Built into south face of wall above western arch of south nave arcade, inside

None; first recorded in (--) 1883

St Mary

Unobtainable

Only one face is visible. The vertical limb of the cross is composed of a single stone and has a broad plain raised border along the long edges. The horizontal limbs are lost, The head of the cross has been trimmed and only the tips of the fingers of the Hand of God above Christ's head survive. The head is in high relief with a degree of undercutting, and has well modelled features, short hair, and a moustache. Christ's torso is cut away to seat a joist. Below the waist the figure is in low relief, and robed. The folds of the garment and the knotted belt are indicated by incised lines. The bare ankles are separated, but the trimming of the foot of the cross has removed the feet.

The crucifixion is in situ over what was originally the south door of the aisleless nave of the church. In the twelfth century an arcade was cut through this wall and an aisle created. This left one impost of the south door in situ, but removed the other (Taylor and Taylor 1965–78, ii, 629–30, fig. 319). At the same time, or subsequently, the lateral arms of the crucifixion and the area of the figure's chest were cut away to accommodate a wooden beam.

The figure is a robed crucifixion of the same general type as Langford 2, Oxfordshire (Ills. 294–5), for which an eleventh-century date has been argued. For further discussion of the dating of the crucifixion groups from south-east England, see Chap. VII.

Eleventh century

( --- ) 1883; Chittenden 1905 - 7, 295; R.C.H.M. 1911, 10, 224 - 5; Page 1912c, 155 - 6; Andrews 1934, 97; Quirk 1961, 30; Taylor and Taylor 1965 - 78, ii, 630, figs. 319 and 600, iii, 1056; Taylor and Taylor 1966, 9 - 11, 51, fig. 4; Smith 1973, 30 - 1, 33, fig. on 32, pl. 7; Pevsner and Cherry 1977, 18, 372; Coatsworth 1979, i, 151 - 73, ii, 50, pls. 62 - 3; Tweddle 1986b, i, 73 - 5, 193 - 6, 204, ii, 501 - 2, iii, pl. 110a