Churchyard cross in St David's churchyard

Reasons for Designation

A standing cross is a free standing upright structure, usually of stone, mostly erected during the medieval period (mid 10th to mid 16th centuries AD). Standing crosses served a variety of functions. In churchyards they served as stations for outdoor processions, particularly in the observance of Palm Sunday. Elsewhere, standing crosses were used within settlements as places for preaching, public proclamation and penance, as well as defining rights of sanctuary. Standing crosses were also employed to mark boundaries between parishes, property, or settlements. A few crosses were erected to commemorate battles. Some crosses were linked to particular saints, whose support and protection their presence would have helped to invoke. Crosses in market places may have helped to validate transactions. After the Reformation, some crosses continued in use as foci for municipal or borough ceremonies, for example as places for official proclamations and announcements; some were the scenes of games or recreational activity. Standing crosses were distributed throughout England and are thought to have numbered in excess of 12,000. However, their survival since the Reformation has been variable, being much affected by local conditions, attitudes and religious sentiment. In particular, many cross-heads were destroyed by iconoclasts during the 16th and 17th centuries. Less than 2,000 medieval standing crosses, with or without cross-heads, are now thought to exist. The oldest and most basic form of standing cross is the monolith, a stone shaft often set directly in the ground without a base. The most common form is the stepped cross, in which the shaft is set in a socket stone and raised upon a flight of steps; this type of cross remained current from the 11th to 12th centuries until after the Reformation. Where the cross-head survives it may take a variety of forms, from a lantern-like structure to a crucifix; the more elaborate examples date from the 15th century. Much less common than stepped crosses are spire-shaped crosses, often composed of three or four receding stages with elaborate architectural decoration and/or sculptured figures; the most famous of these include the Eleanor crosses, erected by Edward I at the stopping places of the funeral cortege of his wife, who died in 1290. Also uncommon are the preaching crosses which were built in public places from the 13th century, typically in the cemeteries of religious communities and cathedrals, market places and wide thoroughfares; they include a stepped base, buttresses supporting a vaulted canopy, in turn carrying either a shaft and head or a pinnacled spire. Standing crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval customs, both secular and religious, and to our knowledge of medieval parishes and settlement patterns. All crosses which survive as standing monuments, especially those which stand in or near their original location, are considered worthy of protection.

The churchyard cross in St David's churchyard is a good example of a medieval standing cross with a square stepped base and a square socket stone. Situated in a prominent position to the west of the church, it is believed to stand in or near to its original position. Whilst parts of the cross have survived from medieval times, subsequent restoration has resulted in its continued function as a public monument and amenity.

Details

The monument includes a standing stone cross, located approximately 12m to the west of St David's Church. The cross, which is Listed Grade II, is of stepped form and is medieval in origin with some later additions. The cross takes the form of a base of four steps and a socket stone, the shaft, the knop and the head.

The steps are square in plan and constructed of sandstone blocks. The bottom step is 3.48m square. All four steps are between 0.31m and 0.34m in height. The socket stone is a single sandstone block 0.57m high and 0.85m square, its top edges bevelled to form a smaller square. An inscription on the north face states that the cross was `Restored in 1870 by Public Subscription'. A shallow triangular-headed niche of post-medieval date, cut into the east face of the socket stone, is believed to have been the setting for a bronze plaque known to have existed up until the 1970s. The plaque bore the inscription `This cross after long neglect was restored by the care and carved by the hand of John Tournay Parsons for 28 years Vicar of this parish, In love unwearied, in labours abundant, he rested July 23, 1878'. Set into the socket stone is a stone shaft, square at the base and tapering upwards through chamfered corners to an octagonal section. This is surmounted by a decorative knop and head. The shaft, knop and head are all modern additions.

The gravestones to the east, south and north west of the cross are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 1 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:

29853

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Seaton, W B, History of the Deanery of Archenfield, (1903), 26
Marples, B, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club in The Niche in Medieval Churchyard Crosses, Vol. 40, (1972), 324

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