Wayside cross known as Jenny Bradley 1000m north west of Bloworth Crossing on Greenhow Moor

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 having a more specifically religious function, including those providing access to religious sites for parishioners and funeral processions, or marking long-distance routes frequented on pilgrimages. Over 350 wayside crosses are known nationally, concentrated in south west England throughout Cornwall and on Dartmoor where they form the commonest type of stone cross. A small group also occurs on the North York Moors. Relatively few examples have been recorded elsewhere and these are generally confined to remote moorland locations. Outside Cornwall almost all wayside crosses take the form of a `Latin' cross, in which the cross-head itself is shaped within the projecting arms of an unenclosed cross. In Cornwall wayside crosses vary considerably in form and decoration. The commonest type includes a round, or `wheel', head on the faces of which various forms of cross or related designs were carved in relief or incised, the spaces between the cross arms possibly pierced. The design was sometimes supplemented with a relief figure of Christ and the shaft might bear decorative panels and motifs. Less common forms in Cornwall include the `Latin' cross and, much rarer, the simple slab with a low relief cross on both faces. Rare examples of wheel-head and slab-form crosses also occur within the North York Moors group. Most wayside crosses have either a simple socketed base or show no evidence for a separate base at all. Wayside crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval religious customs and sculptural traditions and to our knowledge of medieval routeways and settlement patterns. All wayside crosses which survive as earth- fast monuments, except those which are extremely damaged and removed from their original locations, are considered worthy of protection.

The wayside cross known as Jenny Bradley survives well in spite of weathering and the loss of part of the shaft and the head. It is in its original position on the side of a medieval packhorse way from Baysdale Abbey. The cross gives us insight into the management of the landscape and the transport routes, as well as the religious attitudes of the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes a wayside cross known as Jenny Bradley on Greenhow Moor. It stands beside the old packhorse way from Baysdale Abbey southwards to Ryedale. A portion of the original trod or paved way can be seen close by. This route is parallelled by the present Cleveland Way.

The cross survives as a cross base and part of the shaft. Both are in the original position and are dated to the late medieval period. The base is square and measures 0.65m by 0.65m and is 0.15m high. A socket hole is also square and measures 0.31m by 0.31m. The square shaft sits in the hole and is 0.28m by 0.28m. It is undecorated and stands 1.08m high. There are traces of rough dressing on the south face of the shaft.

Immediately to the west of the cross is a large Feversham boundary stone dated 1883. This stone is not included in the scheduling nor is the metalled surface of the bridlepath 1m to the east of the cross but the ground beneath the cross, boundary stone, and bridlepath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

25664

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hayes, R H, Old Roads and Pannierways in North East Yorkshire, (1988), 84

End of official list entry

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