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.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 1 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
