Eleanor cross

Eleanor Cross (English: Eleanor cross; Eleanor Cross) is the name for a series of twelve memorial crosses that were set up in England after 1290 between Lincoln and London. The architecture of the crosses had a significant impact on the English Gothic style.

Historical Background

The first wife of King Edward I of England, Eleanor of Castile, died on November 28, 1290 in Harby in Nottinghamshire fever. Her body was first embalmed in Lincoln and then transported to London 's Westminster Abbey. Edward I was at all the places where the procession passed the night, put up a memorial cross ( Eleanor Cross ).

Architecture

The architecture uses based on the ( now defunct) Montjoies that were created in 1271 to mark the funeral procession for Saint Louis from Paris to Saint -Denis, the French Gothic motifs, in particular their pinnacles, gables and crabs. They were designed by a group of architects that have been specially selected for this purpose. The Cross at Charing was carried out by Richard Crundale; five crosses were designed by John of Battle, who was already active in Vale Royal Abbey. The cross in Lincoln created Richard of Stow, who was soon to lead architect of the Fabric in Lincoln was. The cross in West Cheap goes back to Michael of Canterbury, who later worked as a court architect at Westminster Abbey.

Location of the twelve crosses

The twelve crosses were in the following locations: Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Hardingstone in Northampton, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St Albans, Waltham, West Cheap (now Cheapside in London) and Charing (now Charing Cross ) (London ).

The resulting crosses

From the crosses have only the plainest receive. The Cross at Charing Cross is an imitation of the Victorian era. In Dunstable a modern cross was erected.

The northernmost of the crosses was erected at St. Catherine's Monastery in Lincoln; a fragment is located in Lincoln Castle.

From the cross in Stamford Stamford Museum is a fragment preserved.

Fragments of the cross in West Cheap be kept in the Museum of London.

More or less intact are the crosses in Waltham, Geddington and Hardingstone. Is best preserved the cross at Geddington.

The cross in Geddington has a triangular floor plan in a hexagon.

At junction of Hardingstone ( at the corner of delapre Abbey, octagonal ) of the keel arch was first used in England.

The Cross of Waltham was restored several times and the sculptures were in the 1950s partly replaced by replicas. The originals are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.