Find Spot record MDO43420 - Medieval cross shaft, East Stour

A cross shaft fragment now in the British Museum was found during the demolition of a chimney breast in a house at East Stour in 1939. The stone decorated with vine-scroll, interlace and palmette ornament, probably of the 9th century.

A fragment of a cross-shaft dated to the 10th. or 11th. cent., was found during the demolition of a chimney breast in a house at East Stour. Its earlier history could not be determined but it was thought likely to have come from the church and East Stour could be accepted as its probable place of origin. In possession of P Hutton of Trebles Holford. <1>

Mr Hutton has now moved to Bradford Lodge at ST 17342295 where he has erected the cross, but he clearly intends to take it with him on any subsequent move. <2>

A cross shaft fragment now in the British Museum (Acc. 1969/4-1) was recovered during the demolition of a house at East Stour in 1939. Thestone is 10-11 ins. Square and 2ft 4ins. High with each face richly decorated with vine-scroll, interlace and palmette ornament, probably of the late 10th or early 11th century. <3>

Decorated cross shaft from East Stour attributed to the 10th century by Parsons who discusses and compares the ornament with other examples from Great Britain and Europe. <4>

Full description of the cross-shaft, which is suggested to be 9th century on the basis of parallels with Hungarian metalwork. <Incomplete citation in NRHE ?4>

<1> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1960, The Archaeological Journal 117, 82-87 (Serial). SDO17637.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-SEP-65 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 16 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(1) … Cross Shaft, fragment, now in the British Museum (1969/4–1) was recovered during the demolition of a house in East Stour in 1939. The stone is 10 ins. to 11 ins. square and 2 ft. 4 ins. high (Plate 3). Each face is richly decorated with vine-scroll, interlace and palmette ornament, probably of the late 10th or early 11th century (Arch. J., CXVII (1960), 82–87).'

<4> Parsons, David (ed), 1975, Tenth-Century Studies, 189-91 (Monograph). SDO17639.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202433 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 14 2022 1:55PM