Listed Building record MDO11039 - Village Cross in Churchyard 4m NE of Parish Church Chancel, Puncknowle

Village Cross with plinth. c.Late C15. Stone. Square base plinth. Small square plinth with chamfered corners with inverted cushion- stops. Octagonal tapering shaft with pyramid stops, and double- moulded capping at top of shaft.

The 15th century cross in Puncknowle churchyard has an octagonal shaft with moulded cappings to a square base and two steps. There may possibly have been a third step, now buried, and it probably had at one time a canopied head. It formerly stood in the village. <2-3>

The socket stone is 1.1m square and 0.5m high, chamfered to an octagonal form at the top. It is set upon two steps, one of which is at ground level. Probing for the third step was inconclusive. The octagonal shaft in 3.7m high, with an iron spike in the top. This churchyard cross would seem to be 'in situ'. <4>

According to tradition the cross formerly stood at the juction of Rectory Lane with the High Street, where the wide road was probably the site of the village green. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1902 (Map). SWX1197.

(SY 53518865) Cross (NR)

<2> Pope, A, 1906, Old Stone Crosses of Dorset, 84-5 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1408.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 190 (Monograph). SDO97.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 12-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Bailey, C J, 1982, The Bride Valley : the story of the past, with photographs of the present, 74 (Monograph). SWX1298.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450508 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 29 2023 7:47AM