To ask if you know what an Eleanor Cross is?

[HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform]

Without resorting to google?

I was made to feel a bit of an arse for not knowing what it was last night and wanted to know if my education had been lacking of if the guy was being a smug git. And yes, I know the guy was being a smug git for pointing out publicly that I didn't know, but I want to know if its something I should have paid more attention to at school be aware of.

AIBU to ask you if you've heard of it before? And have you?

I agree with Penelope - for me, the point of knowing what Eleanor Crosses are is that it helps us get an emotional grip on history: that the dry facts weren't once just dates and places, they were actual lives, loved by people like us, a woman who died far away from home, a grieving husband who wanted to commemorate his wife, a long journey that took days where it'd now take us hours in a car, craftsmen who were commissioned to build these crosses where the procession stopped. Sure, there were probably political advantages too, but I find it quite hard to imagine what everyday life was like before about 1400 and this sort of thing helps!

Charing Cross, I knew about them because I like reading, but I am forrin, so I do not know if I count.

No I hadn't heard of them and I'm quite interested in that sort of thing. I imagine it's the sort of local history that people who live near one assume everyone knows about. I'm an "expert" on my home town and the town where I live now but wouldn't be at all surprised if someone who didn't live by didn't know about things I did.

Didn't know what they are, have never even heard the term. A quick survey of colleagues in my office in the north reveals i'm not alone.

I do know what a ha-ha is though, do i get any points for that :)

Nope, had no idea what one was (tend to use the back entrance to Charing Cross if I'm in that direction)...

Don't feel embarrassed or unusual for it either - I just haven't ever encountered it. I know lots of other bits of historical knowledge, one person can't know everything.

eek. thought it was something rude. I don't ever know any of those

Yes, and no... I had to google to refresh my memory, but on seeing them I remembered the story I've forgotten most of everything I've ever known, it would seem!

Went through the Queen Eleanor Interchange at Northampton today, which I suppose is near the Northampton one. I've been through there loads of times and never really thought about it so thanks OP. Didn't feel the need to make a detour to see it though.