Scheduled MonumentsEnglandCity Cross or 'Butter Cross'

City Cross or 'Butter Cross'

England
List entry 1002938
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002938
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0 hectares
Grid reference
SU 48100 29478
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

City Cross, also known as Butter Cross, is a market cross located in Winchester, Hampshire. The structure dates from the fifteenth century and originally served as a focal point for commercial activity in the city centre, particularly the butter and produce market that gave it its alternative name. The cross is constructed of stone and retains architectural features typical of late medieval market crosses, functioning both as a practical marketplace shelter and a symbol of civic authority. It remains a significant example of Winchester's medieval urban infrastructure and continues to occupy an important position in the historic streetscape of the city.

City Cross or 'Butter Cross' is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002938. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is City Cross or 'Butter Cross'?

City Cross, also known as Butter Cross, is a market cross located in Winchester, Hampshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002938.

Who is responsible for protecting City Cross or 'Butter Cross'?

City Cross or 'Butter Cross' is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002938.

What other scheduled monuments are near City Cross or 'Butter Cross'?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Two bowl barrows 200m east of Twyford Pumping Station (4.7 km), Pumping station (4.8 km), Twyford Roman villa (5.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about City Cross or 'Butter Cross'

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of City Cross or 'Butter Cross''s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under City Cross or 'Butter Cross'

City Cross or 'Butter Cross' stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.