Reasons for Designation
High crosses, frequently heavily decorated, were erected in a variety of
locations in the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries AD. They are found
throughout northern England with a few examples further south. Surviving
examples are of carved stone but it is known that decorated timber crosses
were also used for similar purposes and some stone crosses display evidence of
carpentry techniques in their creation and adornment, attesting to this
tradition. High crosses have shafts supporting carved cross heads which may be
either free-armed or infilled with a 'wheel' or disc. They may be set within
dressed or rough stone bases called socles. The cross heads were frequently
small, the broad cross shaft being the main feature of the cross.
High crosses served a variety of functions, some being associated with
established churches and monasteries and playing a role in religious services,
some acting as cenotaphs or marking burial places, and others marking routes
or boundaries and acting as meeting places for local communities. Decoration
of high crosses divides into four main types: plant scrolls, plaiting and
interlace, birds and animals and, lastly, figural representation which is the
rarest category and often takes the form of religious iconography. The carved
ornamentation was often painted in a variety of colours though traces of these
pigments now survive only rarely. The earliest high crosses were created and
erected by the native population, probably under the direction of the Church,
but later examples were often commissioned by secular patrons and reflect the
art styles and mythology of Viking settlers.
Several distinct regional groupings and types of high cross have been
identified, some being the product of single schools of craftsmen. There are
fewer than 50 high crosses surviving in England and this is likely to
represent only a small proportion of those originally erected. Some were
defaced or destroyed during bouts of iconoclasm during the 16th and 17th
centuries. Others fell out of use and were taken down and reused in new
building works. They provide important insights into art traditions and
changing art styles during the early medieval period, into religious beliefs
during the same era and into the impact of the Scandinavian settlement of the
north of England. All well-preserved examples are identified as nationally
important.
Details
The monument includes a late tenth/early eleventh century Anglo-Scandinavian
high cross shaft, a tenth century Anglo-Scandinavian cross head, and the socle
or base of a high cross shaft, all of which are located in the churchyard to
the south of St Michael and All Angels Church, Muncaster. The cross shaft is
constructed of red sandstone and is rectangular in cross section tapering
towards the top. It is 1.03m high, measures 0.41m wide by 0.17m thick at its
base, and is set into a modern sandstone base. The shaft is decorated on all
four sides, with each side being divided into two panels. The upper panel,
which is decorated differently on each face, occupies the greater length of
the shaft and is bordered laterally by a roll moulding. The lower panel
depicts a step pattern decoration on all faces. The broad west face is largely
decorated with ring-chain carving; the east face depicts a broad six-strand
plain plait carving; the south face has a broad simple twist decoration, and
the north face has a broad two-strand twist decoration. A small fragment at
the top of the shaft suggests the cross head was circular.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23783
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
