Maxwellton Cross lies towards the south-west of the town, and is infamous locally as being the location where the remains of the seven executed witches were disposed of. It is just yards away from the Gallow Green, where the hangings and burnings took place in June 1697. Today the site is marked with a memorial plaque, which unfortunately is difficult to inspect at most times of the day given that it sits in the middle of a busy traffic junction.

Superstitious beliefs meant that the remains of a witch could be seen as being potentially dangerous to the living, as the spirit of the deceased could come back to threaten those left behind. Therefore containing the dangerous spirit was very important for many people. This is where the crossroad becomes symbolic, as popular folklore advanced the theory that the multiple directions of the crossroad would confuse the spirit, thus trapping it for ever. 

It is unlikely that the Church would have advocated such superstitious practices, with many clergymen likely to believe that such thoughts were themselves corrupt and irreligious. However it is also unlikely that the Church would have entertained the remains of a witch being disposed of on their grounds, or any burial site where Christians reposed. Some time later, a horseshoe was placed atop the site. It is said that this was done in order to offer extra protection to the local community, given the curses thrown upon the town and its people by two of the witches before they were hanged.