Scheduled Monuments›England›Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down

Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down

England
List entry 1008926
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1008926
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.31 hectares
Grid reference
SX 50141 73657
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Pixies' Cross is a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure located on Whitchurch Down in Devon, England. The monument comprises a standing cross with an accompanying circular or sub-circular earthwork boundary, a form characteristic of medieval wayside monuments that served both practical and spiritual functions for travellers in the landscape. The cross itself likely dates to the medieval period, though the precise construction date remains uncertain. Such structures were common features of Devon's medieval topography, often marking routes, parish boundaries, or places of local significance.

Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008926. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down?

Pixies' Cross is a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure located on Whitchurch Down in Devon, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1008926.

Who is responsible for protecting Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down?

Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down 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 1008926.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hilltop enclosure known as Maristow Camp, 240m east of Middle Park House (9.4 km), Settlement on Wigford Down (9.5 km), Hut circles W of Wigford Down China Clay Works (9.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Hilltop enclosure known as Maristow Camp, 240m east of Middle Park House
9.4 km
Settlement on Wigford Down
9.5 km
Hut circles W of Wigford Down China Clay Works
9.8 km
Four round barrows on Wigford Down
10 km
Three hut circles on south part of Wigford Down
10 km
Round barrow N of Cadworthy Wood
10.2 km
Three hut circles NW of Cadworthy
10.2 km
Wigford Down cross: a wayside cross 230m WNW of Cadover Bridge
10.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down

Pixies' Cross: a wayside cross and associated earthwork enclosure on Whitchurch Down stands on Teign Valley Group, bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Domesday entry for Whitchurch, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments