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Description

Reasons for Designation A standing cross is a free standing upright structure, usually of stone, mostly erected during the medieval period (mid 10th to mid 16th centuries AD). Standing crosses served a variety of functions. In churchyards they served as stations for outdoor processions, particularly in the observance of Palm Sunday. Elsewhere, standing crosses were used within settlements as places for preaching, public proclamation and penance, as well as defining rights of sanctuary. Standing crosses were also employed to mark boundaries between parishes, property, or settlements. A few crosses were erected to commemorate battles. Some crosses were linked to particular saints, whose support and protection their presence would have helped to invoke. Crosses in market places may have helped to validate transactions. After the Reformation, some crosses continued in use as foci for municipal or borough ceremonies, for example as places for official proclamations and announcements; some were the scenes of games or recreational activity. Standing crosses were distributed throughout England and are thought to have numbered in excess of 12,000. However, their survival since the Reformation has been variable, being much affected by local conditions, attitudes and religious sentiment. In particular, many cross-heads were destroyed by iconoclasts during the 16th and 17th centuries. Less than 2,000 medieval standing crosses, with or without cross-heads, are now thought to exist. The oldest and most basic form of standing cross is the monolith, a stone shaft often set directly in the ground without a base. The most common form is the stepped cross, in which the shaft is set in a socket stone and raised upon a flight of steps; this type of cross remained current from the 11th to 12th centuries until after the Reformation. Where the cross-head survives it may take a variety of forms, from a lantern-like structure to a crucifix; the more elaborate examples date from the 15th century. Much less common than stepped crosses are spire-shaped crosses, often composed of three or four receding stages with elaborate architectural decoration and/or sculptured figures; the most famous of these include the Eleanor crosses, erected by Edward I at the stopping places of the funeral cortege of his wife, who died in 1290. Also uncommon are the preaching crosses which were built in public places from the 13th century, typically in the cemeteries of religious communities and cathedrals, market places and wide thoroughfares; they include a stepped base, buttresses supporting a vaulted canopy, in turn carrying either a shaft and head or a pinnacled spire. Standing crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval customs, both secular and religious, and to our knowledge of medieval parishes and settlement patterns. All crosses which survive as standing monuments, especially those which stand in or near their original location, are considered worthy of protection. Grantham market cross is a good example of a medieval standing cross with a stepped base. Situated in the market-place, it is believed to stand in or near its original position. Limited development of the area immediately surrounding the cross indicates that archaeological deposits relating to the monument's construction and use in this location are likely to survive intact. While parts of the cross have survived from medieval times, subsequent restoration has resulted in its continued function as a public monument and amenity. Details The monument includes Grantham market cross, a standing stone cross located near the centre of the market-place. The cross is of stepped form and is medieval in origin with later restoration. The monument includes the base, comprising four steps and a plinth, the shaft, knop and head. The cross is a Grade II listed building. The base includes four steps constructed of worn limestone slabs, all octagonal in plan and about 0.4m in height. They are believed to be medieval in date with later repair represented by some renewed slabs and concrete infilling. On the top step rests the plinth, a large cone-shaped construction of octagonal section tapering upwards to a small moulded shaft-base. The shaft is composed of five stones of octagonal section which taper upwards to a roll- moulding. On the east face is an inscription recording a restoration of 1966. On top of the shaft is a moulded and chamfered knop of octagonal section below and round section above, capped by the head, which takes the form of an iron cross. The knop and head are believed to date from 18th- or 19th-century restorations, while the shaft is late 20th-century in date. The full height of the cross is nearly 9m. The monument includes a 1m margin around the cross which is considered essential for the monument's support and preservation. The modern paving immediately surrounding the cross is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath it is included. Sources Books and journals Davies, D S, 'Lincolnshire Notes and Queries' in Ancient Stone Crosses in Kesteven, , Vol. XII no.5, (1913), 141 Other listed building description, Market Cross Grade II [ref. SK9135NW 8/71], (1950)

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