•The term High Cross is used to refer to early, Celtic type crosses – particularly in Ireland, but also in Scotland Wales and England. These are mostly wheel-headed (a cross with a ring) crosses with interlace decoration but the term is also used to describe later highly decorated and monumental crosses.
High crosses form a class of their own and are predominantly pre-Conquest structures having distinctive artistic styles. They usually have a ‘wheel-head’ with religious scenes and stylised artistic forms carved on the whole monument.
Many survive in Ireland, but there are good examples in England where they tend to be more common in the north. (Wolverhampton has a fine cross shaft).
High crosses are mainly represented in Lincolnshire in fragmentary form. Their elements are often found built into church fabric, or they may be displayed (often poorly) within churches. Many pre-conquest carved stones originally listed at cross shafts have now been identified as grave covers (See Everson and Stocker) but thirty-nine of the stones described are believed to be from pre-conquest crosses.
Only one (allegedly) high cross type type is included in this survey, and that is the ‘Elloe Stone’ at Whaplode.
The ELLOE STONE at Whaplode is thought to be the remains of a wheel-headed cross. It has the following modern inscription:
‘The Elloe Stone. Erected in Anglo Saxon times to indicate the place of meeting of the Hundred of Elloe courts. Presented to the Moulton Parish Council by F. Dring Esq. and mounted here by public inscription of June 22nd 1911 the day of the Coronation of King George‘.
Pre-Conquest Cross Parts described in Everson & Stocker
Summary info for the following crosses may be found on the ‘Pre-Conquest Crosses page‘
| Parish | No. of crosses | NGR | Entry in Davies | page no. in Corpus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bardney 1,2 | 2 | TF119693 | * | 99 |
| Bicker 1, 2 | 2 | TF224378 | 107 | |
| Bracebridge 1 | 1 | SK968679 | 112 | |
| Brattleby 1a 1b | 1 | SK94738079 | * | 113 |
| Burton Pedwardine 1 | 1 | TF119421 | * | 119 |
| Colsterworth 1, 2 | 2 | SK930241 | * | 130 |
| Conisholme 1 | 1 | TF403955 | 132 | |
| Cranwell 1 | 1 | TF03234993 | * | 134 |
| Creeton 1, 2, 3, 4,5,6 | 6 | TF014198 | * | 139-42 |
| Crowle 1 | 1 | SE772130 | * | 147 |
| Dowsby 1, 2 | 2 | TF113293 | * | 153 |
| Edenham 1 | 1 | TF06192180 | * | 157 |
| Harmston 1,2 | 2 | SK973623 | * | 176 |
| Lincoln St Mark 1 | 1 | SK974708 | 198 | |
| Lincoln St Mary1a 1b | 1 | SK975709 | 211 | |
| Market Deeping 1 | 1 | TF137103 | 225 | |
| Marton 1,2 | 2 | SK840817 | 226 | |
| Normanton on Cliff 1a 1b | 1 | SK948462 | 235 | |
| North Rauceby 1 | 1 | TF021465 | * | 237 |
| North Witham 1 | 1 | SK928218 | 239 | |
| Redbourne 1 | 1 | SE973000 | 240 | |
| Ruskington 1 | 1 | TF082511 | 243 | |
| Stainby 1 | 1 | SK90492278 | * | 252 |
| Stoke Rochford 1a 1b 1c | 1 | SK92002734 | * | 253 |
| Syston 1 | 1 | SK930409 | 260 | |
| Thornton le Moor 1 | 1 | TF049962 | 266 | |
| Toft next Newton 1 | 1 | TF044882 | * | 267 |
| Whaplode Elloe 1 | 1 | TF31552482 | * | 162 |
| 39 |