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The Village Cross
At the top end of Victoria Park stands the Tranmere Cross which once marked the entrance to the village of
Tranmere on Church Street. This ancient relic is the last reminder of Tranmere as a medieval village. All
that remains of the cross is the standing column which locals at one time believed to be a sun dial of some
form. The remains of an ancient cross are mentioned in 1833 but various late Victorian authors write
about its disappearance around 1862. The cross was re-discovered in 1935 by a local historian outside
Tranmere New Hall who noted the unusual carving, shaded location and height of the column which did not
seem suitable for a sundial, it looked more like the shaft and base of an ancient cross. It's identity was
finally authenticated as a medieval cross by Mr. G.W. Haswell, an authority on medieval masonry.
At the top end of Victoria Park stands the Tranmere Cross which once marked the entrance to the village of
Tranmere on Church Street. This ancient relic is the last reminder of Tranmere as a medieval village. All
that remains of the cross is the standing column which locals at one time believed to be a sun dial of some
form. The remains of an ancient cross are mentioned in 1833 but various late Victorian authors write
about its disappearance around 1862. The cross was re-discovered in 1935 by a local historian outside
Tranmere New Hall who noted the unusual carving, shaded location and height of the column which did not
seem suitable for a sundial, it looked more like the shaft and base of an ancient cross. It's identity was
finally authenticated as a medieval cross by Mr. G.W. Haswell, an authority on medieval masonry.
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It was eventually
presented to Victoria
Park before the second
world war, mounted on
top of red sandstone
steps to mark the village
entrance to the park.
Close scrutiny of the
stone reveals carvings of
Gargoyles were originally
carved into stone work
during medieval times to
ward off evil spirits. The
Tranmere Cross is
supposed to
commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the
incorporation of
Tranmere Township into
the Borough of
Birkenhead. Various
authorities all agreed
that the column
undoubtedly was a relic
of the ancient cross,
made about 1500, its
original site unknown.
presented to Victoria
Park before the second
world war, mounted on
top of red sandstone
steps to mark the village
entrance to the park.
Close scrutiny of the
stone reveals carvings of
Gargoyles were originally
carved into stone work
during medieval times to
ward off evil spirits. The
Tranmere Cross is
supposed to
commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the
incorporation of
Tranmere Township into
the Borough of
Birkenhead. Various
authorities all agreed
that the column
undoubtedly was a relic
of the ancient cross,
made about 1500, its
original site unknown.
| The Gargoyle Face |
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