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MONUMENT NO. 8503

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Fragments of 10th-11th century cross-shafts are located in the church at St Bees.

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[NX 9687 1212] Pre-Norman Fragments at St. Bees.
I. 'The impost of a door of St. Bega's nunnery or chapel [NX 91 SE 1] is in its shape (at least) Irish. This... stone was built into the south aisle wall of the nave. 1150-1180, and was removed in 1868 to its present place opposite the west front...
II. The churchyard cross stands, I think, in its original socket, but is headless and shortened... unfortunately the stone shows signs of recent lamination and decay: I cannot date it later than the 9th century.
III and IV are destroyed or buried again but were of the same or an earlier age...
V which was found underneath the west front, is ... probably the earliest fragment remaining...; only one shoulder is left ..... I am inclined to think that our stone dates from the 8th century' (1)

Fragments at St. Bees Church
'XXXVII is a fragment of a very early (? 8th Century) cross' (2)

'St. Bees ... The Dragon Lintel Knowles No.I .... a pedimental lintel... of the Irish form, now set up opposite the west door. It is of a red sandstone, 67 ins. in length, 18 inches high in the middle and 12-1/2 at each side 9-1/4 inches in thickness.... The style suggesting 12th Century work......
The Standing Cross Knowles No.II
In the churchyard to the north side of the church is the shaft of a pre-Norman cross, of white sandstone, 38 inches high, 13 broad and 4 thick. It stand in a red-sandstone socket-base, measuring 26 inches square, and rising 6 inches above a platform of smaller stones....
The Norse Cross Knowles No.V ('Spiral' White Shaft)
Another fragment.... of white sandstone; 26 inches in height, 12 in. breadth at the base, tapering to 10 inches at the neck, from which the broken arms of the cross-head spring; and 7 inches in thickness at the base, tapering to 6 inches at the head. The pattern is picked, like the standing cross... ; its Norse motive suggests that it is the monument of a Viking settler in the tenth or eleventh century...
'Spiral' Fragment Knowles No.XXXVII
On a window-sill in the church is preserved a fragment of a cross of white sandstone, measuring 7 x 5-1/2 by 4 inches; picked work... though somewhat similar to the two above mentioned, it seems to be part of a different cross'. (3)

St. Bees, crosses [Knowles Nos. II and V]- late 10th-11th century. (4)

Further references [Refers to Authy 3, but adds nothing.]
[Mention only: refers to 3] (5-8)

A lintel stone with central carving of St. Michael and dragon, possibly of 8th C. and doubtless part of the old nunnery. (9)

NX 96851210 The Dragon Lintel (Knowles No.1)
This stone, accurately described by Authy 3 now forms a lintel over the recess containing the Resting Cross (NX 91 SE 1) GP AO/59/295/6 NX 96861214. The Standing Cross (Knowles No.2). The Cross is accurately described by Authy 3. It has an interlaced pattern on its N. and S. faces but is now very weathered.
A 25" AM survey has been made.
GP AO/59/296/1. Standing Cross-S.
Spiral White Shaft (Knowles No. 5)
This fragment is accurately described by Authy.3 and is on view on a window sill of the S. aisle of St. Mary and St. Bega's Church. None of the remaining fragments described in the preceeding recording can now be traced. The only other object on view within the church is a portion of a tombstone measuring 28" x 6" x 3" made of red sandstone. A card by this item translates an inscription upon it as follows:-
Walter (US) De Hualton died 1281. (10)

Full description of the five fragments, which are of 10th-11th century date. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

1876 (Canon Knowles) 2 Page(s)27-28

( 2) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

1878 (Canon Knowles) 3 Page(s)95

( 3) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

Extra Series II 'Early Sculptured Crosses' 1899 (W.S. Calverley) Page(s)259-63

( 4) General reference

Northumbrian Crosses of Pre-Norman Age 1927 p194 Illus (W.G. Collingwood)

( 5) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

1923 (W.G. Collingwood) 23 Page(s)260

( 6) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

1950 (M.C. Fair) 60 Page(s)95

( 7) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

1884 (C.A. Parker) 7 Page(s)154

( 8) Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society

3rd Series 1922-3 (W.G. Collingwood) 10 Page(s)218

( 9) General reference

County Churches of Cumberland and Westmorland 1913 pp117-119 (J. Charles Cox)

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ECW 30-SEP-59

(11) by Richard N Bailey and Rosemary Cramp ; with contributions by Raymond I Page and David L Schofield 1988 Corpus of Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture, general introduction ; and Volume II, Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North-of-the-Sands

Page(s)145-7

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PRIORY OF ST MARY AND ST BEGA
ST. BEES

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A Benedictine Priory was founded here not before 1120 and dissolved in 1538. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the church of the old priory wa...

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