Lesmahagow
Cross(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Lesmahagow
Classification Cross(S) (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Lesmahagow No.2; Lesmahagow, Old Church; Lesmahagow Parish Church
Canmore ID 46472
Site Number NS83NW 1.01
NGR NS 8140 3987
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/46472
- Council South Lanarkshire
- Parish Lesmahagow
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Clydesdale
- Former County Lanarkshire
NS83NW 1.1 814O 3987.
Lesmahagow Priory was granted the right of sanctuary by David I, and four crosses were erected. The top of a wheel-cross, said to be one of these crosses, was found on 18th July 1866 at Milltown (Milton: name NS 815 405) when widening the road some 400 - 500 yds from the church. It lay with its ornamented face downwards, some 12 -15ins below the surface of the footpath. It is now in the churchyard, together with a sculptured Celtic cross-base. (For suggested Celtic abbey, see NS84SE 6).
No traces of the other three sanctuary crosses or of their sites exist. J B Greenshields 1870; J Brit Archaeol Ass 1867; J R Allen and J Anderson 1903.
The cross-head and base were not seen.
Visited by OS(JLD) 24 March 1955.
The cross-head found at Milton is now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) reference NMAS IB 30. It is 18 inches in diameter, the circular head being sculptured in relief on one face.
Information from OS recorder (IF) 23 August 1982.
