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 Ludgvan, on the south coast of west Cornwall. This is one of three crosses
now present in the churchyard.
The wayside cross survives as an upright granite head and shaft. The head has
unenclosed arms, a form called a `Latin' cross, its principal faces orientated
north east-south west. The overall height of the monument is 1.09m. The head
measures 0.45m wide across the side arms: the north west arm is 0.18m high,
the south east arm is 0.21m high and both arms are 0.2m thick. The north west
arm is smaller and is set higher on the shaft than the south east arm. The
upper limb is 0.15m high, 0.2m wide and is 0.17m thick. In the top of this
upper limb is an irregular shaped shallow indentation, 0.02m deep, 0.13m long
and between 0.04m-0.09m wide. The shaft measures 0.73m high and 0.27m wide,
and is 0.22m thick tapering slightly to 0.19m just below the side arms.
The wayside cross was in its present position in the churchyard at Ludgvan in
1896 when the historian Langdon recorded it there. It may be in its original
location as there is no record of it having been moved.
The metal lamp post to the south east of the cross is excluded from the
scheduling but the ground beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28470
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
