Details

The monument includes a standing stone cross located in the churchyard of St
Michael's Church, Elmley Lovett, c.10m south of the church. The cross takes
the form of a stepped base and socket stone, both medieval in date, and a
modern shaft and cross head. It is Listed Grade II.
The base includes three steps, square in plan, with a maximum width at the
base of 3.5m. The cross is situated on a gentle east facing slope, and the top
of the bottom step is flush with the ground on the west side. The total height
of the base is 0.75m. The socket stone is square in plan at the base, with
sides of 1.5m. Its angles have broad stops at the top producing an octagonal
rim which is moulded and has chamfered edges. Both base and socket stone are
of 15th century date. The shaft and cross are a modern restoration. The
tapering shaft is square at the base and 0.3m in width, with angles chamfered
above stops, and is 1.5m high. The cross has trefoil terminals and is c.1m
high. The cross was first restored in the late 19th century, however a storm
in 1976 blew down the original restored shaft and cross head.
The grave marker to the east of the cross is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 1 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

A standing cross is a free standing upright structure, usually of stone,
mostly erected during the medieval period (mid 10th to mid 16th centuries AD).
Standing crosses served a variety of functions. In churchyards they served as
stations for outdoor processions, particularly in the observance of Palm
Sunday. Elsewhere, standing crosses were used within settlements as places for
preaching, public proclamation and penance, as well as defining rights of
sanctuary. Standing crosses were also employed to mark boundaries between
parishes, property, or settlements. A few crosses were erected to commemorate
battles. Some crosses were linked to particular saints, whose support and
protection their presence would have helped to invoke. Crosses in market
places may have helped to validate transactions. After the Reformation, some
crosses continued in use as foci for municipal or borough ceremonies, for
example as places for official proclamations and announcements; some were the
scenes of games or recreational activity.
Standing crosses were distributed throughout England and are thought to have
numbered in excess of 12,000. However, their survival since the Reformation
has been variable, being much affected by local conditions, attitudes and
religious sentiment. In particular, many cross-heads were destroyed by
iconoclasts during the 16th and 17th centuries. Less than 2,000 medieval
standing crosses, with or without cross-heads, are now thought to exist. The
oldest and most basic form of standing cross is the monolith, a stone shaft
often set directly in the ground without a base. The most common form is the
stepped cross, in which the shaft is set in a socket stone and raised upon a
flight of steps; this type of cross remained current from the 11th to 12th
centuries until after the Reformation. Where the cross-head survives it may
take a variety of forms, from a lantern-like structure to a crucifix; the more
elaborate examples date from the 15th century. Much less common than stepped
crosses are spire-shaped crosses, often composed of three or four receding
stages with elaborate architectural decoration and/or sculptured figures; the
most famous of these include the Eleanor crosses, erected by Edward I at the
stopping places of the funeral cortege of his wife, who died in 1290. Also
uncommon are the preaching crosses which were built in public places from the
13th century, typically in the cemeteries of religious communities and
cathedrals, market places and wide thoroughfares; they include a stepped base,
buttresses supporting a vaulted canopy, in turn carrying either a shaft and
head or a pinnacled spire. Standing crosses contribute significantly to our
understanding of medieval customs, both secular and religious, and to our
knowledge of medieval parishes and settlement patterns. All crosses which
survive as standing monuments, especially those which stand in or near their
original location, are considered worthy of protection.

The cross in St Michael's churchyard is a good example of a medieval standing
cross with a stepped base and broached socket stone. It is believed to stand
in its original position, and limited development in the area immediately
surrounding the cross suggests that archaeological deposits relating to the
monument's construction and use in this location are likely to survive intact.
While parts of the cross survive from medieval times, its subsequent
restoration illustrates its continued function as a public monument and
amenity.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Adlam, B M (ed), Worcester and its region, (1974)
Other
DJC, SMR observation, (1976)

Source: Historic England