Crosshall cross

The Crosshall Cross is a wheel-head cross near Crosshall Farm, Eccles, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the historic county of Berwickshire. According to a detailed description by Hardy (1882-84, page 366) it is 'One of the best preserved of the ancient historical monuments of the Merse district'.

In earlier days, before the Crosshall Farm was established (sometime between 1797 and 1821), the cross was known as the Eccles Cross due to its proximity to the priory and hamlet of Eccles. The nearest settlement although was Deadriggs, approx. 500 metres to the southwest, which has now completely vanished.

The cross is situated in a field (coordinates: 55°40′22″N 2°22′54″E / 55.672705°N 2.381559°E / 55.672705; 2.381559) close to a road about 350 metres south-west of Crosshall farmhouse and is said to date from the 12th century, after the Second Crusade, 1147-49 CE. It is 452 centimetres (14 ft 10 inches) in height and is thought to commemorate someone who had been to the Holy Land.

The cross shaft is set in a sturdy stone socket which, in turn, is set atop a square base of masonry. On all sides the shaft tapers slightly up to the head. The aptly named wheel-head, an originally Celtic design, is 56 centimetres (1ft 10 inches) in diameter.

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