The cross itself still stands, erected in the late 7th or early 8th century by St Wilfred, Archbishop of York, who travelled through this area with an army of stone cutters erecting crosses at the places he blessed. This 10-foot tall stone pillar, with its badly warn carving of St. Luke standing upon a serpent, was doubtless a powerful symbol for the small Christian community that was sandwiched here between the great Viking strongholds of the Danelaw. The cross may have lost its arms and original cap but it is still a revered symbol of faith, standing in the churchyard of St. Helen’s Parish Church, it is the oldest man-made structure in the county.

St Helen’s Church itself dates back to 1220, when it was consecrated, with a spire added in the 15th century and major renovations carried out in the 16th and 19th centuries. The 1300 East Window is considered a fine example of the German workmanship of the age, and inside there are examples of the fine alabaster carvings for which the region was once renowned. The centre of town where the A52 crosses the high street is curiously named The Roach. This is a corruption of the French roche, meaning rock, for it was here that prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars were put to work cutting stone for the road to Toton. Other sites to look out for include the Arthur Mee Centre, named after a famous local journalist, which has regular showing of it students art works and the old Methodist Chapel on Wesley Place, which John Wesley himself laid the foundation stone for in 1782.

On the edge of town is Stapleford Hill, which rises to an awe-inspiring 110 feet and is still pockmarked from hand-grenade practice carried out here by the Home Guard during WWII. The hill’s main attraction is the Hemlock Stone, a sandstone monolith weathered down to a curious and sinister shape. Local legend tells of a demon living at Stoney Clouds who was kept awake at night by the incessant praying of the friars of the nearby Lenton Abbey. Unable to issue a social disorder notice against these nuisance neighbour he took matters into his own hands throwing a lump of rock intended to crush the abbey that fell someway short and has stood here ever since. It is believed that the rock played an important part in the rituals of fire carried out by the ancient druids on the eve of Beltane (May 1st). More recent celebrations include a barbecue held here in 1810 to celebrate the golden jubilee of King George III and a beacon was lit on top in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the current Queen Betty.

Stapleford with its twin ancient monuments is well worth a visit if you are passing through the area.