Barford Preaching Cross - Duck Lane - Barford St Martin, Wiltshire - Christian Crosses on Waymarking.com

"By 1100, Wiltshire was dependent on Wilton, then the most important town in the shire with its wealthy Benedictine nunnery founded by King Alfred. Wilton Abbey prospered under its royal patronage and added large estates to its charge, including land south of Grovely, along the Nadder valley. Supporting the religious sees, with their great monasteries were many minsters (as in Sturminster and Warminster). The minsters’ territories or parochiae tended to be linked to a royal estate providing the focus for administration and religious life; but many villages often found themselves at a considerable distance from the mother church. Priests travelled to outdoor preaching crosses to minister to the rural communities. This explains the importance of the early medieval limestone cross in the centre of the village of Barford St. Martin on the south side of West Street. Listed as a Grade I monument, it is described as “a cylindrical shaft with beaded top to cross, with ball finial“.

Gradually, many of these locations were provided with formal church buildings."

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"Village cross. Probably early Medieval. Limestone. Large square plinth with worn hollow-chamfered top to two square steps to chamfered base of cross, cylindrical shaft with beaded top to cross with ball finial."

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"The Saxons may have had a wooden preaching cross here that was later replaced by a stone cross. There was certainly a substantial population here in late Saxon times. In the Domesday Book Barford is divided into four estates with the largest, Hurdcott, being as large as the other three put together and with twice their population. Altogether there were 5.5 hides of land worked by seven plough teams. There were 20 acres of meadow and eight acres (in Hurdcott) of pasture. The mill was in Hurdcott. The total population is estimated to have been between 90 and 105 people.

A church had been built by the 13th century but the preaching cross could indicate a much earlier congregation here. "

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Type of cross: Latin cross Material used: Stone (granite, sandstone, marble, ...) Characteristics of this cross: Large square plinth with worn hollow-chamfered top to two square steps to chamfered base of cross, cylindrical shaft with beaded top to cross with ball finial. Describe the location: Junction of Duck Lane & West Street, to north west of St Martin's church Year of manufacture: Not listed Is this cross commemorative ?: Not listed

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