In St Nicholas' church, Bradfield (SK 268926), set on a modern stepped base at the east end of the north aisle of the nave, against the wall.

Said to have been found in 1870 near the Cross Inn, Low Bradfield (now a private house) at the bottom of Bradfield Hill (Gatty 1884a; id. 1884b). The drawing by the Rev. A. Gatty shows it with most of the shaft still buried in the ground. It was placed in the church in 1883–4.

Somewhat weathered but in good condition

The cross-head and -shaft are carved in one piece, and the monument appears to be complete. The shaft has an entasis when viewed from the front but appears square in section viewed from the side.

A (broad): The shaft is completely plain. The head has side arms of type B10, but there is a more pronounced widening of the upper arm, though not of the most exaggerated 'hammerhead' form. It is outlined by a rather irregular groove. Within this the surface is slightly raised and left plain except for five large rounded bosses, one in each arm and one at the centre. There is evidence of a rudimentary 'collar' between the head and the shaft.

B and D (narrow): Both faces are completely plain.

C (broad): This face is now invisible, placed as it is very close to the wall.

The plainness and simplicity of this cross preclude any kind of close dating, unfortunately, since it is a rare complete example. Five bosses in this position possibly refer to the five wounds of Christ (Bailey 1980, 148–9), although it seems to me easier to see this as intentional on self-consciously designed early Anglo-Saxon jewelled crosses such as the pendant cross from the tomb of St Cuthbert or its pre-Viking sculptured parallels (Coatsworth 1989, 295–6). In this simpler work they certainly refer back to wooden prototypes with metal appliqués, or metalwork with real or dummy rivets, of which other examples in stone include cross-heads with the 'spine-and-boss' motif, as on Ripon 1 (Ill. 632). These features do not preclude an early date. Although very crudely done, however, this appears to be a form of 'round-shaft derivative' (Bailey 1980, 186–9), and this, together with the widening of the upper arm, places it most securely in the Anglo-Scandinavian period.

Tenth to eleventh century

Gatty 1884a, 15–16, fig. on 15; Gatty 1884b, 211– 12, fig. on 211; Dransfield 1892, 25; Addy 1893, 93–4, fig. on 94; Browne, A. 1905, 173, and pl.; (–––) 1909, 118; Innocent 1910, 93, fig. 5; Morris 1911, 131, 549; Collingwood 1912, 128; Collingwood 1915a, 146; Mee 1941, 73; Pevsner 1959, 120; Faull 1981, 219; Ryder 1982, 89, 104, fig. on 104; Sidebottom 1994, 81–2, 151–2, 154, 231, and pls.; Sidebottom 1997, 50; Hey c. 2003, 47

None