History
Mystery marker
The Merkland Cross stands 3m tall. Its shaft and floriated head were carved from a single block of stone. Details suggest it was carved in the 1400s, and it probably still stands on its original site, next to the ancient Roman road into Annandale from Carlisle.
But why the cross was erected here is a mystery. It could have been erected as:
- a marker for a market or meeting place
- a preaching cross
- a memorial
There are several local traditions around the cross. The least implausible says it commemorates the violent death of a member of the Maxwell family.
