A cross-shaft of rectangular section. Although worn the angles are clearly cable-moulded. Its lower edge on all faces is finished with a worn flat moulding which seems to be the edge of a panel, and possibly of the shaft. There is no trace underneath of a tenon or dowel hole, however. The strands are all cut in the humped style.

A (broad): This face has an irregular, tangled interlace — probably a garbled animal interlace, in which the long legs of a quadruped are fettered by interlace from an ear lappet or tail.

B and D (narrow): Both faces have an unusual four-strand twist, formed from two pairs of strands which enclose each other alternately (Cramp 1991, fig. 26 Bi). The two pairs cross-join at the lower termination.

C (broad): This face has interlace, but unlike A, and although worn smooth in places, it recognisably has two registers of closed-circuit pattern F, the diagonals terminating in pattern D loops. The pattern is distorted by being pulled upwards at the right-hand side.

The attempt to maintain complicated patterns albeit in distorted form, as on face C, is usually taken to suggest a deterioration of ninth-century Anglian traditions in the tenth century — compare Great Stainton 2 and Chester-le-Street 1, both co. Durham (Cramp 1984, 53–4, 92, pls. 20.102–3, 21.106–7, 77.387–90). The twist on face D is paralleled on Urswick 1, north Lancashire (Bailey and Cramp 1988, 148–5, ill. 566), dated to the ninth century, and it is also found at Leeds 3 on a probably eighth- to ninth-century shaft (Ill. 506); but at North Otterington 3, north Yorkshire, a cross with this feature is dated late ninth to tenth century (Lang 2001, 186, ills. 694, 696). There are much earlier Northumbrian examples, on Jarrow 22, co. Durham, and Hexham 38D, Northumberland, both dated late seventh to early eighth century (Cramp 1984, 162–3, 189–90, pls. 100.532, 185.1021), while at Bamburgh in Northumberland there is an interesting example of animal ornament incorporating this twist (ibid., 162–3, pl. 158.814), dated like the Leeds shaft to the late eighth to early ninth century. The implication at Frickley is that earlier, well-established patterns are being reused on a larger scale and in a more free-hand way. The cabled angles, tangled interlace and the double twist are all found on a fragment from nearby Royston (Ills. 683–6).