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Summary

Heavily restored cross located in wood near Leigh Bridge to the south of the road from Chagford. The cross head and arms are original, but are mounted on a modern shaft set on top of two large natural boulders. The head is thought to have come from Teigncombe Farm 1.2 kilometres to the south-west. In 2013 the cross broke again across an historic repair and was removed by Dartmoor National Park Authority for safe-keeping. A replacement is due to be installed in July 2019.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68NE7
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 443493
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/55

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CROSS (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD? (Between) to 1930 AD (Between))

Full description

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 325 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

SX68368761. In a wood near Leigh Bridge on the left hand side of the road from Chagford, the head and arms of a cross of rough rectangular section are mounted upon a roughly squared shaft. There is a faint trace of what may be an incised cross on the face between the arms.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1954, Supplementary Notes on the Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon (Fourth Paper), 175 (Article in Serial). SDV15725.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1955/1974, SX68NE7 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV275211.

(23/7/1955) Cross located and photographed. It is erected at the top of a rock outcrop in a small wood south-east of Leigh Bridge.
(07/07/1974) SX68368761. The 0.4 metre wide crosshead is mounted on a rough, possibly modern shaft (total height 1.2 metres) which has been set up on a high rock outcrop. The incised cross design is clearly visible.

Starkey, F. H., 1983, Dartmoor Crosses and Some Ancient Tracks, 78 (Monograph). SDV345128.

Mr John Summers Cocks states that the head of the cross was brought from Teigncombe in the early days of the present century at the instance of a Mr Clampitt, who re-erected it here. (See SX 68 NE 49).

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report, 2002 (estimated) (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

Considered under Monument Protection Programme, but not recommended for Scheduling. The cross head and arms are original, but are mounted on a modern shaft set on top of two large natural boulders. The head is considered to have been brought to this spot from Teigncombe Farm 1.2 kilometres to the south-west. Good condition. This is a very heavily restored cross with no original archaeological context. The cross was restored in the early part of the 20th century and no archaeological information concerning its original use will survive.

Watts, S., 2013, Leigh Bridge Cross (Personal Comment). SDV351542.

(09/07/2013) The cross has rebroken across an historic repair and is now in a very vulnerable condition. It has been removed from its original location by Dartmoor National Park Authority for safe-keeping.

Richards, A. F., 2019, Update on the Leigh Bridge Cross (Personal Comment). SDV363113.

July 2019; replacement cross head due to be installed at Leigh Bridge on 24/07/2019. The granite of the head and arms of the cross removed by Dartmoor National Park Authority a few years ago was too badly degraded to repair.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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