The Poultry Cross

The Poultry Cross is a Grade I listed structure located at the junction of Minster and Silver Streets, dating back to the 14th century. It is a hexagonal open arched shelter supported by buttressed piers that feature intricate carvings and panelled pinnacles. The arches are flat and segmental in shape, with a moulded design that includes a drip turned up at the point over the centre rind, beneath a carved niche with a pinnacle.

A central stone shaft rises through a lead roof and was originally topped with a sundial block. In the 19th century, a local stonemason, inspired by a similar cross in Chichester, added a series of flying buttresses that converge at the centre, covering the sundial. This upper addition is well-crafted and features a hexagonal block with a niche on each face, topped with a pinnacle and cross. The original square of stone seats that surrounded the cross has been removed, although drawings in the museum show its original state.

The Poultry Cross, along with Nos 36 to 52 (even), forms a group, and No 36 also groups with Nos 1 to 17 (odd) on Minster Street, with the rear elevations of these buildings forming a group with those of Nos 36 to 52 (even) and with St Thomas's Church in St Thomas's Square.