© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)
Mercian Cross is a fragmentary stone cross of Anglo-Saxon date located in the churchyard of St Mary and St John in Leicestershire. The monument survives as an incomplete shaft and base, representing the type of preaching cross that would have served as a focal point for religious and secular gatherings in early medieval communities. Its Mercian attribution reflects its origin within the kingdom of Mercia, one of the principal Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and such crosses typically date to the seventh through tenth centuries. The survival of the cross as an ecclesiastical monument demonstrates the continuity of Christian worship and community gathering places from the Anglo-Saxon period into the medieval period and beyond.
Mercian cross, St Mary and St John's churchyard is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1014511. View the official record →
Mercian Cross is a fragmentary stone cross of Anglo-Saxon date located in the churchyard of St Mary and St John in Leicestershire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1014511.
Mercian cross, St Mary and St John's churchyard 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 1014511.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The 'Roman' bridge, Belgrave (5.3 km), Packhorse bridge (5.4 km), Leicester abbey and 17th century mansion and ornamental gardens (6.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Mercian cross, St Mary and St John's churchyard's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Mercian cross, St Mary and St John's churchyard stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.