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MABS CROSS

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DESCRIPTION

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A cross base and part of the shaft which are set on a plinth in front of a school building on Standishgate in Wigan. The cross was moved from across the road in front of number 138 Standishgate during road widening in 1921. The cross is one of a group of four Medieval crosses which functioned as waymarkers along the medieval route from Wigan to Chorley. The remains of the cross rest on a plinth of modern slabs in a paved area beside the road. Above this is a plinth of dressed gritstone 1 metre square and 0.57 metres high. The base block of gritstone is set askew on this plinth with the leaded boreholes for steel clamps on both the plinth and the base showing that this is the original arrangement. The cross gets its name from the penance of Lady Mabel Bradshaigh in which she used to walk barefooted to the cross from Haigh Hall to the north east. The cross is Scheduled and Listed Grade II*.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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Mab's Cross [G.T.] (Site of) [T.I.] (1)

The base of Mab's Cross is in Standishgate. (2)

The remains of Mab's Cross are embedded in the footpath at the
end of Standishgate. The street level has been raised and partly
conceals the steps which carry a plain stone pedestal and the
pedestal carries a portion of the shaft. (3)

This relic [Mab's Cross] dates from before 1270 (4)

The remains of Mabs Cross now stand at SD.58530628 (Bf, in the
garden of Wigan Girls' High School, on a plinth of two steps, which
have the appearance of being later than the cross proper.
The cross base measures 1.0m x 10.0m. and stands 0.6m. in height,
resting on the base is a socket stone measuring 0.65m. x 0.65m.
& standing 0.3 m. in height, holding a portion of the cross shaft
0.7 m. in height, the shaft itself is oval, having a max. diameter
of 0.3 m. The whole is in a good state of preservation.
The original site of the Cross (A) now occ.d. by major road.
Please see G.P. (5)

Mab's Cross, Standishgate (east side), Grade II*
C13 stump of boundary cross. Originally stood in middle of road.
Subject of one of Lancashire's best known legends. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

1:500 1893

( 2a) Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society

19 Page(s)228, 232

( 2) edited by William Farrer and J. Brownbill 1911 The Victoria history of the county of Lancaster, volume four

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)70

( 3) Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society

19 Page(s)232-4

( 4) General reference

Hawkes AJ. 1935. History of Wigan

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

21-JUL-1952

( 6) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Wigan, 11-JUL-1983 24

(7) Scheduled Monument Notification

01-JUL-1996

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