Volume I: County Durham and Northumberland
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Current Display: Gainford 13, Durham
Overview
Object type: Centre of cross-head [1]
Measurements: H. 22.9 cm (9 in); W. 24 cm (9.5 in); D. 12.7 cm (5 in)
Stone type: Medium-/fine-grained, massive yellowsandstone
Plate numbers in printed volume: Pl. 65.310-313
Corpus volume reference: Vol 1 p. 85
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Present Location
Monks' Dormitory, Durham cathedral, catalogue no. XXXIV
Evidence for Discovery
Found in restoration of 1864, possibly in south wall of nave, which was taken down. Kept in Vicarage garden until 1896 when donated to chapter library, Durham
Church Dedication
St Mary
Present Condition
Worn and badly broken
Description
A and C (broad): A raised boss with a chamfered moulding, inset with a four-petalled design, on which the sinkings form the shape of a cross. The bosses are surrounded by loose median-incised plait-work.
B and D (narrow): Broken away.
Discussion
This head seems to have taken the petalled cross formula of 12 and developed it further (see also 14).
Date
Tenth century
References
Stuart 1867, 64-5, pl. cxiii, 4; Haverfield and Greenwell 1899, no. XXXIV, 101 and fig.; Hodges 1905, 230; Cramp 1965a, 6
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.
