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 remains of the churchyard cross at St Peter's Church represent a good
example of a medieval standing cross with a square stepped base. The cross
occupies a prominent position to the south east of the south porch and is
believed to stand in or near its original position. It has not been
significantly restored and has continued in use as a public monument and
amenity.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a standing stone cross located
approximately 5m to the south of the south porch. The cross, which is Listed
Grade II, is medieval in date. It is of stepped form and includes a base of
two steps and a socket stone, part of the shaft and the capital.
The steps are roughly square in plan and are constructed from red sandstone
blocks, similar to those used in the construction of the church, and are
unmortared. The bottom step measures 1.95m east-west by 1.83m north-south. The
socket stone rests on the top step and measures 0.76m square at the bottom,
rising through chamfered corners to a moulded octagon on the surface with a
smaller raised octagon in the centre. The full height of the socket stone is
0.59m. A trefoil headed niche in the west face of the socket stone 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 attached with mortar to
the socket stone and is octagonal in section with a diameter of 0.22m and a
height of 0.78m. On top of the shaft is a circular capital with a moulded
ridge. A square hole in the centre of the capital contains an iron bolt which
is thought to be a `dowel' for attaching the upper section of the shaft,
whilst the capital is thought to be a later addition to the cross. Lead rivets
have been used to secure cracks in the steps and the shaft. The overall height
of the cross is 1.86m.
The gravemarker to the west of the cross and the wall immediately to the north
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.
