Monument record MDR7783 - Memorial, Staveley Lane, Staveley

The ‘monument’ is a rectangular stone with a roughly carved Maltese/wheel cross on one face at the top. There are inscriptions on the face facing the road and on the right face. The inscription on the right face reads: 'In memoriam. The Guild of St. John the Baptist, Staveley and other Friends', and there is a small carving of a cross in a circle above. The stone has been the subject of a series of articles in local newspapers over the years. Interpretations vary, from being the spot where a priest fell from his horse and died to being a marker stone for a suicide’s grave. In 1977 the stone was certainly intact and highly visible, although it was deeply buried. By 1980 the verge was heavily overgrown and the stone was well hidden. It had also suffered a blow to the top surface, damaging part of the cross. The same blow may have resulted in a lateral break across the stone. At some time after this the stone was lifted out of the ground, repaired and reinstated. The inscription facing the road only became visible when the stone was lifted out of the ground. The inscription is not easily legible. There may be a small cross in a circle, similar to the one on the right hand face, below the inscription. If uncared for it will remain highly vulnerable, particularly to vehicle damage, mechanised hedge trimming and/or grass cutting. (1)