Ancient Crosses in Cheshire, England

When reading through books on the history of Cheshire, prehistory is often consigned to a couple of pages or a small chapter at most, and in general historians have led us to believe that nothing of real importance occurred in the county until the coming of the Romans. However, upon further investigation it becomes quite clear that there was once, and indeed still is, a rich prehistoric landscape, particularly in the east of the county on the western slopes of the Pennines around Macclesfield and the eastern slopes of the mid-Cheshire Ridge near Delamere.

Christian Symbol in stone, older than 1000AD. Images from the Pagan past co-exist with Christian symbolism on many early cross shafts. Writhing serpents, ancient gods, foliage, rosettes and sun spirals are all to be found alongside strange interpretations of the crucifixion. Leaning broken by a stile or standing proudly in a churchyard, hidden in a tangled hedgerow or high on a bleak moor, these crosses waymark the passage from Paganism to Christianity. Read More