Wayside cross in Lelant Lane, 670m north west of St Uny's Church

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.

The medieval wayside cross in Lelant Lane survives reasonably well, despite the loss of its upper limb. It is a good example of an uncommon `Latin' cross type, and is a rare example of a `Latin' cross with a figure of Christ motif. It remains in its original position on its original route on the road from Lelant to St Ives, continuing its original function as a waymarker demonstrating well the major role of such wayside crosses.

Details

The monument includes a medieval wayside cross situated on the top of a hedge in Lelant Lane, west Cornwall. The wayside cross, which is Listed Grade II, survives as an upright granite head and shaft mounted on a modern granite base. The head has unenclosed arms, a form called a `Latin' cross, its principal faces orientated north east-south west. The head and shaft measure 0.64m high, and the head measures 0.43m wide across the side arms. The upper limb is missing, and the edges of the side limbs are chamfered, as are the edges of the shaft which measures 0.19m wide. There is a relief figure of Christ with outstretched arms along the side limbs; the tunic and legs extend down the shaft. The shaft is cemented in to a modern rectangular granite base measuring 0.74m north west-south east by 0.62m north east-south west and is 0.2m high. On the base is a metal plaque recording the re-erection of the cross by the St Ives Old Cornwall Society in 1964. This cross was first recorded at the end of the 19th century as being built into the hedge, it became buried in the hedge in the early part of the 20th century but was rediscovered in 1956 and the St Ives Old Cornwall Society restored and re-erected it in its present location. The plaque states that the cross is believed to date from around 900 AD, but the style of the cross, the chamfered edges to the limbs and shaft suggest a later medieval date. The fire hydrant sign, the fire hydrant supply pipe and its cover to the south east of the cross where they fall within the monuments protective margin and are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

31830

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Langdon, A G, Stone Crosses of West Penwith, (1997)
Langdon, A G, Old Cornish Crosses, (1896)

Other
Title: 1:25000 Ordnance Survey Map; SW 33/43/part 53; Pathfinder 1364 Source Date: 1989 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

End of official list entry

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