St Margaret’s church, Somersby, with the famous cross in the foreground
Parish/DistrictGreetham with Somersby/East Lindsey
Locationin the churchyard of St Margaret’s Church, 2m to the south east of the south porch
CategoryChurchyard cross
National Grid RefTF 34371 72651
DesignationScheduled / Listed II
Stone TypeLimestone
RefsArchaeologia, 1800, vol XIV p.276; Lincs Notes and Queries, 1893, The Churchyard Cross at Somersby, vol III, p138; Andrews, W., 1891, Bygone Lincolnshire, pp. 158-9; White’s Lincolnshire Directory, 1856, p. 731; Rimmer, A., 1875, Ancient Stone Crosses of England, pp. 80-81; Vallance, A., 1920, Old Crosses and Lychgates, p. 47 & 73; Davies, D. S., 1915, Lincs Notes and Queries, Vol XIII No.6, pp. 212-213; AP Survey 7 Nov 1994;
VisitsAP: 7 Nov 1994 | DS/HH: 21 May 2010

The village of Somersby is mostly famous as the birthplace of Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892), the Poet Laureate for much of the Victorian period. But Somerby’s other claim to fame is its churchyard cross which is a fine example of a 14th century standing cross which has survived intact. It has been extensively photographed, drawn and discussed in print – it is Lincolnshire’s best known standing cross.

Somersby cross stands 5m south of the nave of St Margaret’s church, on the edge of a raised area of the churchyard which is cut away on the south and east by churchyard paths. On these sides the cross foundation is visible –  it is constructed of stone and concrete, which is principally modern in date, although eroded areas do suggest there may be a large stone step beneath. A large square socket stone (0.85m x 0.85m by 0.44m high) rests on this base; it has slightly chamfered upper corners.

The shaft is set into the socket stone with lead – it is rectangular in section at the base (0.28m N-S x 0.33m E-W) and is all in one piece (2.74m to the knop). It rises through moulded and chamfered corners in tapering octagonal section.

The knop is moulded, and above it the head takes the form of a plain gabled cross shaped as a continuation of the tapering shaft. On the south face of the cross-head is carved a representation of the Crucifixion, and on the north face is the figure of the Virgin Mary. The full height of the cross is about 4m. It is interesting to note that the ‘primary’ face of the crucifixion faces south – not east as one might expect.

It is intriguing to muse on how this cross has survived destruction – for its survival (rather than its reconstruction or restoration) seems valid. Nattes(NATTES 3.311) drew it, along with the church, sometime around 1795 but he has somewhat over-stated the scale of the cross as if to underline its rarity. It was drawn rather more accurately in July 1800 by Ellen Carter for the Society of Antiquaries. (see drawing below). Davies (in 1915) comments: ‘it has been suggested that it was taken down and hidden on more than one occasion, and this seems likely when we remember that a battle [i.e. Winceby] was fought in Cromwell’s time a short distance from the village’. – However, it has clearly been in place from at least 1800 and has survived two periods of repair and restoration of the church (in 1833, and again in 1865). Newspaper reports of 1926 mention repairs to the cross as it had: ’left the perpendicular, and required grouting’ It is presumed that the present concrete underpinning was installed at this time.

Somersby cross in Archaeologia Vol XIV (1800) – drawn by Ellen Carter in July 1800

Somersby cross inspired many charming early 20th century postcards (left), and even featured on cigarette cards (below)

The base of Somersby cross shows concrete underpinning of the socket stone, (back left) and a possible lower stone step (centre front)
The cross head of Somersby cross – a gabled crucifixion
Somersby

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