Under north nave arcade, east of no. 7

First recorded in 1874, 'in the walls of Kirkdale church' (Rowe 1874, fig. facing 7), presumably built into west wall of nave, south of tower, outside, where recorded in 1888 and 1907 (Frank 1888, 142–3; Collingwood 1907, 344); inside church by 1911 (Collingwood 1911a, 283)

St Gregory

Flaking badly; one corner broken away

A (top): The perimeter has a broad border which, along the long sides, has a meander pattern, changing to chevrons at one end; the other end was apparently plain. In one corner is an incised diagonal turned into a cross with expanded terminals. Within the panel is a mat of interlace of encircled patterns. The design is irregular and contains several free rings, or circles broken at only one point, in conjunction with long diagonals. The pattern is essentially a twelve-cord mirror image one, with pattern F and linked pattern C elements (Adcock 1974, I, 247–8). At the base there is an arc of pellet fillers. At the top the interlace terminates in ring-knots with return loops, and a four-petalled motif within one segment of the circle. In certain places the logic of the interlace is bungled.

B, D and E (long sides and end): Along the narrow side is a row of triangular 'tassels' which taper and terminate in a pellet. At the base is a broad, flat moulding.

C (end): Plain.

The tasselled edge suggests, as Collingwood perceived, a skeuomorph of a pall, and, when painted, the appearance would have been yet more convincing. It hints at the nature of ninth-century embroidery in Deira. It has been compared with a cross-base at Lindisfarne, Northumberland (no. 19; Cramp 1984, I, 201, II, pl. 196, 1103), which also resembles a cloth covering. The interlace does have some minor foliate features but has the rigidly geometrical appearance of later work. Adcock regards the design as experimental, and cites parallel constructions in the Durham Cassiodorus (Durham Cathedral, MS B II 30), the Leningrad Gospels (Leningrad, Public Library Cod. F. v. I. 8), and a gospel fragment from Maeseyck (Adcock 1974, I, 248). The free rings and the false terminations also indicate a degenerate form.

There is no evidence to support the popular attribution of the grave-cover to bishop Cedd. Collingwood's later dating, however, should not preclude the possibility of the slab being a later addition to Cedd's shrine – so long as we can be sure Cedd lies at Kirkdale.

Early ninth century

Rowe 1874, 207, no. 3, fig. 6; Bramley 1882; Allen and Browne 1885, 353; Frank 1888, 142–3; Home 1905, fig. p, 86; Collingwood 1907, 344; Collingwood 1911a, 283, fig. f on 284; Collingwood 1912a, 125; Edwards 1924, 41; Collingwood 1927, 16–17, fig. 21; Adcock 1974, I, 247–9, II, pls. 115–16; Cramp 1984, I, 201; Lang 1988b, 12; Lang 1989, 1

1. The following are general references to the Kirkdale stones: Allen and Browne 1885, 353; Norman 1961, 267; McDonnell 1963, 56; Lang 1989, 5.