Mercat Cross

The mercat cross or market cross was a place where merchants would gather and also a focal point for proclamations and public executions. The cross used to stand nearby in the middle of the High Street but was regarded as an obstruction to traffic and was removed in 1756. An hexagonal pattern of sets show where it once stood. This replica was erected in 1885, the work being paid for by William Gladstone, Prime Minister and MP for Midlothian.The cross is still used as a site for Royal proclamations, normally three days after the proclamation is made in London – thus reflecting the time it would have taken a horseman to make the journey.