Lay or Leeke's Cross commemorated a man buried in Blidworth Church. There is a memorial tablet in the church to Thomas Leeke which is dated 10 years later than his burial is recorded in the register. He was killed in a brawl in 1597. The cross first stood at the cross roads where the parishes of Blidworth, Haywood Oaks, Farnsfield and Oxton meet. An 1898 photo of the cross at Fountain Dale (where it was removed in 1839) shows no steps and only the square base and octagonal plinth appear original; the shaft and head have all the evidences of modern workmanship. A latin inscription upon (the cross) is translated thus "This fragment of the cross reported by the forest dwellers to be the monument of the spot upon which the redoubtable champion, Thomas Leake, met his death in the year 1608 removed from its old position, John Downall, procured to be erected here 04/08/1836". The cross is to be placed in Blidworth churchyard. (2)
The Lay Cross was an important boundary cross when on its original site. The old base was removed from Rufford Road to Blidworth chuchyard in 1836 where it was provided with a shaft and inscription. Shortly after (1839) a puritanical incumbent ejected it and it was taken to Fountain Dale. In 1903 it was returned and set up as a Peace Memorial in the churchyard. (3)
The cross, now in Blidworth churchyard, consists of a socketed base, 0.8m square of local sandstone. The upper part of this base has been cut to a smaller octagonal section into which is fitted a modern octagonal shaft and head. A small plate attached to the N side has the latin inscription translated by (2)… The cross is known locally as Leek's Cross. (6)
Thomas Leek or Leake of Halam was appointed head ranger of Blidworth Forest in 1580. Leek died in single combat after a quarrel at a roadside alehouse in early 1598, and was buried beneath the chancel floor of Blidworth Church on 04/02/1598. (7)
See M2599 for church (containing memorial tablet), M9835 for adjacent headstones, M2856 for original site of cross, M2846 for associated alehouse, M2736 for Langton Lodge where Thomas Leek lived.

Listed buildings slides, (Photograph). SNT2648.

<1> Greenwood, 1826, Map of Notts (Map). SNT731.

<2> Stapleton A, 1903, Notes on the Crosses of Nottingham Past and Present, pp 2 - (Published document). SNT1326.

<3> Stapleton A, 1911, More Notes on the Crosses of Notts, p 177 (Published document). SNT1325.

<4> Cox JC, 1912, Churches of Notts, p 39 (Published document). SNT589.

<5> Groves WH, 1894, History of Mansfield, p 90 (Published document). SNT733.

<6> Woodhouse WC, 1959, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1437.

<7> Thoroton Society, 2003, TTS, p 107 (Serial). SNT1740.