THE HEADLESS CROSS.
The Headless Cross is situated about half way between the castle and the site of the old village of high Airth.
It is said to have served as a boundary marker, to mark the limits of monastic land.
The Headless Cross is basically a square stone pillar about 6ft in height. It is the remains of an ancient cross.
There is a booklet called THE MERCAT CROSSES OF AIRTH, with text by Kenneth A Shirra, ( printed and published by the Historic Chapter of the Chivalric Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem The Scottish Knights Templar dated 1996 A.D.), which gives a very good description of both of the crosses in Airth. The Headless Cross, and the Mercat Cross which is situated in the present day village of Airth.
The cross stood abandoned in a field after the villagers moved from High Airth to the site on the lower lying lands. It was reportedly removed from its original site to avoid being damaged as the land was farmed.
When the new housing developement was built up on the site, some local people got the Headless Cross out of storage and it was resited.
The only error in the resiting is that the cross has been resited on the opposite side of the road from its original position.
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