Work has started to clear and repair the remains of Howden’s Market Cross after a 4x4 crashed into the historic landmark last month, scattering stonework across the town’s cobbled Market Place.

Photos from the scene showed a Range Rover left straddling the cross’s base, with sections of the structure broken apart on the ground. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said loose pieces of masonry from the cross, carved in 1909, and part of the base, which dates back to the medieval period, have now been removed and taken away for repair by a stonemason. The council said the material will be “stored securely off site,” and that repair work will not take place until spring.

For mason contractors and restoration crews, the early stages of a job like this look less like demolition and more like careful salvage. Councillor David Howard, who represents the Howden ward, compared the process to rebuilding a large set of Lego or a jigsaw. He said the work requires taking away each stone individually and then rebuilding the cross. He added the top two tiers were pushed forward by about 2.5 feet, or 0.7 meter, and they need to be removed, cleaned, and replaced.

Howard said the goal is to reuse as much surviving material as possible when the cross is rebuilt, describing it as a focal point in the heart of the town. Residents who spoke about the damage said they want the cross repaired and returned to how it looked before the crash. Heavy lifting equipment has already been used to load large pieces of masonry onto a truck as the recovery begins.

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