In the site museum, Whitby Abbey (EH 81430739)

See Whitby 1 (abbey, St Peter and St Hilda). This is the !Saxon cross-head and shaft 4ft in high", that was found 3 February 1925, in a well in section 35 (Whitby finds register, no. 788), which is in the area north-east of the abbey chancel near the boundary wall. The gridded sections are shown on Fig. 19.

St Peter and St Hilda

In three pieces, unworn, upper limb lost; reconstructed

A (broad) : A type A10 cross, it has widely curving arm-pits and shallow squared tips (slightly cusped below). The shaft is gently tapered, and edged with a double roll moulding, each strand narrow, which continues round the perimeter of the cross. At the base of the shaft the inner moulding forms a chevron across the face. The dressing is smooth.

B and D (narrow) : Plain.

C (broad) : Plain. Not currently visible.

Whilst the neck of the shaft sweeps uninterruptedly into the cross-head, the shallow squared tips in relation to the arms' curves still gives the impression of an equal-armed cross surmounting the shaft, rather than a Latin cross (contra Kelly 1993, 221; Bailey 1996a, 51). Comparison with no. 1's mouldings reveals a very similar profile, and the view that this cross stems from an Irish tradition in which the shaft and the lower vertical limb are one is not altogether soundly based. This form could have been independently derived from a wooden prototype. The chevron at the base is reminiscent of the incised saltires on some of the York stelae (Lang 1991, 60) which also share the smooth dressing and restrained decoration (see Chapter VI). Since face C is uncarved it is probable that the cross stood indoors with its back to a wall.

Late seventh to early eighth century

Peers and Radford 1943, 36, no. 3, pl. XXIXa; Cramp 1976b, 457; Cramp 1984, 122, 123; Lang 1990a, 3; Lang 1991, 60; Cramp 1993, 69, fig. 7.4; Kelly 1993, 221; Cambridge 1995a, 111; Bailey 1996a, 50–2, fig. 27a; Hawkes 1999b, 415, pl. 15.9

[1] The following are general references to the Whitby stones: Hood 1927, 38, 45, 49; Kendall 1932, 9–10, 26–7, 28; Peers and Radford 1943, 33–40; Clapham 1952, 11; Wilson, D. 1964, 9; Cramp 1965b, 4; Fellows-Jensen 1972, 218; Cramp 1976a, 228; Cramp 1976b, 455–7; Rahtz 1976, 460; Cramp 1978a, 7; Bailey 1980, 81, 82; Okasha 1983, 118; Cramp 1984, 9, 79, 109, 180, 222; Higgitt 1986b, 130–1, 134, 148; Bailey and Cramp 1988, 55, 56, 85, 154; Cramp 1989, 223; Lang 1989a, 67; Lang 1990a, 2–3; Higgitt 1991, 45; Lang 1991, 24, 109, 138, 139; Cramp 1992, 8, 24, 107, 224, 252; Okasha 1992, 84; Cramp 1993, 68–9, 71; Fellows-Jensen 1995, 177; Higgitt 1995, 229–36; Rahtz 1995, 7–8; Bailey 1996a, 50–1, 111; Hawkes 1999b, 403, 410–16; Karkov 1999, 133–4; Stocker 2000, 200; Stopford 2000, 102, 104.