Cluelow Cross can be found on the A54 Congleton to Buxton road at the back of Fourways motel before you get to the small hamlet of Allgreave in the Staffordshire Moorlands, U.K. It is called a cross but bears no resemblance to one, it can be found on the top of a man made mound which is now covered by trees.
A view of the man made mound covered with trees hiding Cluelow Cross. Photo by Gary Tacagni.
The mound is question is thought to be a burial mound, and some small excavation has taken place in the past which revealed a skeleton and some pottery. Many theories have been put forward as to the purpose of this strange standing stone, however after talking to local author Frank Parker his theory seems to make the most sense.
Is this an ancient fertility shaft? Photo by Gary Tacagni.
Frank puts forward the theory that this has been used as a phallic fertility stone in the past by women wishing to conceive, in fact in Celtic the word Clurow means "to rub" so perhaps Celtic women used this shaft along with others very similar in Macclesfield park and also St Edwards Church at leek to try to become pregnant. They would proceed to walk around the base of the shaft rubbing it in the hope that it would increase the chances of conception. Probably the nearest analogy these days is sometimes you get a chair in a supermarket checkout till in which female cashiers always seem to fall pregnant after sitting on.
Wear can be seen around the base of the shaft, have these been made by countless feet? Photo by Gary Tacagni.
The nearby town of Leek is thought to have acquired its name after a spring of water from a hillside, however another school of thought is of the opinion that it is from the Celtic word "Lech", which means hiding place or sanctuary. Leek and the surrounding area would have been heavily forested back in those days, is that the reason that these stone shafts were hidden in this dense woodland and perhaps used in religious ceremonies dedicated to the Old Religions, not keeping with Christian values and beliefs, and maybe that is the reason that many have been Christianised by having crosses carved on them. Perhaps the purpose of these strange shafts will always remain an enigma, but their presence in this diverse and wonderful countryside only adds to the mysteries that can be found here.
These three stone shafts can be found in the unlikely location of a childs playground in West Park, Macclesfield. Originally they were located in Macclesfield Forest and moved here for some unknown reason. Photo by Gary Tacagni.
Is this also a fertility shaft? It bears a strong resemblance to the other four shafts and can be found in the churchyard of St Edwards church in Leek. Photo by Gary Tacagni.
