Pre-Norman Stone Crosses in the British Isles

Bakewell is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Peak District, and there is much more to go there fore than just the famous pudding (or tart, as some think of it). As far as the ancient crosses of Bakewell are concerned, there are a phenomenal number of pieces of Anglian and early mediaeval carved stones at Bakewell. Indeed, there are even more than are currently displayed. Bakewell was clearly an important centre in Anglian times, and it seems very likely that it was the location where many of the Anglian crosses that are now found in nearby locations were produced.

All Saints' Church is situated on a hill commanding views across the valley of the River Wye. It was the mother church for a large mediaeval parish. Although it was substantially rebuilt during the nineteenth century, portions of the original fabric, going back as far as the twelfth century, survive. This page describes the crosses in the churchyard of All Saints' Church. A second page at this website describes the carved stones which are displayed inside the church.

All Saints' Church, Bakewell, view east from the west end of the churchyard, October 2000.

The West Front of the church includes many Norman features, such as this arch over the doorway.
Though eight centuries of weathering have worn detail away, traces of fine carving remain. Oct 2000.

There are two Anglian Cross shafts in the Churchyard. The larger and better known of them has been called the Bakewell Cross, (though no well-known name attaches to the other one). It stands, leaning at a slight angle towards the south, in a fenced enclosure near the south transept. (Though the plan of the church has four arms, they are all of different sizes, so some purists might not like the word transept applied to this structure.)

	In the close-up (left) of the top of the west face of the shaft, the remains of a crucifixion scene can be discerned. The detail visible after a millennium of weathering hints at the original splendour of the craftsmanship. (October 2000)
	In the close-up (right) of the top of the east face of the shaft, the two scenes show a horse trampling a figure, and beneath that a strange creature which has been interpreted as a squirrel, a Saxon symbol for a divine messenger. (Oct 2000)

The second cross shaft in the churchyard is rather smaller than the first, and was brought to this place during the early twentieth century from its original location on the moors.

There are so many Anglian and early mediaeval artefacts at Bakewell that a second page is needed to tell their story. Click here to move to the second page

All Saints' Church is on the right of the B5055 road, going as you begin to follow it out of Bakewell.
There is room for a few cars to park in the road at the west end of the church grounds,
and also in the road running down the north side of the churchyard, but there is a museum nearby, and
you may need to make other arrangements in the summer, because of the influx of tourists.

Stone Coffins or Sarcophagi

Bakewell

Coffins

Askham Richard

Sarcophagi

Bakewell, Guiseley, Whalley

Burial customs have changed over the years. Over the past couple of centuries, it has become increasingly common for human remains to be cremated. Going back even further, towards the middle ages, the custom was for the bodies to be buried in the ground outside (or rarely inside) churches. Prior to that, the custom was to use charnel houses, which were buildings in which the bodies were allowed to decay until only the bones were left; after a suitable period, these bones would be collected and buried (sometimes in a case called an ossuary).

A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi, derived from Greek words meaning "flesh eater") is a coffin-shaped receptacle into which a corpse would be laid in a charnel house. Typically, there would be a hole in the bottom of the sarcophagus, in order to allow the escape of fluids arising from the process of decay, so that when the bones were collected after some months had passed, they would be dry. Charnel house sarcophagi would be used over and over again. (Such sarcophagi are, to all intents and purposes, not datable with any precision. They are only included in this website if they are present at the sites visited for other reasons.)

A stone coffin is different, being intended as the final resting place for a body. Often these were lead-lined, and usually, they were not reused. It seems safe to assume, given the expense of their manufacture, that only very distinguished individuals would end up in stone coffins. The lead lining often presents problems for archaeologists who excavate them in modern times: In some cases, the lead lining has been welded together, creating an airtight container. In such cases, those who open them up are at risk of encountering contents which are at their best unpleasant and at their worst potentially hazardous.

This selection of stone sarcophagi stands outside the porch at Bakewell.
They make an interesting, if slightly morbid, display ("memento mori", perhaps),
and tend to suggest that, on the whole, modern people are taller. (Oct 2000)

* The Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference (and corresponding Latitude/Longitude) given at the top of the pages describing individual sites usually refer to the location of the closest or most prominent entrance to the site where the monument is to be found - e.g. a gate into a churchyard. For monuments located in open country, or at a significant distance from the site entrance as just defined, the co-ordinates usually refer to the exact location of the monument.
Please allow for a small error in the co-ordinates of up to a couple of dozen metres.

Thanks to the people at streetmap.co.uk, if you click on the Grid References in the magenta boxes on the site pages,
you'll see an extract from the relevant Ordnance Survey 1:50000 Landranger map!

As the official mapping agency of the United Kingdom Government, the Ordnance Survey produces the definitive maps of the country. They contain a wealth of information.
For more details, visit www,ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure

Click here if you need an explanation of the terminology on these pages

Click here if you would like to see a bibliography

Click here if you would like to download the freeware "Mordred" font (in True-type for Windows)
so that the headings used on these pages will then look like the following:

Click to go to Pre-Norman crosses in:	England	the island of Ireland	the Isle of Man	Scotland	Wales	Read about the Saints
Click to go to Mediaeval crosses in:	England	the island of Ireland	the Isle of Man	Scotland	Wales

Locality maps at this web-site have been developed using Microsoft AutoRoute Express 2000 (and later editions).

This page is a part of Chris Tolley's web-site. Latest update: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 11:28
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West	North	East	South
Although this cross shaft has suffered damage in several places, including the loss of its head, what remains is essentially in one piece and the detail in the carving is still reasonably well-preserved. Three of the faces have a spiral vine-scroll motif, whilst the fourth has a number of scenes from Christ's life. (October 2000)


West	North and East	South
The carving on this cross is much more varied than on the Bakewell Cross, with different types of scrolls and plaits, and what appears to be an amusing representation of a face on the top of the south side, (October 2000)