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Object type: Lower part of cross-shaft
Measurements: H. 72.4 cm (28.75 in); W. 24.1 cm (9.5 in); D. (max.) 21.3 cm (8.5 in)
Stone type: Medium-grained, massive yellow sandstone
Plate numbers in printed volume: Pl. 162.853-5
Corpus volume reference: Vol 1 p. 168
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The carving throughout is in a punched and incised technique.
A (broad): The face is divided into two by an incised and punched horizontal band decorated with small doodling straight line patterns. (i) What seems to be the coiled hindquarters of a double-outlined ribbon animal with a hooked spiral on the hip. (ii) A pendent triangle with slightly curving sides, containing a key pattern, organized around a Y-shaped vertical, and not conforming to any orthodox pattern composed on a rectangular or diagonal grid. The composition skilfully fits the shape however, and is enclosed by a plain swag with a twisted tip which contains a single pellet.
B and D (narrow): Dressed away.
C (broad): The face, which is very worn, is divided into two by an incised horizontal band. (i) The remains of a ring-knot. (ii) A shield-shaped pendant containing a motif which is organically linked with the surrounding swag. The ornament is a ring-chain embellished with pellets in the intersections. The swag is finished with a twisted tip.
Save for the twisted tip of the swag which is paralleled at Bamburgh, all the other motifs place this shaft in a Viking context. On face A the distinctive coil might be the termination of an interlace as at Michael, Isle of Man (Kermode 1907, 75B, pl. 31). However, it seems more likely that it is part of a ribbon animal such as occurs in Anglo-Scandinavian sculptures in Yorkshire and Cumbria: see in particular Sinnington and Gilling (Collingwood 1927, fig. 143), which have a ribbon animal of a related type, while the pendent triangle motifs occur with Anglo-Scandinavian ornament at Stanwick and Brompton, both in Yorkshire, and Sockburn, co. Durham. The jumbled key patterns occur both in the Isle of Man, at, for example, Maughold (Kermode 1907, pl. 28) and Cumbria, at, for example, Burton in Kendal (Collingwood 1927, fig. 195). The ring-knot is also common in Anglo-Scandinavian ornament and the pattern in the triangle on face C is clearly based on the ring-chain pattern, while the ringed upright with Y-shaped terminals is found both in the Isle of Man and Cumbria (Kermode 1907, fig. 29). It seems plausible that in this piece we have a direct influence from the Scandinavian world (Introduction, p. 29). However, ribbon animals and frets do occur elsewhere in Bernicia at Chester-le-Street, Lindisfarne, Bamburgh and Great Farne, and this fragment may reflect a combination of Insular and Scandinavian traditions such as is also found at Chester-le-Street.
