Cross in the churchyard of St Peter's Church

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.

Despite some 19th century restoration to the upper part of the shaft and the addition of a new cross head, the cross in the churchyard of St Peter retains much medieval fabric. Situated near the south porch of the church, it is believed to stand in or near its original position and limited disturbance around the cross indicates that archaeological deposits relating to the monument's construction are likely to survive intact. The importance of the cross is enhanced by its continued use as a public monument and amenity.

Details

The monument includes a medieval cross which is located immediately south of the porch of St Peter's Church. The remains of the cross, believed to be of 14th century date and constructed of Ham Hill and local stone, include a simple square step, a socket stone, and part of the shaft. The base step is 1 sq m and supports the socket stone which is 0.8 sq m, 0.55m high and has broached corners. The shaft is octagonal in plan with a 0.3 sq m base. The lower 0.95m of the shaft is original and is set into the socket. The upper part of the shaft was restored in 1875 and topped with an ornate cross head. The cross is Listed Grade II. St Peter's Church can trace its history to the 13th century or earlier, and it is known to have been in use as a burial ground since at least the medieval period. The tarmac surface of the viewing area adjacent to the north side of the cross bases is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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:

35704

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Pooley, C, Old Stone Crosses of Somerset, (1877), 94

Other
Somerset SMR 33638,

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