On grass verge at the south-east angle of a junction of the A30 with a minor road leading south to St Buryan (SW 3998 2755)

Probably first recorded in 1856 at 'Trevorgance, St Buryan' though no further details given (Blight 1856, 57). In 1896 recorded 'about half a mile north-west of St. Buryan churchtown' on the road to St Just in Penwith, with back of cross against hedge (Langdon, Arthur 1896, 128). Formerly cross had stood on top of nearby hedge but had been moved to afford it protection from vandalism (Langdon, Arthur 1896, 128–9). First recorded in present location in 1923–24 (Henderson, C. 1953–6a, 64)

Monument broken but stable; ornament worn, some lichen; situation fair

Cross-head and shaft of rectangular section, cemented onto a modern two-step granite base. The full length of the shaft shown in Langdon's drawing is no longer visible (Langdon, Arthur 1896, 128–9 and fig.). The simple round-headed cross bears a relief-carved Crucifixion on one face of the head with a carved cross on the other and no other decoration.

A (broad): On the cross-head, carved in low relief, is an erect, front-facing figure of Christ, with legs extending onto the shaft. There is no trace of any features or halo. The arms are outstretched horizontally. The bottom of the rib cage is visible, suggesting that Christ is wearing a loin-cloth, although this is not clear. The legs are slightly apart and the feet out-turned.

B and D (narrow): No trace of any ornament

C (broad): Both head and shaft are occupied by a long-shafted cross carved in low relief. The top vertical arm is thick and slightly splayed; the horizontal arms, which extend to the edge of the stone, are narrower at the centre with expanded ends; the thick bottom arm and shaft merge.

Appendix D item (continuing tradition)

It has been suggested that this cross, along with St Buryan 3 and 4 (Ills. 285–6, 287–8) might date to the late ninth century and be the forerunners of the Penwith group of pre-Norman sculpture (Thomas, A. C. 1978, 78–9). However, for a number of reasons explained more fully under St Buryan 4 above, that argument cannot be sustained. St Buryan 5 is a simple wayside cross with decoration derived from the churchyard cross, St Buryan 1 (p. 126, Ills. 29–32), not the other way round. The form of the carved cross can be compared to that on the medieval cross-slab grave-cover from Calverley, Yorkshire (no. 4), dated by Ryder to the twelfth century (Ryder 1991, 17).

Russell suggests that the former location of the cross was at No Man's Land (Russell 1971, 83). Here it would have stood on a road leading north from St Buryan church, at a junction of several paths and tracks, and on the edge of an area of former downland (Preston-Jones and Langdon, Andrew 1997, 111–13).

Twelfth century

Blight 1856, 11 and fig.; Langdon, Arthur and Allen, J. R. 1888, 318, 323; Langdon, Arthur 1890–1, 83–6; Langdon, Arthur 1896, 128–9, passim and figs.; Langdon, Arthur 1906, 429, pl. VIII, fig. 59; (—) 1943–50, 244; Henderson, C. 1953–60a, 64; Russell 1971, 83; Rowe, L. 1973, fig.; Thomas, A. C. 1978, 78–9; Weatherhill 1981, 65 and fig.; Preston-Jones and Rose 1986, 159; Langdon, Andrew 1997, 15; Preston-Jones and Langdon, Andrew 1997, 111–13, 118–19, 122, fig. 5.13; Henderson, M. unpub. 1985, entry 74, p. 178–9 and figs.