Around 300 years ago Burton-in-Kendal was the largest corn market in Westmorland. The village benefitted hugely from its positioning as a mid-point between Lancaster and Kendal and the Market Cross is a commemoration of this. The building of a canal and then a railway nearby both of which bypassed the village made its trade decline. Today, this monument is the only thing that alludes to Burton’s bustling past. The Market Cross was also used for a while as a holding post for criminals who were chained to the tall limestone structure.
