This is the tallest cross found in Galloway.

The circular head has a central boss and bosses in the spaces between the expanded arms. Unusually, the shaft is decorated on all four sides. The front and back have two columns of ring twist interlace, and each side has one column.

The Monreith Cross is similar to the ‘Whithorn School’ crosses but is an exceptional monument. It is carved from sandstone, which would have been imported at great effort and expense, possibly from the West Highlands. Sandstone was a more suitable material than local greywacke, allowing for finer detail and higher relief.

The sculptor has shown great skill by varying the size of the rings to take account of the shape of the shaft, creating an impression of consistency. Nevertheless there is a mistake in the interlace in the top right corner.

Uniquely, the Monreith Cross did not come from a religious site. Instead it stood on the court-hill beside the ancient residence of the local lords, the Maxwells. Local justice was dispensed in the shadow of the cross. The remains of two iron rings may suggest that ‘jougs’, an iron chain and collar used to punish wrongdoers, were once attached to the cross.

The cross was broken in the 1600s and has been repaired, but a section of the shaft is missing.