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Similar Easby Cross, Sandbach Crosses, Bewcastle Cross, Dartmoor crosses, Ardboe High Cross | ||
Legg's cross is an Anglo-Saxon cross in County Durham, England, about 4 miles north of Piercebridge on the Pilgrims' Way (the modern B6275 and the old Roman road of Dere Street). It is a Grade II* listed structure.
The cross is now eroded to an obelisk-like structure, although it once had an inscription reading "LEG", giving rise to the name. It has been suggested that the cross was constructed from Roman masonry (nearby Piercebridge was once the site of a Roman fort) and that the inscription may have originally celebrated the 20th Legion (LEGIONIS). Other theories for the name include the fact that "legge" is the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "boundary." It is also rumoured that James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) rested here with his legs crossed on his way south to claim the English throne.