The upper section is loose under the tower against the west wall; the lower section stands outside in a socket on the south side of the church.

Found in the chancel during the 1868 restoration, and placed in the churchyard (Bulmer 1890, 601)

St John the Baptist

In two pieces, very worn indeed; broken at top and bottom, and part of the central section is missing. Fragment b is lichen covered.

A (broad): There is a rolled edge moulding, and the face is divided into three surviving panels, all extremely worn, by double transverse mouldings. At the top are the terminal loops of interlace. In the panel below is a feature drawn by Collingwood as a trilobate leaf form, but which seems to show a horse and rider in profile. The lower panel, though also worn, contains a continuous bold plant-scroll with a thick undulating stem. The spandrels are filled by single large elliptical leaves, and smaller shootlets are topped with small single leaves.

B (narrow): The edge mouldings are rolled. The panel has a continuous chain of stopped-plait oval links (rather more curved than Collingwood's drawing). The twist elements of the lowest register are barely visible.

C (broad): The edge moulding is a broad roll. A wide median-incised inner moulding splits at staggered intervals to form transverse twist mouldings. The inner moulding passes straight across the top of the panel. Above, the stone has been recut and bevelled.

D (narrow): The edge mouldings are rolled, and the face is panelled. The top of the upper fragment is damaged but may have had a square panel of interlace, which Collingwood'showed as a rosette. The panel below is filled with staggered ring-twist in modelled strand. Beneath this on the lower fragment is a transverse band of five pellets flanked by roll mouldings. This overlies a panel of 'knitting stitch' interlace, which is framed below by another pellet moulding between rolls. The lowest panel contains median-incised stopped-plait.

An idiosyncratic monument, it is carefully planned, often in 5-inch registers with units of measure of 1 and 1.5 inches. The layout is careful but the formal patterns are much simplified, notably the link-chain of face B. The ring-twist occurs at Brompton but the staggered arrangement of faces C and D is unusual. The stopped-plait forms are reminiscent of Cumbrian usage rather than Yorkshire styles (see Bailey and Cramp 1988, 35, fig. 6b), and the proximity of the Stainmore road may be a factor in their appearance here. Riders in profile are also found in this region on Baldersby 1, Hawsker 1 and Wycliffe 2 (Ills. 4, 318, 1104), as well as north of the Tees at Sockburn and Hart (Cramp 1984, pls. 79, 394; 130, 710; 139, 745). The ugly plant-scroll could be a clumsy reflex of the fine scrolls at Melsonby, in the next parish, but contrasts with the leafless trail on Hawsker 1 (Ill. 322). The transverse twist mouldings on face C should be compared with Cotherstone 1 (Ill. 119) and North Otterington 3 (Ill. 697).

First half of tenth century

Allen and Browne 1885, 352; Bulmer 1890, 601; Morris, J. 1904, 360–1, 420, 422; Collingwood 1907, 269, 285, 287, 288, 292, 393, figs. c–f on 392; Collingwood 1912, 127, pl. VIII; Collingwood 1915, 263, 266, 268, 272, 283; Edleston 1923–4a, 292; Morris, J. 1931, 364, 417, 421; Kendrick 1941b, 18; Kendrick 1949, 65; Pevsner 1966, 355; Hatcher 1990, 229, 230

[1] The following are general references to the Stanwick stones: (—) 1880–9, civ; Allen and Browne 1885, 352; Bulmer 1890, 601; Hodges 1894, 195; (—) 1896–1905c, cxxxii; (—) 1909–10, 66–7; Page, W. 1914, 132; Elgee and Elgee 1933, 251; (—) 1934–6b, 137; Mee 1941, 229; Pevsner 1966, 355; Morris, C. 1976a, 145; Morris, C. 1978, 45; Morris, R. 1989, 455; Hatcher 1990, 229; Welfare et al. 1990, 18; Stocker 2000, 206.

[2] The following is an unpublished manuscript reference to no. 1: BL Add. MS 37552 no. XIV, items 781, 784, 786 (Romilly Allen collection).