Spot the difference

I blipped this same view a year ago, almost to the day, trying to capture the broad sweep of the main Appleby street. Today I did not have those enthusiastic posers, but it is also obvious that the cross has changed colour. 

Low Cross and the one at the top of the street, High Cross, marked the boundary of the market. In days gone by the right of a town to hold fairs and markets was very important and Appleby guarded the right zealously, as it brought money into the town from the surrounding area. Although the whole area between the crosses was used as a market place, High Cross specifically marked the site of the Cheese Market, whilst Low Cross was the site of the Butter Market. In fact the Cloisters at the entrance to the Church, and in which I was standing to take the photo, were provided to shelter the butter and those who sold it. 

Since I took the previous photo, and for months now, the two crosses have been covered with scaffolding whilst work to restore the structures was taking place. In the last few days the scaffolding has been removed to reveal the work. Apparently the idea was to remove the layers of paint and restore them to their natural state, which is presumably to the original sandstone.  It looks a bit stark a the moment, but will obviously weather as time goes by.