The Corpus: Durham 03

Volume I: County Durham and Northumberland

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Current Display: Durham 03, Durham

Overview

Object type: Shaft and part of head of cross [1]

Measurements: H. 131 cm (51.5 in); W. (below head) 33 > 25.5 cm (13 > 10 in); D. (below head) 17.2 > 14 cm (6.75 > 5.5 in)

Stone type: Medium-grained, bedded greyish yellow sandstone (same quarry as no. 2)

Plate numbers in printed volume: Pls. 41.197-198, 42.199-200

Corpus volume reference: Vol 1 p. 67-68

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Present Location

Monks' Dormitory, Durham cathedral, catalogue no. XVII

Evidence for Discovery

Found in 1895 in wall between church and Church Street, when new road made into churchyard

Church Dedication

St Oswald

Present Condition

Very worn

Description

The head is formed from one block with the shaft and tapers from a slight shoulder.

A (broad): Traces of two closed circuit loops survive on the head. On the upper portion of the shaft the outline of a panel is picked out to form a single rough roll moulding. It encloses a single ring-knot, like those on face C of 2. The lower part of the shaft is plain.

B (narrow): No carving survives on head or shaft, but there are remnants of a roll moulding edging the shaft.

C (broad): On the shaft there are faint traces of a panel of interlace as on A, but the detail is not decipherable. The head is too damaged to distinguish any carving.

D (narrow): No carving survives on head or shaft.

Discussion

In shape, dimensions, and decorative formula this is almost the twin of no. 2. It is impossible to decide whether it was ever finished.

Date

Early eleventh century

References

Greenwell 1890-5c, 284, pl. 4; (—) 1896-1905d, clxvii; Haverfield and Greenwell 1899, no. XVII, 76-7, figs. on 77; Hodges 1905, 225; Cramp 1965a, 4; Adcock 1974, 320-1

Endnotes

1. The following are general references to the Durham stones. Allen (1889, 229) includes Durham in the list of sites with coped stones and hogbacks, but the chapter house discoveries were not made by them. He appears to be referring to the collection in the Monks' Dormitory. Greenwell (1890-5a, xlix) makes general mention of discovery of nos. 5-8; Boyle (1892, 267) mentions discovery of stones in the chapter house; Collingwood 1932, 53.