Monument record MDO43403 - Medieval cross shaft, Gillingham

Two carved stones built into the north wall of the vicarage at Gillingham are proabably of the 8th or 9th centuries and presumably from a cross-shaft.

Two carved stones built into the north wall of the vicarage at Gillingham (ST 80682656) are proabably of the 9th century and presumably from a cross-shaft. The exposed face of the larger fragment retains a considerable area of closely woven two-strand interlace ornament. The back and sides of this stone are said to have carved decoration but this is no longer visible. The smaller fragment is much eroded but retains traces of interlace ornament. <1>

The larger stone has vestiges of a fine plant-scroll with small pointed berry bunches. Most of the face has been obliterated by a sundial measuring 26cms across and 15.5cms high. The hole for the gnomon and 5 tide lines are extant. 8th-9th century. The second fragment is now lost. It had interlave decoration. <2>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 30 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(2) Carved Stones, two, built into the N. wall of the late 19th-century vicarage, are probably of the 9th century and presumably from a cross-shaft. The exposed face of the larger fragment (Plate 3) measures 30 ins. by 18 ins. and retains a considerable area of closely woven two-strand interlace ornament. The back and sides of this stone are said also to have carved decoration, but this is no longer seen. The smaller fragment measures 4 ins. by 3 ins. and is much eroded; it retains vestiges of interlace ornament. (S.D.N.Q., XV (1917), 233.)'

<2> Cramp, R, 2006, Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol VII. South-West England (Monograph). SDO17427.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206387 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 24 2025 3:19PM