Standing Cross, 8M South-east of St John the Baptist Church
HEATHFIELD, TAUNTON
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1307462
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-1955
- List Entry Name:
- Standing Cross, 8M South-east of St John the Baptist Church
- Statutory Address:
- HEATHFIELD, TAUNTON
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-09-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/08933/18
- Rights:
- © Mr John Chester. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1307462
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-1955
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 06-Sept-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Standing Cross, 8M South-east of St John the Baptist Church
- Statutory Address 1:
- HEATHFIELD, TAUNTON
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- HEATHFIELD, TAUNTON
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Oake
- National Grid Reference:
- ST1600326456
Summary
Standing cross of medieval date; restored c1869.
Reasons for Designation
The medieval standing cross in the churchyard of St John the Baptist Church is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
*Architectural interest: although it is missing its head and has suffered weathering, the cross displays careful detailing in its figurative carvings;
*Historic interest: since it is considered to be in its original position, it illustrates well how some crosses served as foci for religious practices within churchyards in the medieval period;
* Group value: it forms a group with the Church of St John the Baptist, the Spurway Memorial and Manor Farmhouse, which are all Grade II listed.
History
Standing crosses, usually of stone, are free-standing upright structures that were mostly erected during the medieval period. They varied considerably in elaboration, and stood in a variety of locations, to serve a range of functions. Those in churchyards acted as stations for outdoor processions, particularly during Palm Sunday ceremonies. The great majority of standing crosses that survive lost their cross-heads to religious extremists during the C16 and C17. The standing cross in St John the Baptist’s churchyard was erected during the medieval period, and is considered to date from either the C13, when the church was originally built, or the C15. The shaft has a relief carving of a male figure which is considered to possibly be either a Prior of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, former patrons of the church, or a representation of St John the Baptist. The cross was restored in the mid-C19, probably by Devon architect Edward Ashworth, who carried out a major restoration of the church at that time.
Details
Standing cross of medieval date; restored c1869.
MATERIALS and PLAN: carved from sandstone and Hamstone, and octagonal on plan.
DESCRIPTION: the cross comprises an octagonal base of two steps, a square socket stone, and a square shaft; the head is missing. The corners of the socket stone are cut into square angle shafts with caps and fillet moulding. The tapering shaft has bevelled corners and fillet mouldings at the base. It stands to a height of 1.9m where it is broken off. The east face is enriched with a crocketted niche containing a headless male figure in flowing robes standing on an eroded angel corbel. The angel is said to be holding a shield with a wreath below. It was described in the late C19 (Pooley, 1877), but the carvings are now (2016) weathered.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 271023
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pooley, C, Old Stone Crosses of Somerset, (1877)
Websites
History of the Church of St John the Baptist, accessed 1 August 2016 from http://www.deanevalechurches.org/the-church-of-john-the-baptist-history.html
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
The listed building(s) is/are shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 20:08:27.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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