Churchyard cross in St Michael'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 at St Michael's is a good example of a medieval standing cross with a square stepped base. Situated close to the south east corner of the church, it is believed to stand in or near to its original position. Whilst most of the cross has survived from medieval times, subsequent restoration has enhanced its appearance and resulted in its continual function as a public monument and amenity.

Details

The monument includes a standing stone cross located within the churchyard of St Michael's Church, approximately 7m to the south east of the chancel and 20m to the south east of the south porch. The cross is medieval in origin with modern additions. It includes the base, composed of two steps and a socket stone, the shaft and the head. The upper segment of the shaft and the head are both modern. The steps are square in plan and are constructed of large sandstone blocks. The socket stone rests on the uppermost step and is square to octagonal in plan. It measures 0.75m in diameter by 0.64m in height. A simple pointed niche, 0.37m high by 0.16m wide by 0.1m deep, has been cut into the west face; it is thought to have been carved to hold the Pyx or Holy Water when Mass was celebrated at the cross, or to hold a statue or icon. The shaft is mortised into the socket stone and bonded with lead and modern mortar. The lower 0.65m of the shaft is original, with the upper part being a modern addition. It is square to octagonal in plan, and tapers to an octagonal capital with foliate decoration. The modern head takes the form of a simple crucifix. A commemorative bronze plaque on the east face of the socket stone states that the cross was restored in memory of `the men of the parish who gave their lives in the First World War'. The full height of the cross is approximately 4.1m. The cross is Listed Grade II.

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:

29847

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Marples, B, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club in The Niche in Medieval Churchyard Crosses, Vol. 40, (1972), 321-332

Other
RCHME, An Inventory of the Monuments of Herefordshire, (1932)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry