Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

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

Two wayside crosses 200m south of Scorrier House

A Scheduled Monument in St. Day, 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: 50.2484 / 50°14'54"N

Longitude: -5.1918 / 5°11'30"W

OS Eastings: 172542.819213

OS Northings: 43582.241749

OS Grid: SW725435

Mapcode National: GBR Z6.0FB9

Mapcode Global: FRA 080C.P61

Entry Name: Two wayside crosses 200m south of Scorrier House

Scheduled Date: 22 March 1932

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1006654

English Heritage Legacy ID: CO 168

County: Cornwall

Civil Parish: St. Day

Traditional County: Cornwall

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cornwall

Church of England Parish: St Day

Church of England Diocese: Truro

Details

The monument includes two wayside crosses, situated in the gardens of Scorrier House. The south western cross survives as a decorated wheel-head on a rectangular shaft, set into a modern rectangular base. The cross measures approximately 1.5m high. The corners of the shaft are chamfered. One face of the head bears the figure of Christ in relief with his head supported on a bent right arm; the rear face has a Latin cross in relief. This cross was formally used as a gatepost, but its original location was probably close to Ting Tang Mine where it had been a boundary stone between Trevince and the manors of Trevarth and Cusgarne. The north eastern cross survives as a decorated wheel-head on a decorated rectangular section shaft set into a stony mound. The cross measures approximately 3m high. The head is decorated on both sides with a Maltese cross in relief surrounded by an incised ring. The shaft is decorated on both faces and one side with a double chevron ornament and other incised designs. This cross stood originally at Rame where the road from Stithians joins the main Helston to Penryn roads. The cross was bought by John Williams of Scorrier in 1849 for five pounds.

Both crosses are Listed Grade II (66922).

Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-428058

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. Despite having been moved, the two wayside crosses 200m south of Scorrier House survive well and their decorations are both interesting and well preserved and epitomise very different styles of adornment.

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.