Swaffham Market Cross

Summary

Market Cross, also known as the Butter Cross, built in 1781-1783 for George Walpole, the third Earl of Orford, probably to a design by James Wyatt, with restorations of 1873, 1904, 1984 and 2018.

Reasons for Designation

Swaffham Market Cross, also known as the Butter Cross, built in 1781-1783 for George Walpole, the third Earl of Orford, probably to a design by James Wyatt, with restorations of 1873, 1904, 1984 and 2018, is listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a well-executed and composed structure whose peristyle rotunda illustrates how Wyatt's design was influenced by the circular buildings of Classical antiquity;

* as a design attributed to James Wyatt, one of England’s most important late-C18 and early-C19 architects, who served as Controller of the Office of Works and architect to George III;

Historic interest:

* for its association with George Walpole, a politician and peer descended from one of Norfolk's, and England's, most influential families during the C18 and C19;

* as a significant local landmark illustrating Swaffham's prosperity in the Georgian era.

History

The earliest documentary evidence relating to a market in Swaffham is on 22 June 1215 when King John issued a royal writ to the Sheriff of Norfolk to abolish it should it ‘damage the market in Dunham’. Fortunately, it was never abolished, and by the C14 and C15 a large market place had developed to support the town's flourishing sheep and wool industry. In 1575, market cross was erected at the northern end of the market place to inspire business morality and to provide a collecting point for tolls.

By the 1770s, however, with the development of The Shambles in the middle, the cross had become cut off from the market's open southern section. It was subsequently demolished and replaced with a new market cross in the form of a peristyle rotunda, essentially an open-sided market hall, at the southern end of the market place. An article published in the Norfolk Chronicle on 21 July 1781 states that the structure was designed "by that eminent architect Mr Wyatt, of Portland Street, London,” believed to be James Wyatt (1746-1813), and constructed at the sole expense of George Walpole, Third Earl of Orford (1730-91), grandson of Sir Robert Walpole, first Earl of Orford (1676-1745), and Britain's first prime minister. It is estimated to have cost around £400, half of which was spent on the lead statue of Ceres which, executed by an unknown French artist, surmounts the dome. The market cross is believed to have been completed in 1783, but by 1871, as reported in the Norfolk News on 15 July of that year, it was in a serious state of decay. Although three local businessmen charged with bringing about the repairs were strongly criticised for their inertia despite having the necessary funds, it was not until July 1873 that the cross was finally restored.

Further repairs are known to have been undertaken in 1904, 1999 and 2018. It is known as the Butter Cross as trading in locally-produced butter, known as 'Cambridge Butter' was carried out beneath its dome.

The Market Cross joins other notable historic buildings in Market Place the collective architectural quality of which reflects the wealth and prestige associated with Swaffham during the time of its construction in the late C18.

Details

Market Cross, also known as the Butter Cross, built in 1781-1783 for George Walpole, the third Earl of Orford, probably to a design by James Wyatt, with restorations of 1873, 1904, 1984 and 2018.

MATERIALS: of timber, rendered and painted to imitate limestone, with a lead roof and stone base.

PLAN: it is circular on plan.

EXTERIOR: it comprises a peristyle rotunda with a triple-stepped base supporting eight unfluted Roman Doric columns carrying a plain entablature with a dentilled cornice. Two leaded steps lead into a half-round dome surmounted by a statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of corn and agriculture, depicted holding a cornucopia (horn of plenty) in her left hand and a sheaf of corn in her right hand.

INTERIOR: the interior has a stone-flagged floor beneath a dished plaster ceiling.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

460635

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Wilson, B, The Buildings of England: Norfolk 2: North-West and South, (2002), 131-32
Weaver, L, Lead Figures in Architecture in Country Life, Vol. 23, Issue 590, (25 April 1908), 590-593

Websites
Information on Swaffham Market Cross from the Norfolk Heritage Explorer website, accessed 06 May 2022 from https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF2694-Market-Cross-(formerly-Butter-Market-Cross)-Market-Place-Swaffham

Other
Norfolk Chronicle, 21 July 1781, pp2
Norfolk News, 15 July 1871, pp8

End of official list entry

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