Buttercross

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File:Oakham Buttercross.jpg
A buttercross in Oakham
File:Whittlesy buttercross.jpg
The 17th-century buttercross in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire.
File:Butter Market, Market Place, Barnard Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1392297.jpg
Barnard Castle Market Cross
File:Buttercross Westgate Mansfield.jpg
Buttercross Monument in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

A buttercross, butter cross or butter market cross is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. The name originates from the fact that the crosses were located in market places, where people would gather to buy locally produced butter and other dairy products.[1][2] The fresh produce was laid out and displayed on the circular stepped bases of the cross.

Their design varies from place to place, but they are often covered by some type of roof to offer shelter. The roofs were generally added at a much later date than the construction of the original cross.

Known buttercrosses

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Examples from most parts of England include:

References

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  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  • Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons