Tattershall

Parish/District	Tattershall/East Lindsey
Location	on the south west side of the market-place
Category	Market cross
National Grid Ref	TF 21239 57894
Designation	Scheduled / Listed II
Stone Type	Limestone
Refs	AP Survey 30 Nov 1993; Davies, D S, 1915, Lincs N & Q, Vol XIII No.6,  pp.219-20; Pickworth, M. A., 1891, History of Tattershall, Lincolnshire, Lincoln. p. 60.
Visits	AP: 30 Nov 1993 | DS/HH: 23 July 2012

Tattershall was granted a market charter in 1202 by King John (it is said, for the annual fee of a trained  goshawk) and the town developed into an important medieval market centre. There is a fine market cross, known as the Butter Cross, in the market place.

Nattes drew Tattershall cross c.1800 and appears to have drawn the head in some detail. He shows the knop (although not too accurately) with a cubic vertical sundial above it, surmounted by an urn with a weather vane on top. (see below)

Pickworth, writing in 1891, described the cross thus: ‘it is an octagonal column or shaft, at the base are four steps, and it was once surmounted by a cross. The cross has, however, long since been removed and an urn substituted in its place, which a few years back was shattered by lightning’. The Sleaford Gazette of 13 July 1861 reported ‘the lightning struck the Decorated market cross and severed some of the stones…’. It seems the shaft was without a head until 1906 when a new cross was affixed to the surviving knop. – This knop is interesting as it bears four armorial shields – one is obliterated but the other three are thought to be of Cromwell, Tateshall and Deincourt and may thus date to the 15^th century, when Cromwell was rebuilding Tattershall castle.

The main structure of the cross comprises five octagonal steps forming the base. The lowest step appears to be entirely restored and is set on a concrete foundation. The other four steps look to be original medieval masonry and are partly held together with iron cramps set in lead. Each tier is about 0.27m high with steps c.0.3m deep.

The socket stone is a large slab (0.9m square by 0.6m high) set on step 5 – most of which it covers. The corners are chamfered from halfway up to form a pyramid with a ledge above so that the top is octagonal.

The shaft is 0.34m square at its base and is set into the centre of the socket stone. It has chamfered stops and tapers upwards in octagonal section. The knop is elaborately carved with alternating shields and figures; above is a frieze of blind arches. Both the shaft and the knop are medieval.

The modern head is in the form of a crucifix with foliate terminals and represents the 1906 restoration of the cross. The full height of the cross is approximately 5.7m.