers, 7, 1863-4, 21-5
VisitsAP: 1 Dec 1993 | DS/HH: 24 Aug 2012

There is a restored cross on a small triangular green at the junction of Main Street, Tom Lane and Church Lane, c. 100m south east of St Peter’s church. 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. White’s 1856 Directory states: ’In the village is the pedestal, and part of the shaft of an ancient cross’ which suggests an unrestored cross. A visit by the Arch Soc of Lincoln in 1863 records (p.25) ‘Near the church has long stood the base of a village cross, but lately that base has again been supplied with a graceful shaft and terminal, and now forms a charming feature close to the garden gate of the vicarage and on the way to the church.’ Trollope, writing in 1872, confirms: ‘At the corner of the vicarage garden . . ., has long stood the base of a village cross.  This has of late years been supplied with a graceful shaft and finial . . .’  Interestingly, the 1888 O.S. 25” map shows the cross on its green as: ‘Cross on Site of Cross’.

Thus, it remains unclear whether ‘Near the church‘ implies that the cross base was moved from the churchyard, but AP, when compiling the scheduling document, clearly thinks this is a village cross on, or close to, its original location. The entry in White’s directory adds ‘. . . on the green a market was formerly held‘ – although no market charter is recorded for North Rauceby.

The cross as it now stands comprises two restored steps a socket stone set on a chamfered plinth, and a modern tapering octagonal shaft with a tabernacle type head.

The lower step, now mostly buried, is c. 2.15m square and the upper step c. 1.52m square. On the upper step stands a medieval socket-stone, composed of two slabs; the lower is 0.92m square in section and 0.21m high with slightly chamfered upper corners; the upper is 0.78m square in section at the base, rising in octagonal section through moulded and chamfered corners to a height of 0.72m. The shaft is of tapering octagonal section and of one piece with the knop. The head takes the form of a gabled tabernacle topped by a crucifix with floriate decoration. The shaft, knop and head are all modern, dating from the 19th century restoration. The full height of the cross is about 4.5m.

The 1888 O.S. Map shows ‘Cross on site of Cross’ (Map N.L.S.)
North Rauceby – The socket stone (and its plinth) are thought to be medieval – some sources suggest it was originally from the churchyard
The 19th C tabernacle-type head of the North Rauceby cross
North Rauceby Cross – Hilary Healey photo from January 1994
North Rauceby

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