Lilla Cross

The cross is located is on a hilltop known as Lilla's Howe, 959 feet (292 m) above sea level.^[2][3] This is a burial mound beside an old track known as Old Wife's Trod.^[4] Several paths met at Lilla Howe as the cross became a waymarker,^[5] especially for those trying to get overland from Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay to Pickering, (the path of the A169 road not being built until 1759).^[3] The Old Salt Road, and the Pannierman's Way both intersected at the cross, and the cross marked the meeting point of four ancient parishes, and the edge of ownership of Whitby Abbey.^[6] Currently, the Lyke Wake Walk goes past the site of the cross, but the amount of walkers undermines the peat, destabilising the cross, and both the cross and the walk need regular maintenance.^[7][8]

One of the stories for the cross is that of Lilla, a thegn of King Edwin of Northumbria, who is said to have prevented his master from being assassinated, and in doing so, was killed instead.^[9] He was believed to have been buried under Lilla's Howe in 626, with the cross marking the spot.^[10] Another part of the legend is that Lilla was a Christian, and so impressed with Lilla's behaviour, Edwin became a Christian too, being baptised by St Paulinus, and placing the cross on Lilla's grave to mark his resting place and sacrifice.^[11] Certain items of gold and silver dug up from beneath the Howe by the cross, were destroyed by enemy action in Liverpool in May 1942.^[12]

The original cross is known to have been placed there in the 7th century,^[13] however, the current cross is believed to date from the 10th century,^[14] and so is the oldest one of its type on the North York Moors.^[15] It was first mentioned in a document concerning a boundary charter from 1109. One section refers to Lilla Cros and another to Lillahou Cross. The gold and silver found underneath the cross, and the design of the cross itself, have been noted to be of a "post-conquest style".^[16]

In 1952, Fylingdales Moor became a military training area, so the cross was moved to Simon Howe to keep it from harm.^[17] After the military had finished training there, the cross was replaced in its original position.^[18] As it is quite close to the warning station of RAF Fylingdales (the cross is on the boundary of MoD land),^[19] contrasts have been drawn between the two structures, which are quite close to one another.^[20]

The cross is 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high and is styled in a "Maltese form". It marked the traditional boundaries for the parishes of Fylingdales, Goathland, Lockton and Allerston.^[21] A letter G is carved on the north side, and a letter C on the south side; both annotating parish markers.^[6] The war memorial in Goathland village, some 5 miles (8 km) to the west, is a replica of the Lilla Cross.^[22][23]

• Elliot, Albert (2018). "33: 1955 Lilla Cross on Fylingdales Moor". The History Tree; Moments in a Lifetime of a Memorable Tree. Danby: North Yorkshire Moors Association. ISBN 9780956577955.
• Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan Goathland (PDF). northyorkmoors.org.uk (Report). November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
• Raistrick, Arthur (1966). North York Moors;. London: H.M.S.O. ISBN 0117004855.
• Walker, Peter N. (1988). Murders and mysteries from the North York Moors. London: Hale. ISBN 0709035101.

• Images of the cross and path