Listed Building record MDO14314 - Churchyard cross, St Mary's Church, Church Street, Bradford Abbas

Late fifteenth-century churchyard cross in Ham Hill stone. The cross has two octagonal steps surmounted by a square socket stone which supports a cross shaft. The head of the cross is missing.

Fifteenth century Medieval standing cross 6m north-west of St Mary's church. Made from Ham Hill stone. Two octagonal steps surmounted by a square socket stone supporting a cross shaft. The head is missing and the surviving shaft measures 2.3m tall. The base of it consists of two octagonal steps, the bottom step is a maximum of 1.1m wide and 0.55m high. The Upper step measures a maximum of 0.84m wide and 0.5m high. The socket stone is a single piece of Ham Hill stone, 1.13m square, and sits on a base, 1.3m square. The base and socket stones are 0.7m high. <1>

The cross is set upon a calvary of two steps. The socket-stone measures 4ft. On each face and is 1ft. 9ins high. The shaft is 15ins square. Of late 15thc. Date. <2>

BRADFORD ABBAS: Churchyard cross of late 15thc. It consists of two high stepped plinths with an octagonal socket stone with carving on four of its faces. The octagonal tapering shaft has weathered figures on the E. and W. faces. <4>

This churchyard cross is in good condition. HUTCHINS' description (Auth 3) is incorrect, but otherwise Auth 2-5 are correct. The combined height of the two steps and the socket stone is 1.8 m. The shaft is approximately 2.3 m. high. <5>

Graphical material omitted. <6>

There are three steps, two octagonal and the upper one square. The upper part of the shaft has been broken off. <7>

Ref. T2. Socket stone is not octagonal - but square with angle piers. <9>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1870, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 4, 125 (Monograph). SDO17392.

<2> Pope, A, 1906, Old Stone Crosses of Dorset, 25-7 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1408.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1930 (Map). SWX1540.

[ST58741489] CROSS [GT]

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 33 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(2) … ChurchyardCross (Plate 12): octagonal tapering shaft with weathered figures on E. and W. faces, of the Virgin and Child and a man, on brackets with trefoiled canopies, dowel-holes on N. and S. faces, with remains of canopy on S. face; octagonal base with angle-piers, moulded edge and quatre-foiled panels in four main faces, enclosing shields, patera and angel with scroll; two high-stepped plinths with moulded edges, late 15th-century.’

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 17-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F3 FC 12-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1962, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1961, 74 (Serial). SDO61.

<8> Dorset County Council, 1978, Countryside Treasures in Dorset: West Dorset District, 16 (Monograph). SDO12366.

‘Stone Cross. Preaching Cross in Churchyard. 587143. Probably built in late 15th Century. The head of the cross is missing, reputedly destroyed by Cromwell’s forces during the Civil War. Some carvings but no legible inscriptions.’

<9> Historic England, Scheduled Monument Notification, 18/11/1996 (Scheduling record). SDO17468.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 196189 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 5 2024 11:48AM