The Headless Cross

 cross, scheduled ancient monument

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The monument includes a red sandstone cross base set on a modern concrete plinth in the line of the hedge on the west side of the Tarporley Road. The cross appears on maps from the 19th century and was called the Headless Cross. The cross base stands in its original position beside the medieval road to Vale Royal Abbey which later became part of a turnpike road. The stone block is 0.78m wide on the east face and 0.68m deep. It stands 0.35m high. The socket measures 0.33m by 0.32m and is 0.15m deep. It is set on a modern concrete base measuring 0.9m by 0.9m and stands 0.35m high. The base has been broken away on its north west corner. This was probably one of the seven crosses destroyed by Puritan iconoclasts in the early 17th century, an act which led to a case in the Star Chamber. There are the remains of four crosses on the road to the abbey. One is the Longstone 700m to the east, another the cross base on Longstone Lane 400m to the east and a cross base at Whitegates to the north east.
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1013...