The Corpus: Monkwearmouth 11

Volume I: County Durham and Northumberland

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Current Display: Monkwearmouth 11, Durham

Overview

Object type: Architectural sculpture

Measurements: Unobtainable

Stone type: Unobtainable

Plate numbers in printed volume: Pl. 116.618

Corpus volume reference: Vol 1 p. 127

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Present Location

In situ in west face of west tower of church, in gable of earlier west porch

Evidence for Discovery

First noticed in 1858

Church Dedication

St Peter

Present Condition

Worn

Description

Scar of what seems to be a standing figure carved on four stones inset in the wall of the west porch.

Discussion

Despite attempts to identify the figure type as either Christ crucified or St Peter, not enough survives for certainty. If the figure is contemporary with the porch, then it is of great importance in providing evidence for large-scale relief figures in Northumbrian carving before 685. It is interesting that the figure has been carved on several stones rather than as a single relief-slab. One may compare this technique with the cross-slab, Jarrow 16a-b.

Date

Uncertain

References

Longstaffe 1858, 94-5; Johnson 1866, 363; Boyle 1892, 542; Hodges 1893, 146; Brown 1895, 251, fig. 15; Hodgson 1906-11b, 168; Hall 1918-25, 44; Brown 1921, 288; Brown 1925, 126, 471; Clapham 1930, 39, 73, pl. 7; Pfeilstücker 1936, 123, fig. 27; Colgrave 1944-53, 188; Gilbert 1947, 164; Pevsner 1953, 187; Radford 1954b, 211; Hyslop 1960, 36; Quirk 1961, 30, pl. 8, 1; Fisher 1962, 95-6, pl. 17; Gilbert 1964, 76; Cramp 1965b, 3-4; Taylor and Taylor 1966, 11-12, 51; Taylor 1978, 741; Coatsworth 1979, I, 18, 230, II, 70-1, pl. 166

Endnotes