A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron.
A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron.
Market crosses were originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in many market towns in Britain. [1] British emigrants often installed such crosses in their new cities, and several can be found in Canada and Australia. [2]
The market cross could be representing the official site for a medieval town or village market, granted by a charter, or it could have once represented a traditional religious marking at a crossroads. [2]
These structures range from carved stone spires, obelisks or crosses, common to small market towns such as that in Stalbridge, Dorset, [3] to large, ornate covered structures, such as the Chichester Cross, [4] or Malmesbury Market Cross. [5] They can also be constructed from wood; an example is at Wymondham, Norfolk. [6]
