Village Green

Billesdon's ancient monument

The prominent stone structure in the Market Place at Billesdon has been there for centuries and yet is one of the village’s best kept secrets. It was amongst the first of old buildings in the village to be listed in the register of ‘Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest’. It is now shown as Grade II and described as ‘Cross. Medieval, though rebuilt. Chamfered squared base with tall reed moulded shaft and capping finial. Ancient Monument’ The authoritative County History says, ‘At the junction of Front Street with the main road is a large open space, partly occupied by a green, which was formerly the site of the market. This forms a second and later village centre, owing its existence to the establishment of the market early in the 17th century. It developed later with the setting up of the Leicester to Uppingham Turnpike Trust in 1754 and the increase in main-road traffic. On the green stands the base and slender moulded shaft of the market cross. The finial appears to have been replaced since the 18th century. The houses in this part of the village are mainly brick buildings of the coaching period, several being neglected and half-empty in 1959’. There are a few unsubstantiated views however: - ‘Although we know the base, the squat ‘fleur de lys’ type finial, and the stone plinth around the bottom of the shaft were dated 1904 at least, one expert in stone has pronounced that the shaft itself may be original and is of Barnack stone. If so then it is of early date as the Barnack quarry near Peterborough was worked out around the 15th century’. ‘Although generally referred to as a ‘Market Cross’ several experts say that it is not and that the lower parts especially do not conform to the generally accepted shape of a true ‘Market Cross’. Further, if the shaft is of Barnack stone, it predates the granting of a regular weekly market in 1618’. ‘The structure may have been sited originally on the open space in front of the Old School and that it was a ‘Preaching Cross’. Certainly a junction of trackways near to the church is likely to have been of importance and the County History says of the present Market Place: ‘This forms a second and later village centre’. Or it might have been part of a monument to someone, or perhaps a boundary marker. These are all uses to which roughly similar objects have been put – and identified – in other places’.