Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Wayside cross 50m north east of Carracawn Cross

A Scheduled Monument in Deviock, Cornwall

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 50.3918 / 50°23'30"N

Longitude: -4.3621 / 4°21'43"W

OS Eastings: 232196.16397

OS Northings: 57324.724451

OS Grid: SX321573

Mapcode National: GBR NL.SMCL

Mapcode Global: FRA 18R0.GFD

Entry Name: Wayside cross 50m north east of Carracawn Cross

Scheduled Date: 28 September 1934

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1006630

English Heritage Legacy ID: CO 248

County: Cornwall

Civil Parish: Deviock

Traditional County: Cornwall

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cornwall

Church of England Parish: St Germans Group Parish

Church of England Diocese: Truro

Details

The monument includes a wayside cross situated close to a crossroads linking the settlements of Trerulefoot, Polbathic, Downderry and Widegates and marking an important junction between medieval roads. The cross survives as a Latin cross head on a slightly tapering shaft, standing approximately 1m high. It is set into a modern stone platform and enclosure on top of a hedge. The cross was recorded by Langdon in 1896, but has been moved slightly since then following road widening.

Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-436634

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Wayside crosses are one of several types of Christian cross erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. In addition to serving the function of reiterating and reinforcing the Christian faith amongst those who passed the cross and of reassuring the traveller, wayside crosses often fulfilled a role as waymarkers, especially in difficult and otherwise unmarked terrain. The crosses might be on regularly used routes linking ordinary settlements or on routes which might have a more specifically religious function, including providing access to religious sites for parishioners and funeral processions. Wayside crosses vary considerably in form and decoration but several regional types have been identified. The Cornish wayside crosses form one such group. The commonest type includes a round, or `wheel', head on the faces of which various forms of cross were carved. The design was sometimes supplemented with a relief figure of Christ. Less common forms include the `Latin' cross, where the cross-head itself is shaped within the arms of an unenclosed cross and, much rarer, the simple slab with a low-relief cross on both faces. Over 400 crosses of all types are recorded in Cornwall. Wayside crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval routeways, settlement patterns and the development of sculptural traditions and their survival is somewhat differential because of periods of religious turbulence during the Reformation when many were subject to damage or partial destruction by iconoclasts. Although this cross was moved slightly to facilitate road widening, the wayside cross 50m north east of Carracawn Cross remains close to its original location and its original purpose as a route marker can still be appreciated. More unusually for Cornwall this is a Latin shaped cross rather than the more common wheel-headed cross type.

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.