The Celtic Cross on Gibbet Hill is closely related to the reason Gibbet Hill is so called.

Three thieves were executed and their bodies hung on the hill as a warning to others. They murdered an unknown sailor they had befriended in the Red Lion in nearby Thursley. His memorial stone is closeby. Locals began to fear the area so in 1851, Sir William Erle erected this cross to show that it was safe.

JakobusPilger

August 31, 2025

The most typical feature in the design of Celtic crosses is the circle connecting the horizontal and vertical bars. This is sometimes interpreted as a symbol of the sun; in this sense, Celtic crosses are sometimes also called sun crosses. I found the following meditative reflection on this topic while working as a chaplain in the Protestant deanery of Nassauer Land:
"The sun cross is a special symbol of Celtic Christianity. It can become a symbol of spirituality.
+ What you can practice – the horizontal arm of the cross. Your conscious rituals, prayers, quiet moments. The attention you give to the sacred.
+ What happens to you – the vertical arm of the cross. Experiences that touch and transform you. Moments in which you sense something greater than yourself.
+ What gives you interpretation – the circle that encloses both. Words, stories, and traditions that help you understand and share these experiences.
Spirituality connects you to sources of strength that reach deeper than what you can see. For me as a Christian, spirituality is a word for encountering the God who revealed himself in Jesus."

Translated by Google •

Benjamin

February 11, 2023

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Location: Thursley, Waverley, Surrey, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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