Eleanor of Castile as depicted in Cassell's History of England (c.1902)

Eleanor was born in the Los Heulgas Abbey in Burgos, Spain in 1244. She was one of the many children of Ferdinand III King of Castile and Leon. At this same Abbey in 1254 she married Edward, who on the death of Henry III was to become Edward I, the most powerful of all the Plantagenet Kings. He was 15 and she was 9.

Although the match was made for political reasons their relationship became unusually close and she travelled everywhere with Edward and even accompanied him on a four year crusade. Their marriage resulted in eleven children born between 1264 and 1284.

History records that both stayed on many occasions at their royal palace at Geddington attending the church (originally Saxon but it was the Norman’s who created the Church we see today) and enjoying hunting on the Chase.

The Eleanor Cross at Geddington

On 28th November 1290, while on her way to join the King in Scotland the Queen was taken gravely ill and died at Harby, Nr Lincoln. Her body was taken to and entombed in Westminster Abbey.

The King was so grief stricken he gave orders that every place where her bier had rested, a cross be erected in her memory. In total there were 12 crosses but today only three remain.

The one at Geddington is in best condition and represents her love for the area and that the beir rested here on 7th December 1290.

To those that came after her she left the Hollyhock that grows in perfusion in Northern Spain. Legend has it that she brought seeds here to remind her of her home land and many now grow wild in the locality.

Our Fire Tender is named Queen Eleanor in honour of her more famous name sake.

More information about Eleanor can be found in the Wikipedia article, Eleanor of Castile.

Map of Eleanor Crosses