Buttercross

Buttercross

Buttercross

English medieval market cross

A buttercross, butter cross or butter market cross is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. The name originates from the fact that the crosses were located in market places, where people would gather to buy locally produced butter and other dairy products.[1] The fresh produce was laid out and displayed on the circular stepped bases of the cross.

A buttercross in Oakham
The 17th-century buttercross in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire.
Barnard Castle Market Cross

Their design varies from place to place, but they are often covered by some type of roof to offer shelter. The roofs were generally added at a much later date than the construction of the original cross.

Known buttercrosses

Examples from most parts of England include:

Media related to Butter crosses at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. [1]
    Peyton, Jane (5 September 2012). Brilliant Britain. Summersdale. ISBN 978-0-85765-790-9.
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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Buttercross, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.