The Corpus: Gainford 10

Volume I: County Durham and Northumberland

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Current Display: Gainford 10, Durham

Overview

Object type: Fragment of cross-shaft [1]

Measurements: Unobtainable

Stone type: Medium-grained yellow sandstone

Plate numbers in printed volume: Pl. 65.309

Corpus volume reference: Vol 1 p. 84

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Present Location

Built into old north wall of nave,between first and second windows, east of porch

Evidence for Discovery

First noted 1846(?) built in as lintel of entrance to clock-room tower

Church Dedication

St Mary

Present Condition

Broken and worn

Description

Only one carved face is visible. Edged by a narrow flat-band moulding is part of a panel in which three free rings are linked by two long diagonals. The strands are median-incised.

Discussion

Such simple free ring patterns are typical of Anglo-Scandinavian sculpture, as, for example, at Kirklevington, Gilling or Sinnington in Yorkshire, and Gainford 17. This piece provides further evidence of the links of this site with the Anglo-Scandinavian art of Yorkshire.

Date

Late tenth century

References

Stuart 1867, 64-5, pl. cxiii, 10

Endnotes

1. The following are general references to the Gainford stones: Greenwell 1880-9b, lxviii; Allen and Browne 1885, 352; (—) 1887-8b, 373. Brock 1888, 176, refers to stones in a graaden (later taken to Durham) and mentions illustrations by STuarts but does not describe them individually. (—) 1905-6b, 343-4, refers to discovery of stones in 1864-5 restoration, and there is also a reference to the finding in 1905 of another stone in the field west of the churchyard wall, and to the discovery of bones and a sword in the churchyard in 1889.