High Cross, Truro

High Cross is the name of a cobbled plaza in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK,[1] in front of the west face of Truro Cathedral.[2][3] It is at the junction of Pydar Street, King Street, and St Mary's Street.[4]

Not to be confused with High Cross, Constantine.

High Cross

The plaza is extensively dotted with floral hanging baskets during the summer and is the site of Truro's Christmas tree during the festive season.

One building on High Cross has certain significance; the Georgian Assembly Rooms building, a Warrens Bakery store until March 2020,[5] was built in 1789 and was the centre of Truro's high society, containing the Old Assembly Halls and also a theater.[6] There are two busts above the first floor windows, one of the actor and theatrical producer David Garrick, and the other of William Shakespeare.

The cobbles in High Cross were concreted over when Queen Elizabeth II visited the city in the 1970s, and they were restored afterwards.

A multi-storey car park nearby has the name "High Cross".[7] The area has also been noted for its high number of anti-social behaviour incidents.[8]

Celtic cross

At the edge of the square near Pydar Street, there is an ancient, Grade II-listed Celtic cross,[2] unearthed during a development project in the city. A cross in Truro was mentioned in a document of 1290.[2][9] In 1958 during excavations in St Nicholas Street the upper section of a stone cross was found and placed next to the museum.[9]

In 1981 it was erected outside the Marks and Spencer store. After it had been extended with a piece of Hantergantick granite it was re-erected at High Cross in 1988 and dedicated in 1992. It is likely that the cross originally at High Cross was a Gothic latin cross and that this cross was originally a simple wayside cross.[10] In February 2019, it was broken into four pieces after a car crashed into it.[3][11][12] It was restored and, in December 2019, placed back at High Cross.[13]

  • The Assembly Rooms building
  • The ancient Celtic cross opposite the Cathedral

References
  1. "Truro sweet shop returns to roots". The Falmouth Packet. 12 November 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. "Standing cross at High Cross, 30m west of Truro Cathedral". Historic England. 24 July 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  3. "Pedestrians 'flee in panic' as car crashes near Truro Cathedral". BBC. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  4. "Truro Our Great Little City" (Map). Visit Truro. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  5. Matthews, Chris (5 March 2020). "Warrens Bakery to close another Cornish shop". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. Trewhela, Lee (12 March 2020). "The fascinating stories behind 25 of Truro's most historic buildings". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  7. Jenkins, Philippa (18 August 2019). "Police cordon off Truro car park after man's body is discovered". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. Smallcombe, Mike (9 March 2020). "The worst areas for bad behaviour in Cornwall revealed". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  9. Trewhela, Lee (20 February 2019). "Car smashed down monument dating back 700 years in crash which injured man outside Truro Cathedral". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  10. Langdon, A. G. (2002) Stone Crosses in Mid Cornwall; 2nd ed. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; p. 67
  11. Dixon, Matthew (9 January 2020). "Truro's High Cross is restored". The Falmouth Packet. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  12. "900-year-old High Cross is back where it belongs in Truro". Cornwall Council. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  13. McDonald, Gayle (9 January 2020). "Ancient cross back in rightful place after being smashed up in crash outside Truro Cathedral". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 28 March 2020.


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