Standing cross on the village green

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.

Local legend records that the cross at Meriden marks the centre of England, although it may have served other functions at its origin in the 15th century. Photographs record that the cross remained the centre for the recreational activities of village children into the late 19th century. In 1951 the cross was taken to London to form a part of the Ideal Home Exhibition, and later formed the focus of improvements to the green during the Festival of Britain. The cross survives well retaining much of its medieval fabric and standing near its original position. As the acknowledged centre of England it has continuing importance as a public monument and amenity.

Details

The monument includes the three steps, socket stone and shaft of a sandstone standing cross, which is Listed Grade II. It is located at the west end of the village green at Meriden. The cross is of stepped form, and is medieval in date standing over 3m in height. The steps are octagonal in plan, the bottom step measuring 2.87m in width and the top step measuring 1.65m in width, with an overall height to the top step of 0.82m. The surface of the steps is bevelled. The socket stone is squared with corners chamfered to form an octagonal top. It measures approximately 0.92m in width and is 0.73m high. The shaft rises through chamfered corners to a tapering octagonal section, and is morticed into the socket. There are grooves on the faces of the shaft which relate to former iron supports. The cross is partly bonded with mortar. The fence and signs are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features 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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

30028

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Various SMR Officers, Unpublished Notes in SMR File,

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