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Summary

Tall but incomplete shaft of a medieval wayside cross of moderately fine-grained granite, set into a granite socket stone on a grass verge on the east side of Walkhampton Church House. The cross and socket stone were brought together in a restoration of 1984, at which time the socket was slightly enlarged in order to accommodate the shaft. A head has been added in the 1990s.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009194: Walkhampton Church House cross: a wayside cross on the east side of Church House, 650m north east of Walkhampton village

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57SW1
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440415
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SW/14
• Old SAM Ref: 24836

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAYSIDE CROSS (Early Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1998 AD (Between))

Full description

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 315 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

The remains of a stone cross (Type A) are built into the wall of the lane opposite Church House, Walkhampton, east of the church. It is a roughly shaped socked stone, standing on edge, with the rectangular socket hole, penetrating the stone.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX57SW2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV227636.

(27/07/1950) Cross shaft 0.3 metres in diameter at top and standing 1.1 metres high. Was used as a gatepost and has incised holes in side. Now forms part of the south-east wall of the cul-de-sac.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1954, Supplementary Notes on the Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon (Fourth Paper), 190 (Article in Serial). SDV15725.

Cross, the remains of a stone cross in a cul-de-sac to the east of the church house. It has an octagonal tapering shaft of moorland granite. The shaft has been used as a gatepost and bears incised holes in its side with remaining packings of lead. It now forms part of the south east wall of the cul-de-sac. This cross is of the type C.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1959, Supplementary Notes on the Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon (Fifth Paper), 91 (Article in Serial). SDV21157.

In a lithograph of 1805 it is shown supporting a lean-to. This may have been its original purpose.

Starkey, F. H., 1983, Dartmoor Crosses and Some Ancient Tracks, 47 (Monograph). SDV345128.

The socket stone and an octagonal shaft (SX 57 SW 2) with square end which forms part of the same cross, were removed from the wall in 1976 and now lie on the further side of the lane opposite the Church House (SX 57 SW 17) awaiting restoration. The cross may have been the ancient Walkhampton churchyard cross, or a wayside cross marking the Monk's Path which paves the rear of the church and descends to the Walkham valley nearby.

Ancient Monuments, 1997, Walkhampton Church House Cross (Schedule Document). SDV227634.

Tall incomplete shaft of medieval wayside cross of moderately fine-grained granite, set into granite socket stone on grass verge on east side of the Church House. Cross and socket stone united in 1984 restoration, when socket was slightly enlarged to accommodate shaft. Head added in 1990s.
Total height of shaft above socket stone is 1.63 metres. Neither shaft nor socket stone are in situ.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 04/07/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Walkhampton Church House cross consists of the well dressed shaft of a tall medieval cross of fine quality, lacking its head and arms. The cross is now united with a socket stone which must once have formed part of another cross. Although not in situ, both the shaft and socket stone are from other recorded positions nearby.
The monument includes the tall but incomplete shaft of a medieval wayside cross of moderately fine-grained granite, set into a granite socket stone on a grass verge on the east side of Walkhampton Church House. The cross and socket stone were brought together in a restoration of 1984, at which time the socket was slightly enlarged in order to accommodate the shaft. A head has been added in the 1990s.
The total height of the shaft above the socket stone is 1.63m. The shaft has a nearly square base, 0.37m by 0.34m. Except for the southern corner of the shaft, where a chamfer begins 0.1m above the base, the square shaft becomes chamfered between 0.29m and 0.38m above the base. The chamfer, which is 0.1m-0.11m wide, continues to the broken-off top of the slightly tapering shaft. The top the shaft is neatly square, 0.25m by 0.25m, plus chamfers. In the centre of its top surface there is a drilled triangular hole with rounded corners, 25mm in diameter and 45mm deep. The western corner of the shaft has half the chamfer cut away to form vertical fluting between points 0.67m below the top of the shaft and 0.29m above the base. The south east face of the shaft has four holes partially plugged with lead and/or iron. From top to bottom the holes are: (1) square, 25mm by 25mm by 40mm maximum depth, partially plugged with lead; (2) circular, 70mm in diameter, filled with lead and with an iron plate fastened over it; (3) squarish, 35mm by 35mm, mostly filled with lead; (4) circular, 30mm diameter by 40mm deep, and unfilled. The socket stone, which is of a different type of granite to the shaft, has an uneven top surface, and was probably never intended to be seen. Its dimensions are 1.05m by 0.95m by 1.1m by 0.5m. Its maximum height above the turf is 0.25m. The shaft is cemented into the socket hole. The south west edge of the socket stone is 0.9m from the edge of the track passing the church house, and the monument as a whole is about 5m north west of another track which leads off at right-angles to the north east. The monument is not in situ, as both the shaft and the socket stone have been previously recorded in different positions in the near vicinity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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