Headless Cross


One of our group was born at Headless Cross in 1929, she recalls a tale of how the name came into being. The area was at one time totally within the Parish of Shotts. The current Headless Cross we know today is a crossroads with one farm on the A71 Edinburgh/Ayr road, the crossing road leads approx North to Fauldhouse and South to the village of Climpy and further on to the town of Forth. Immediately North West is the farm of Knowton which in old parish registers it was known as Knowknoble. The area to the West is adjacent to Muldron Moor which was a notorious meeting place for the Covenanters.

		Cathie recalls a story of how a man was captured and killed at headless Cross, by who or why we do not know (yet), and it is believed his name was CROSS. It is said that someone asked where is this place and a remark was made as Headless CROSS. Cathie can remember the roughly hewn flat stone and an inscription that was very weathered and unreadable. As a girl, she remembers visiting neighbours at Caussie Hill. Their names were Tweedie and McCurdy and they often spoke about this man and the story.


We do not know if there is any truth in this story, however we have also consulted with the present farmer working at Headless Cross (Hamish Munroe) who remembers the roughly hewn stone in a square of Hawthorn trees in the area of where there was a farm known as Mains near the Headless Cross mine, about 1 mile from South of the Crossroads. He cannot remember seeing any inscription on the Stone but clearly the small area had been arranged with a purpose.


		Open cast mining has been going on in this area for some years and as far as Hamish knows, the area of land was cleared for mining and nothing was done to preserve the area or the stone. Unless you can tell us to the contrary. If you can add anything to this tale please get in touch with us.


					01/05/20001