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Summary

Possible site of St Gregory's Cathedral in Crediton shown on 19th century map

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 35557
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS80SW/4/6
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS80SW19

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATHEDRAL (VIII to XI - 701 AD to 1100 AD (Between))

Full description

Kerslake, T., 1877, Traces of the Ancient Kingdom of Dumnonia outside Cornwall, 427-8 (Article in Serial). SDV5885.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Site of St Gregory's Cathedral' shown on 19th century map to the north of the Church of the Holy Cross in Crediton.

Smith, Rev. P., 1882, The Early History of Crediton, 193 (Article in Serial). SDV337632.

Reichel, O. J., 1898, The Domesday Churches of Devon, 308 (Article in Serial). SDV863.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'St Gregory's Cathedral (Site of)' shown on early 20th century map.

Reichel, O. J., 1922, The Manor and Hundred of Crediton, 160-2 (Article in Serial). SDV40070.

Chanter, J. F., 1925, Address of the President: Celtic Devon, 57 (Article in Serial). SDV339011.

Radford, C. A. R., 1957, Crediton, Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, 140-1 (Article in Serial). SDV338136.

Leland, J., 1964, Leland's Itinerary 1535-45, 239 (Monograph). SDV337630.

Knowles, D. + Hadcock, R. N., 1971, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, 414, 424, 471 (Monograph). SDV323253.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SS80SW19 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV339009.

St Gregory's Cathedral in Crediton. Here were the Cathedral and The Palace of the Bishops until the Bishop Leofric removed the see to Exeter in the year 1050. The former existence of the Saxon cathedral appears to be based solely on Leland's statement: 'The place wher the old cathedrale church of Grideton stood is now occupied with buildings of houses by the new church yarde side. The old churche was dedicate to St Gregory. No evidence for its precise location here; Smith believes the present church probably occupies the site of the Saxon church.

Weddell, P. J., 1986, The Saxon Minster Collegiate Church and Bishop's Palace at Crediton, 2 (Report - Survey). SDV53415.

Devon Religious Houses Survey, 1986-7, Devon Religious Houses Survey. Crediton (Archive - Survey). SDV358570.

Borthwick, A., 1999, Land off Mill Street, Crediton: The archaeological and historical implications of development, 3-4 (Report - Assessment). SDV323116.

WSP Environmental Ltd, 2005, Mill Street, Crediton: Archaeological Assessment, Appendix 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV338960.

Gent, T. H., 2007, Review of the Archaeological Evidence for the Location of the Saxon Minster at Crediton, 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV339904.

Although the 1889 Ordnance Survey map indicates the position of St Gregory's Cathedral in this area no evidence has yet been found to support this.

GSB Prospection, 2007, The Search for Saxon Crediton, 9-10 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV344212.

No evidence for the existence of St Gregory's cathedral was discovered. Within the car park and the lower lawn of the rectory to the north of Holy Cross church anomalies correlate with the footprint of the collegiate buildings, although it is most likely that they refer to the latter phases of construction as properties stood on this part of the site until the 19th century.

National Monuments Record, 2010, 35557 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV338977.

A richly endowed Saxon monastery, possibly dedicated to St. Gregory was founded in 739 by a grant from King Aethelheard to Forethere, bishop of Sherborne, in which see Crediton then lay. With the division of that see in 909 it became the cathedral church of the new see of Crediton and remained so until the see was removed to Exeter in 1050. The church then became collegiate and continued until its dissolution in 1548.
No pre-Conquest remains are now visible in the fabric of the present church and the exact location of the Saxon monastery, its cathedral and the collegiate church are unknown.
Suggested sites for the cathedral and the collegiate buildings have been made.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4270 - Mill Street, Crediton
• EDV4348 - Assessment of a Survey Searching for the Saxon Minster in Crediton
• EDV4587 - Geophysical Survey around Holy Cross Parish Church, Crediton

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