The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross

The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. The crosses were erected at the twelve places where her funeral procession stopped overnight on its route from Harby, near the city of Lincoln, to Westminster Abbey in London in 1290. A similar event had taken place in France for the body of King Louis IX in 1271. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1373x1868, 1039 KB) Description: The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross station, London. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1373x1868, 1039 KB) Description: The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross station, London. ... The Victorian Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The name Charing Cross, now given to a district of central London in the City of Westminster, comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. ... Edward I (June 17, 1239–July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch frame and the Hammer of the Scots (his tombstone, in Latin, read, Hic est Edwardvs Primus Scottorum Malleus, Here lies Edward I, Hammer of the Scots), achieved fame as the monarch... for others known sometimes by same name, see Leonora of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was the first Queen consort of Edward I of England. ... Harby is a village in the English county of Nottinghamshire although its proximity to the city of Lincoln cause many to believe otherwise. ... Lincoln (pronounced Ling-kn) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England, a bridging point over the River Witham, with a population, at the 2001 Census of 85,963 for the city proper. ... The Abbeys western facade The Collegiate Church of St John, Westminster, which is almost always referred to as Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Only representation of Saint Louis known to be true to life - Early 14th century statue from the church of Mainneville, Eure, France King Louis IX of France or Saint Louis (April 25, 1214/1215 – August 25, 1270) was King of France from 1226 until his death. ...

Those twelve places were:

• Lincoln
• Grantham
• Stamford
• Geddington
• Northampton
• Stony Stratford
• Woburn
• Dunstable
• St Albans
• Waltham (now Waltham Cross)
• Westcheap
• Charing (now Charing Cross)

The only three crosses still standing are those at Waltham Cross, Northampton, and Geddington, however the base of the Grantham cross is still visible in the market place. Lincoln (pronounced Ling-kn) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England, a bridging point over the River Witham, with a population, at the 2001 Census of 85,963 for the city proper. ... Grantham is a small market town in Lincolnshire, England with about 40,000 inhabitants. ... Stamford is a town on the River Welland in Lincolnshire, England. ... A village (pop. ... This article is about Northampton in England; for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation) Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4, E.W. Godwin, architect Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Map sources for Woburn, Bedfordshire at grid reference SP949331 Woburn is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. ... Dunstable is a town in the county of Bedfordshire. ... St Albans (thus spelt, no apostrophe or dot) is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... Waltham Cross is the most south-easterly town in Hertfordshire, England. ... The Victorian Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The name Charing Cross, now given to a district of central London in the City of Westminster, comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. ...

Northampton Cross

The Northampton cross is located at the edge of Delapré Abbey, where the body rested overnight; the King stayed at nearby Northampton Castle. This cross was begun in 1291 by John of Battle; he worked with William of Ireland to carve the statues; William was paid £3/6/8 per figure. Delapré Abbey - the south front Delapré Abbey, Northampton, was one of only two Cluniac nunneries built in England (the other being at Arthington in Yorkshire); the Cluniac order was a branch of the Benedictines and fell under the rule of the great abbey at Cluny in Burgundy. ...

The cross is octagonal in shape and set upon some steps - the present ones are replacements. The cross is built in three tiers and originally had a crowing terminal - possibly a cross. It is not known when this became lost.

The Northampton Cross

Plaque recording the history of the Northampton Cross

The cross at Charing Cross was destroyed in 1647 and a statue of Charles I was erected on the site in 1675. The replica cross is a copy of the original and was erected at a later date but not in the same location as the original. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1719x2819, 950 KB) Summary The Northampton Queen Eleanor Cross; picture taken (c) by R Neil Marshman 28 October 2005 Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1719x2819, 950 KB) Summary The Northampton Queen Eleanor Cross; picture taken (c) by R Neil Marshman 28 October 2005 Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2128x1186, 520 KB) Summary The plaque at the side of the Northampton Eleanor Cross . ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2128x1186, 520 KB) Summary The plaque at the side of the Northampton Eleanor Cross . ... // Events March 14 - Thirty Years War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm. ... Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) was King of Scotland, England and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his execution. ... Events January 5 - The Battle of Turckeim June 18 - Battle of Fehrbellin August 10 - King Charles II of England places the foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London - construction begins November 11 - Guru Gobind Singh becomes the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. ...

References

• The Buildings of England - Northamptonshire. N Pevsner (Second edition). ISBN 0300096321