Skip to content

Market Crosses of Derbyshire #12 ~ Dronfield Event Cache

This cache has been archived.

WHyvNa: Thanks to everyone who came along to this & my other events throughout the year. Without out you all they wouldn't have been such a success. 😊

More
Hidden : Sunday, December 15, 2024
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


This is the twelfth & final in a series of events to highlight some of the market crosses that can be found within Derbyshire, with this one taking us to the town of Dronfield.

Market Crosses date from as early as the 7th Century & examples can still be found in over 200 towns & villages within Britain. They were used to simply denote a place where a market or fair would be held. But this required a charter to have been granted, normally by a monarch, bishop or baron. Originally simple structures often made from wood, these developed into a variety of designs including stone obelisks or spires as well as intricately carved crosses. Sometimes large & elaborate covered structures were built. Unfortunately, many have not survived & some remain only partially intact. In several places the remains of the market cross can be found in the local churchyard.

Dronfield Market Cross is actually a memorial to Sir Robert Peel, erected at a cost of £52 in 1854 to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. It replaced the market cross which had previously been positioned on this spot, along with the stocks. The memorial was built from gritstone to resemble an ornate market cross itself & continues to be referred to as a market cross by many, which is why I have included it in this series. Dronfield was granted a royal charter for a market in 1662. This was held on Thursdays with stalls stretching down the High Street but by the 18th Century it had fallen out of favour due to the proximity of the markets in Chesterfield & Sheffield. 

This short event will give us an opportunity to meet up safely outside for some geochat & to swap trackables in hopefully peaceful & beautiful surroundings. Hopefully the attributes I have added will not be necessary! With the cross itself in the middle of a road junction, we will probably gather on the steps of the nearby Peel Building. I have added a parking waypoint for the Civic Centre, which has free parking. There are several caches in the area if you haven't found them previously. There may even be a new cache published for the occasion...

Additional Hints (No hints available.)