Percy Cross on Percy Cross Rigg 850m north east of Oak Tree Farm

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 cross on Percy Cross Rigg is not only a wayside cross which defines the medieval route from Kildale to the upland grazing on Kildale Moor, it is also mentioned in the chartulary of Guisborough Priory in a 13th century deed as one of the markers of the boundary of the monastic lands. The cross survives well in spite of the loss of its shaft and head. The cross gives us insight into the medieval Christian organisation of the landscape and the reverence expected of travellers during this era.

Details

The monument comprises a cross base with the broken remains of the shaft cemented into the socket. It stands on the east side of the road from Percy Cross Farm to the open heathland on Kildale Moor. The road represents the medieval trackway to the upland grazing and the cross is a waymarker for that route. The cross also marks the boundary of the abbey lands of Guisborough Priory and is mentioned in a deed of the 13th century. The base of the cross is of fine gritstone and measures 0.62m on the north side and 0.51m on the west side. It stands 0.44m high above ground. The socket hole measures 0.3m by 0.24m. In this socket is the shaft which is broken off level with the top of the base and sufficiently worn to suggest that it was broken off many years ago. The shaft has an iron pin leaded into the broken shaft and also broken off short. The base is earthfast but the ground has been eroded on the west side by the digging of a drainage ditch beside the road. The base is Listed Grade II.

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:

25666

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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