There is an old Saxon Cross in the grounds of St Helen’s which has stone figures carved into it. Some say they represent St Luke and others say an angel. The fact that the Old Stapleford Wakes were on St Luke’s day seem to support the former idea. In the 70s the church was renamed St Luke’s Church (previously it had been known as Moorbridge Lane Mission).
More Information about the Saxon Cross: it is an ancient monument and dates back to 1000 AD. In 1760, after being lost for a long time, it was discovered in the churchyard of St Helen’s. It was set up in a stone base in Church Street but as traffic grew it got in the way and in the late 1920’s it was moved to the churchyard.
The stone ball has been replaced many times. A new one was added in 1820, but it got damaged in a storm. In 2000, to mark the millennium the town replaced the ball again.
“If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication. There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list”