Monument record MDO4674 - Village cross, The Cross, Shillingstone

A village cross of fifteenth-century date, consisting of medieval steps, plinth and pedestal with a later shaft and cross-head. Situated on the east side of the Blandford Road, its original position. The cross has a stone base, surmounted by two stone steps, a socket stone and a cross shaft and head. The base stone is square with moulded sides and corners. Above the upper step is a square chamfered plinth on which rests a socket stone of ham stone. The stone is octagonal at the top and square at the base with four sunken panels which were originally carved but are now very worn. The original square shaft, which has been sawn off level with the top of the socket, was set diagonally in the socket stone and was run in with lead. The present cross shaft was erected on the base in 1891 and the elaborate head, in 15th century style, at a later date.

ST 82451132 Cross (NR) (rems of) (NAT). <1>

(2.) Cross Base (82451132), 160 yds S of the church, is of ashlar, with a square stepped base in which the lower step has a fascia recessed between a chamfered plinth and a chamfered nosing; the upper step is plain (Plate 50). Above the upper step is a chamfered square plinth on which rests an octagonal shaft-pedestal, with broach stops to bring the octagon to a square above the plinth. Between the broach stops the four cardinal faces of the pedestal were originally carved, but the decoration has almost entirely perished. The present shaft and cross-head are modern, but the steps, plinth and pedestal are of the 15th century. <2>

ST 82451131 The badly worn medieval cross base is as described by the RCHM (2.). It measures as follows: stone base, 3.00 m by 2.90 m and 0.1 m high; lower step, 2.90 m by 2.85 m and 0.50 m high; upper step, 2.10 m by 2.05 m and 0.55 m high; plinth, 1.25 m square and 0.22 m high; socket stone, 1.05 m square and 0.55 m high.

Surveyed at 1:2500 on AO Model. <3>

[NGD note 20-02-23 note: The google maps street view of the cross shows the cross shaft has no cross head. The Wikipedia page for Shillingstone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillingstone) features a photo (uploaded 23-05-2009) of the cross that shows that there was a large decorated cross head. It is therefore not clear what the current state of the cross head’s attachment is.]

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 240 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(2) CROSS BASE (82451132), 160 yds. S. of the church, is of ashlar, with a square stepped base in which the lower step has a fascia recessed between a chamfered plinth and a chamfered nosing; the upper step is plain (Plate 50). Above the upper step is a chamfered square plinth on which rests an octagonal shaft-pedestal, with broach steps to bring the octagon to a square above the plinth. Between the broach stops the four cardinal faces of the pedestal were originally carved, but the decoration has almost entirely perished. The present shaft and cross-head are modern, but the steps, plinth and pedestal are of the 15th century.’

<3> Chaplin, C P, Various, Field Investigators Comments CC, 30/03/1978 (Unpublished document). SWX3450.

<4> DOE (HHR), 1985, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset, 11/06/1985 (Scheduling record). SDO17644.

<5> Historic England, Scheduled Monument Notification, 29/11/1995 (Scheduling record). SDO17468.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F17/17A (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: C15 CROSS REMAINS - RESTORED IN 1903 WHEN A SHAFT WAS ADDED TO THE SURVIVING TWO STEPS AND SOCKET STONE.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206254 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:17PM