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Latitude: 56.0556 / 56°3'20"N
Longitude: -3.6284 / 3°37'42"W
OS Eastings: 298683
OS Northings: 685948
OS Grid: NS986859
Mapcode National: GBR 1R.QDSM
Mapcode Global: WH5QW.72F0
Plus Code: 9C8R394C+7J
Entry Name: Market Cross, The Cross, Culross
Listing Name: Culross, the Cross, Mercat Cross
Listing Date: 12 January 1972
Category: A
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 359846
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB24000
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Culross Mercat Cross
Culross, The Cross, Market Cross
ID on this website: 200359846
Location: Culross
County: Fife
Town: Culross
Electoral Ward: West Fife and Coastal Villages
Traditional County: Fife
Tagged with: Market cross
16th century base. Replacement shaft and head, J W Small, designer and Alexander Neilson, sculptor, 1902. Stone. Original octagonal base, tiered steps. Chamfered shaft; moulded base, chamfered plinth. Moulded, decorative capital with dentils, acanthus leaf and fluted details. Cubical head; decoration to each face. Moulded base; column shafts at each quoin. Faces carved with inscriptions. NE face; Culross Burgh arms with date of creation of the royal burgh (1588) in pediment tympanum. SE face; the provost's initials and inscription; 'Restored by the Honourable Sir James Sivewright of Tulliallan 1 July 1902 and John Cunningham of Balgownie Provost'. SW face; monogram of King James VI with crown; '1902' in pediment tympanum. NW face; Sir James Sivewright's arms; initials in tympanum. Surmounting unicorn.
A market cross was a common feature in a burgh; Culross mercat cross is sited in a prominent position in The Cross, a cobbled area which lies at the junction of four roads and beside Back Causeway which follows the line of the original street which ran from the Abbey to the Sandhaven. This cross replaced a plain stone megalith with a small surmounting cross, as depicted in James Drummond's sketch of the market cross made in 1849 (NMRS archive). The restoration of the cross was financed by Sir James Sivewright to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII. The architect J W Small prepared the drawings and Alexander Neilson, a sculptor from Dundee executed the work under the supervision of William Gauldie, an architect from Dundee. The unicorn holds the Garter of the Thistle (Cunningham). For brief history of Culross Burgh see Culross, The Cross, The Study.
Formerly Scheduled Ancient Monument No 4288, scheduled 15/12/1953 and descheduled 13/05/2016.
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