Northamptonshire's tributes to medieval Queen Eleanor due to be restored

Hardington's Eleanor Cross Credit: ITV Anglia

When English Queen Eleanor died in 1290, husband, King Edward I marked the funeral route to London with twelve elaborate monuments. Two of the three remaining 'Eleanor Crosses' are in Northamptonshire. Northampton Borough Council have announced that a cross in Hardingstone is to be restored.

Queen Eleanor's tomb in Lincoln Cathedral Credit: ITV Anglia

Queen Eleanor's tomb lies in Lincoln cathedral. Cathedral guide Doreen Boughton believes that by spreading tombs and monuments across the country, King Edward attempted to share his grief with the country.

"He decided that her visceral remains or her intestines were put in Lincoln cathedral. Her head is at Blackfriars and her heart is buried at Westminster Abbey."

Hardingstone's Eleanor Cross Credit: ITV Anglia

The three remaining crosses are in Northamptonshire (Geddington, Hardingstone) and Hertfordshire (Waltham Cross). The Geddington cross is regarded as the best preserved.