The Buttercross

Given to the town by Lord Walpole in 1783, this iconic monument defines the Swaffham of the Georgian period when the gentry from Norfolk and further afield flocked to the town to enjoy the sports of horse racing and hare coursing, cock fighting, cricket and bowls, as well as assemblies, concerts and theatre.

It was a time of prosperity and transformation. Many of the buildings still surrounding the Marketplace date from the Georgian era.

It replaced a previous Market Cross dating from about 1570 located at the northern end of the Marketplace.

A document of 1659 tells us that money for its repair was paid by other Norfolk parishes because the quarter sessions were held there.

That cross was also known as a buttercross because both were collection points for locally produced “Cambridge” butter. About 180,000 gallons of butter a year was sent down to London.

The butter contained more salt than normal to keep it fresh on its long journey via Downham Market and Cambridge.

The figure atop the Buttercross is Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture and the harvest. She holds the horn of plenty under one arm and in her hand a few ears of grain.