Reasons for Designation
Wayside crosses are one of several types of Christian cross erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. In addition to serving the function of reiterating and reinforcing the Christian faith amongst those who passed the cross and of reassuring the traveller, wayside crosses often fulfilled a role as waymarkers, especially in difficult and otherwise unmarked terrain. The crosses might be on regularly used routes linking ordinary settlements or on routes which might have a more specifically religious function, including providing access to religious sites for parishioners and funeral processions. Wayside crosses vary considerably in form and decoration but several regional types have been identified. The Cornish wayside crosses form one such group. The commonest type includes a round, or `wheel', head on the faces of which various forms of cross were carved. The design was sometimes supplemented with a relief figure of Christ. Less common forms include the `Latin' cross, where the cross-head itself is shaped within the arms of an unenclosed cross and, much rarer, the simple slab with a low-relief cross on both faces. Over 400 crosses of all types are recorded in Cornwall. Wayside crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval routeways, settlement patterns and the development of sculptural traditions and their survival is somewhat differential because of periods of religious turbulence during the Reformation when many were subject to damage or partial destruction by iconoclasts. Following restoration, the wayside cross 170m north of Trevilley survives well and its decoration is particularly significant. It is one of only two Cornish crosses which actually depict the crucifixion of Christ and as such is particularly rare.
Details
The monument includes a wayside cross, situated by a path approximately halfway between the settlements of Trevilley and Trevescan. The cross, known locally as 'Trevilley Cross', was once in three separate pieces. The base was recovered in 1979 and the head and shaft, previously repaired then subsequently broken, have now been fully restored. The decorated wheel-head, chamfered rectangular-section shaft and socket stone now stand beside a hedge and attain a height of approximately 1.7m in a field called 'Park an Grouse' on the Tithe Map. The cross head is decorated on one side with a Latin cross in relief and on the other with the figure of Christ on the cross in relief.
The cross is Listed Grade II (69867).
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
CO 760
Legacy System:
RSM - OCN
End of official list entry
