About
At Woodhouse Farm, a mile north of Kirkpatrick Fleming in Annandale, stands one of the best preserved medieval wayside crosses in Scotland. About 3 m tall, its tapering shaft and flower-shaped head are carved from a single block of stone, and its details suggest it was made in the 1400s. It probably stands on its original site, beside the ancient road into Annandale from Carlisle, which follows the line of a Roman road. Why it was set up is a mystery: it may have marked a market or meeting place, served as a preaching cross or stood as a memorial. Local stories abound, and the least unlikely says it marks the violent death of a member of the Maxwell family. Today the old road has become the A74(M), and the cross stands in farmland right beside the motorway, seen from the field edge. HES recommends strong footwear.
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- Merkland CrossOpen at all times
Opening times may change at short notice.
Historic Scotland: 'The Merkland Cross is free to visit and open year-round.' No hours are published. 'Strong footwear recommended.'
The cross stands inside iron railings at the edge of a field, right beside the motorway. No toilets or other facilities.
Photo: The Merkland Cross with its carved flower-shaped head, standing inside curved iron railings in a field. Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merkland_Cross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3137666.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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