Wayside cross 200m north west of Trethew

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 200m north west of Trethew survives reasonably well, despite the loss of its shaft. It is a good example of a wheel headed cross which remains close to its original location on a church path from Luxulyan to Lanlivery. It therefore maintains its function as a waymarker, demonstrating well the major role of such wayside crosses and the longevity of such routes.

Details

The monument includes a medieval wayside cross situated by the side of a church path to the south west of Lanlivery. The wayside cross, which is Listed Grade II, survives as a granite round `wheel' head with a short section of shaft set into a round granite base. The overall height of the monument is 0.74m. The principal faces are orientated east-west and both bear a relief equal limbed cross with expanded ends to the limbs with a small raised circle at their intersection. The head and shaft measure 0.67m high, the head is 0.58m wide and 0.19m thick. The shaft measures 0.37m wide and is cemented into a circular base. This base measures 1.19m in diameter and 0.07m high. This cross is located by the side of a church path between Luxulyan to the south west and Lanlivery to the north east, in a field which was called `Cross Mould' on the 1841 Tithe Apportionment Map. The cross head was found in 1900 by the Vicar of Lanlivery. The cross base has remained close to its original location. In 1941 the head was mounted on the base, but since then the head was knocked over and set on the base rather insecurely. In 1988 the cross was re-erected and cemented onto the base. The post and wire fence to the south of the cross, where it falls within the monument's protective margin, is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 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:

31841

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Langdon, A, Stone Crosses in Mid Cornwall, (1994)

Other
Title: 1:25000 Ordnance Survey Map; SX 05/15; St Austell and Fowey Source Date: 1980 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Consulted July 1997, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN No. 5023,
FMW report for CO 250,

End of official list entry

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