The Corpus: Workington 06

Volume 2: Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire-North-of-the-Sands

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Current Display: Workington 06, Cumberland

Overview

Object type: Part of cross-head [1]

Measurements: (after Mason and Valentine 1928) H. 17.5 cm (7 in); W. 8.9 cm (3.5 in); D. 5.1 cm (2 in)

Stone type: Unobtainable

Plate numbers in printed volume: 598

Corpus volume reference: Vol 2 p. 156-157

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Present Location

Lost

Evidence for Discovery

Found in tunnel dug on south side of church during opening of Curwen vault in 1926 (Mason and Valentine 1928, 61)

Church Dedication

St Michael

Present Condition

Unobtainable

Description

A (broad): The published photograph shows a cross-arm with curved arm-pits. The arm-pits are bordered by roll mouldings and between them is a sub-rectangular undecorated panel surrounded on all four sides by flat-band framing. To the right are the remains of (probably) an encircled boss at the centre of the head. To the left is a curved panel containing interlace using strands with median-incised line.

Discussion

The curved panel to the left suggests that the fragment came from the circle of a circle-headed cross with characteristic Cumbrian plait decoration (Introduction, pp. 31–2).

Date

Tenth century

References

Mason and Valentine 1928, 61, pl. facing 61; Curwen 1936, 207; Bailey 1974a, I, 106–37, II, 257, pl.

Endnotes

1. The Historica de Sancto Cuthberto records that the wandering Cuthbert community embarked for Ireland from Deruntmuthe in the late ninth century (Symeon 1882b, 207). Workington is at the mouth of the Derwent and is probably the place referred to here.