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.
Details
The monument includes a medieval wayside cross situated within the churchyard
at Lansallos, on the south east coast of Cornwall.
The wayside cross survives as an upright granite head and shaft standing to a
height of 0.8m. The cross-head has unenclosed arms, a form called a `Latin'
cross, its principal faces orientated east-west. The head measures 0.74m wide
across the side arms, each of which are 0.27m wide and 0.16m thick. The upper
limb extends 0.27m high above the side limbs and is 0.34m wide expanding to
0.48m wide, the top tapering in to 0.43m wide. There is a shallow slot, 0.04m
deep and 0.09m long by 0.07m wide in the top of the head. The shaft is 0.28m
wide and 0.17m thick. Each principal face is decorated with an incised Latin
cross which extends down the length of the shaft.
The wayside cross is situated to the west of the church at Lansallos. It was
found lying in a field 200m to the north west of the church; the historian
Langdon recorded it in this position. In 1919 the cross was moved to the
churchyard and erected in its present position. It has been suggested that the
cross marked the parish boundary on a footpath from Lansallos to Lanteglos by
Fowey.
The grave with its headstone and surrounding kerb to the east of the cross and
the grave with its headstone and surrounding kerb to the north west where they
lie within the protective margin around the cross, are excluded from the
scheduling but the ground beneath is included.
This cross is Listed Grade II.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28465
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
