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Summary

Blackaton Cross is impressively sited beside an ancient route across the south western side of Dartmoor. It is likely to be in or near its original position. The head and arms of the cross, and the socket stone, are original. The shaft (originally cut for a window sill) was added in the second half of the 19th century. A published photographic record of the cross survives from c.1900.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1107433: BLACKATON CROSS
• Scheduled Monument 1008930: Blackaton Cross: a wayside cross 1.25km north of Lee Moor Village

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE39
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439220
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/15
• Old Listed Building Ref: 99211
• Old SAM County Ref: 541
• Old SAM Ref: 24815

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAYSIDE CROSS (Constructed, Early Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 305 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

Blackaton (or Roman's) cross, by the roadside on the road from Cadover to Cornwood, almost 1.5 miles from Cadover Bridge. Type C. An ancient circular socket stone, with a square socket hole in which is mounted a modern shaft bearing the ancient head and arms of a cross of rough rectangular section. Made of granite.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE39 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV139202.

(26/08/1977) "Blackaton Cross" stands at the roadside on the brow of the hill. It has a modern shaft 1.3 metres long and 0.25 metres by 0.35 metres which would appear to have served as a gatepost at some time. The medieval head is 0.55 metres high, the arms 0.6 metres wide. The circular socket stone is 1 metre in diameter and 0.3 metres high. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.

Department of Environment, 1984, South Hams, 41 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV336648.

Wayside cross. Probably medieval. Roughly hewn granite. The cross head may be medieval, but the shaft appears to be reused material and is rectangular in section with one angle chamfered. The shaft is set in a large granite boulder.

Ancient Monuments, 1993, The Schedule of Monuments (Schedule Document). SDV126938.

Arms are aligned roughly north-south. Total width 0.62 metres. South arm is complete, with regular rectangular section. Extends 0.2 metres beyond shaft, and is 0.3 metres deep. North arm is rounded. This is probably due to damage, but may be an original feature. Extends 0.15 metres from shaft, and is 0.29 metres deep. Head extends 0.19 metres above head, and is of rectangular section, 0.285 metres north-south by 0.205 metres east-west. No cement visible at junction of head, arms and shaft - a steel/iron rod presumably joins them.
The shaft, which is cemented into the socket stone with 2 iron wedges, is rectangular in section, 0.32 metres by 0.22 metres, and 1.31 metres high. Chamfer 0.08 metres wide on the north-west edge, with a possible stop at the bottom, suggesting a window sill. East face of shaft is very rough. South face has 3 small irregular hollows of which the highest is partially plugged with cement. Socket stone has visible diameter of 1.03 metres and maximum depth of 0.3 metres. An old Ordnance Survey benchmark with a metal pin is cut on the edge of the socket stone. Base is 0.5 metres above the present road level.
Total height above socket stone 1.79 metres. Leans slightly to the east. Head and arms, which have total height of 0.515 metres, are ancient, as is socket stone, but shaft was added in the restoration of the monument, and is probably a window sill, possibly re-used as a gatepost.

Watson, A., 2007-2017?, Devon Crosses, 36 (Un-published). SDV360833.

Backaton Cross stands about one and a quarter miles south-east of Cadover Bridge, Dartmoor. The cross consists of a modern shaft, originally cut for a window sill, which accounts for one of its edges being bevelled. It stands in an ancient circular socket stone and is surmounted by the ancient head and arms. Formerly known as ‘Romans Cross’ but its true name seems to be 'Blackaton Cross', which probable comes from a spot nearby named Blackaton Slaggets where much peat has been cut in the past. Tradition has it that Saint Paul once preached here.
Cross height 1.85 metres, span 0.63 metres. Socket stone 0.88 metres by 0.27 metres high (circular).

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Blackaton Cross (restored)' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 29/06/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument, which is also known as Roman's Cross, includes a restored wayside cross of moderately coarse granite, set in a circular granite socket stone on a turf bank on the east side of the road between Lee Moor House (now destroyed) and Cadover Bridge. This road was a major medieval route across the south western fringe of Dartmoor. The cross has a total height above the socket stone of 1.79m. It leans very slightly to the east.
The head and arms of the cross, which have a total height of 0.515m, are ancient, as is the socket stone, but the shaft was added in the restoration of the monument, and is probably a window sill in origin, but may have been used as a gatepost at some time.
The arms of the cross are aligned roughly north-south. Their total width is 0.62m. The southern arm is complete and has a regular rectangular section. It extends 0.2m beyond the shaft and has a depth of 0.3m. The northern arm is rounded. This is probably due to damage, but may be an original feature. It extends 0.15m from the shaft and has a depth of 0.29m. The head extends above the arms 0.19m, and is of rectangular section measuring 0.285m north- south by 0.205m west-east. No cement is visible where the head and arms meet the shaft, and presumably a steel/iron rod has been used to join them.
The shaft, which is cemented into the socket stone (two iron wedges are also visible), is rectangular in section measuring 0.32m by 0.22m, and has a height of 1.31m. It has a chamfer 0.08m wide on its north western edge, with a possible stop at the bottom, suggesting a window sill. The east face of the shaft is very rough. The south face of the shaft has three small irregular hollows of which the highest is partially plugged with cement.
The socket stone has a visible diameter of 1.03m and a maximum depth of 0.3m. Its top surface slopes to the east. There is an old Ordnance Survey benchmark with a metal pin, cut on the edge of the socket stone 0.33m north west of the north west corner of the shaft. There is a small hole 0.07m in diameter by 0.02m deep in the top surface of the socket stone approximately 0.13m south of the south west corner of the shaft.
The base of the shaft is 0.5m above present road level, and the west edge of the socket stone is 0.4m from the road edge. Blackaton Cross is Listed Grade II. Immediately to the south of the cross there is a separate boulder partially buried in the turf bank. This is included in the scheduling.
Blackaton Cross is impressively sited beside an ancient route across the south western side of Dartmoor. It is likely to be in or near its original position. The head and arms of the cross, and the socket stone, are original. The shaft (originally cut for a window sill) was added in the second half of the 19th century. A published photographic record of the cross survives from c.1900.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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