
Parish/District | Wainfleet All Saints/East Lindsey |
Location | on the north side of the marketplace in Wainfleet All Saints |
Category | Market cross |
National Grid Ref | TF 49833 58958 |
Designation | Scheduled / Listed II* |
Stone Type | Limestone |
Refs | AP Survey 9 Oct 1994; Oldfield, E., 1829, A topographical and historical account of Wainfleet etc, p.69; Davies, D S, 1915, Lincolnshire Notes & Queries, Vol XIII No.6, p.222; |
Visits | AP: 9 October 1994 | DS/HH: 17 Nov 2005 |
Wainfleet was a busy and thriving medieval port and commercial centre with a string of charters for markets and fairs. The town still retains a sizeable market place (now a car park) with a splendid market cross – usually known as the Butter Cross.
The cross is presumably medieval but the earliest reference I can find is in Oldfield’s ‘Wainfleet’ (p. 69) where he states: In front of these buildings is a tolerably spacious Market-place; having on the north side an ancient stone cross. The shaft of the pillar, which is octagonal, is elevated on four steps, and surmounted by a globe. The period of its erection is unknown.
When Davies surveyed the cross in 1915, he pointed out that it has three steps, not four, although there may well be one buried beneath the paving.
The steps are formed from very worn rectangular blocks, partially restored, and are square in plan, measuring: 1st step: 3.04m square; 2nd step: 2.35m square; top step: 1.51m square.
The socket stone is 0.84m square at the base tapering to 0.82m at the top. It is 0.58m tall with chamfered corners.
The shaft is set into the socket with lead and is 0.43m square at the base, tapering to octagonal. The knop is very weathered but once had some form of decoration carved upon it.
There is a stone ball mounted above the knop with an ornate iron weather vane above that. The ball was possibly an 18th century addition – the weather vane looks later. The full height of the cross is approximately 5.7m.

