No longer visible

Discovered in February 1880 during levelling of the floor of the south aisle, forming one side of a stone-lined grave, 8 ft (2.44 m) from the west wall and 5 ft (1.52 m) from the south door. After being measured and sketched the grave was re-filled. No illustration survives.[1]

Unobtainable

(The description relies on the newspaper reports of 28 February 1880.) 'A huge block of stone, which had apparently been either a tomb-stone or a cross' ((—) 1880c).

A (broad) : The side next to the body was carved with ornament variously described as 'irregular diamond and lacework pattern' ((—) 1880b); 'an irregular lacework suggestion [sic] of the Saxon period' ((—) 1880c); and 'irregular diamonds or interlaced work' ((—) 1880d; (—) 1880e).

B (narrow) : 'On scratching out the earth from underneath the end near the foot of the skeleton, what seemed like a sculptured human face could be traced with the fingers' ((—) 1880b). 'At one end of the underneath part which is embedded in the earth could be felt with the fingers what seemed to be the outlines of a human face' ((—) 1880c).

C (broad) and D (narrow) : Not recorded.

Appendix C item (lost stones for which no illustration has survived).

Dr Richard Hall discovered the original newspaper cutting ((—) 1880b) and generously provided a copy. The reuse of the shaft in a late medieval grave is carefully described in the report. The 'lacework' is probably interlace and human portraiture was common throughout the pre-Conquest period. There is no clue as to date.

Probably pre-Conquest

(—) 1880b, 3; (—) 1880c, 3; (—) 1880d, 7; (—) 1880e, 5

[1] Several of the covering slabs to the grave were also sculptured, and one of them 'bore unmistakable signs of a cross' ((—)1880c), but there is no evidence for their date. (Eds.)