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Summary

Stowford, near lifton. Latin: guniglei (?). Probably 7th or 8th century (alexander).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX48NW/4
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COMMEMORATIVE STONE (V to VIII - 401 AD (Between) to 800 AD (Between))

Full description

ARCH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV239964.

Arch. J. Dates the stone to 5th century, and transcribes the lettering as gomgel or gunglel (arch).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV239971.

Anon/arch. J/8/(1851)424.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV239974.

Rhys, j. /arch. Camb. /6(1875)/4th series/362,366.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV239975.

Chanter, j. F. /tda/42(1910)481/christianity in devon before ad909.

Alexander, J. J., 1937, 8th Report on Early History, 154 (Article in Serial). SDV93411.

Latin: 'GUNIGLEI' (?). Probably 7th or 8th century.

Macalister, R. A. S., 1949, Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum, 187 (Monograph). SDV239973.

Macalister No. 1060. Sandstone pillar standing in the churchyard just beside the gate. Reads: 'gurgles'.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1955, SX48NW3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV239970.

A stone of smooth waterworn appearance. Five feet in height above ground level, roughly triangular in section with a faint inscription on the south face. Site visit 03/05/1955.
Memorial stone standing on the south side of Stowford churchyard gate. Inscription in insular majuscule of circa 600 AD or a little later, reading in one vertical line. Raleigh Radford, C. A. + Phillips, C. W.
It measured 5ft in length and has the word GUMGLEL or GUNGLEI incised upon it. The form of the characters would fix the date as 5th century. Archaeological Journal, 8, 1851, 424.
As described; the inscription is still clearly visible. Site visit 04/06/1973.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1969, An Early Christian Inscription at East Ogwell, 79-81 (Article in Serial). SDV366942.

The inscribed stone at Stowford is described as a parallel to that at East Ogwell (MDV14389). The Stowford example is 'inscribed GUNGLEI in letters of the 7th century' and stands in the parish church cemetery, thought to be its original location and marking the site of early Christian worship or burial.

Pearce, S. M., 1978, The Kingdom of Dumnonia, 26 (Monograph). SDV7107.

Pearce ascribes the stone at Stowford to the later part of the sixth century, perhaps after 600.

Department of Environment, 1985, Stowford, 167 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV349332.

Standing stone inscription running vertically down the stone in Insular Majuscule lettering variously interpreted as 'Gurgles', 'Gomgel' or 'Gunglel'.

Pearce, S. M., 1985, The Early Church in the Landscape: The Evidence from North Devon (part), 257-258 (Article in Serial). SDV336495.

Pearce groups this along with stones at Winsford Hill (Somerset), Sourton, Parracombe, and Lundy as memorials to an upper class, erected AD500-600. It reads 'Gurgles' and seems to have been erected in an existing Post-Roman graveyard.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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