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Summary

Impressive shaft of a large medieval wayside cross formed from a single piece of stone of coarse granite with large feldspar crystals. It is set on a piece of rough ground, well above the surface of a minor road, and set back about 4 metres from the road edge. Linscott Cross is a fine example of a medieval wayside cross, exhibiting interesting evidence of use as a gatepost and/or attempts to split the shaft in more recent times. There is a good photographic record of the cross from about 1900 when it was still in use as a gatepost. It is well-positioned above the roadside and forms a striking feature.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009190: Linscott Cross: a wayside cross on the north side of a minor road 280m north west of Howton Farm
• Listed Building (II) 1308838: CROSS AT SX 741 872

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78NW9
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445473
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78NW/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85018
• Old SAM Ref: 24823

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAYSIDE CROSS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))
• GATE PIER (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Stephens, W. J., 1902-1903, A hitherto undescribed Cross near Moretonhampstead, 57 (Article in Serial). SDV306124.

An ancient cross was found in 1901 at Lynscott doing duty as a gatepost. The gateway is in the corner of a field known as Cross Park. It adjoins the old road leading to the farm, formerly the main road leading from Moreton to Chagford. An old trackway ran along by the side of the field and after intersecting the old main road, joined a road leading to Cranbrook Castle and Fingle Bridge. Parts of this trackway can still be distinguished and the occupier at Lynscott believes the cross formerly stood at the point of the intersection, and only a few yards from the place where it was found. When the farmer's attention was called to the relic of the past, he undertook its removal and re-erection. It now stands opposite the gateway where it should be safe from further mutilation.
The cross is roughly shaped, one arm is missing, and the head has been badly damaged. It stands 5 feet high, and measures 17 inches wide and is 9.5 inches thick just below the arm and 11.5 inches at the base.
On the face at the level of the arm is an incised cross, 11 inches (28 centimetres) by 7 inches (18 centimetres). There are 4 or 5 slits in the middle line of the posterior surface of the cross, each about 6 inches (15 centimetres) in length. It is possible that an attempt has been made to split the cross. An iron hanger exists in the west face, and bar slots have been cut in the north face.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 327 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

A cross, of rough rectangular section, stands at the roadside about one and a half miles north-east of Moretonhampstead near Linscott Farm.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SX78NW9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV306126.

SX7375 8745. About a 1.5 miles north-east of Moretonhampstead a mutilated cross of rough rectangular section, the head above the arms and one of the arms is missing, the other arm is much damaged. On each face between the arms there is an incised cross (1953).
SX7408 8719. The position of this cross was surveyed. The description above is correct, the incised crosses being on the north and south faces. The pillar is 1.8 metres high, in section 0.2 metres by 0.4 metres, and the remaining arm on the east side is approximately 0.1 metre long. The pillar has served as a gatepost in modern and earlier times; an iron hanger exists on the western face, and bar slots have been cut in the northern face. The remains of this wayside cross are now free-standing, but unlikely to be at the original site (1953).
Cross located and surveyed (1959).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1981, SX78NW9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV286308.

(19/11/1981) A cross shaft 1.8m high and 0.2m. by 0.4m. in section with 0.1m. long fragment of an arm on the southeast. The stone has formerly been used for a slotted gate and then a hanging gate. A gate slot has partly defaced the incised cross on the northeast face but that on the south-west is well defined. (See ground photographs.) Published position on M.S.D. correct.

Department of Environment, 1987, Moretonhampstead, 54 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337636.

Wayside cross. Medieval. Roughly hewn granite monolithic Latin cross with short arms, left one broken off; inscribed Greek cross on the front face and slots on the back where presumably it was once used as a slotted gate post.

Ancient Monuments, 1993, Linscott Cross: a wayside cross on the north side of a minor road 280m north west of Howton Farm (Schedule Document). SDV306122.

Impressive shaft of large Medieval wayside cross formed of a single piece of coarse granite with large feldspar crystals. Arms aligned north-west by south-east, though the north-west arm is missing and only a portion of the other survives. Head is also broken off. No socket stone visible. Cross now 1.5 metres high. Shaft neatly rectangular in section, 0.42 metres by 0.24 metres. South-east arm extends 8 centimetres from the shaft, and is 0.3 metres deep. Head survives only 8 centimetres above the arms.
There is a complete incised cross between the arms of the south-west face, 3 centimetres by 19.5 centimetres, with a cut 3 centimetres wide, 1 centimetre deep. The vertical line of the incised cross on the ne face has been destroyed by the cutting of a slot, but the horizontal line survives either side of the slot, giving an original total width of 20 centimetres. The cut is 3 centimetres wide, 7 millimetres deep.
Three vertical slots, a round hole and a half slot are all visible in the centre of the north-east face of the shaft. The slots may have been for an early form of gate hanging, but are rather narrow, and may have been intended to split the shaft. From the central slot a horizontal crack extends north-west to the edge of the shaft, and vertical cracks link the lower and middle and upper slots. On north-west face of shaft, 0.56 metres below the top, is an iron plug, which has caused some damage. Several cracks radiate from this point. On the same face is a round hole near the base of the shaft, 3 centimetres in diameter and 6.5 centimetres deep.

Byng, B., 2007, Dartmoor National Park. Microchip Project 2006/7. D.C.P. and other Stones, 16/03/2007 (Un-published). SDV361798.

Cross included in 2007 survey. Four photographs included.

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

'Cross' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 18/07/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument includes the impressive shaft of a large medieval wayside cross formed from a single piece of stone of coarse granite with large feldspar crystals. It is set on a piece of rough ground, well above the surface of a minor road, and set back about 4m from the road edge.
The arms of the cross are aligned north west-south east, though the north west arm is missing and only a portion of the south east arm survives. The head of the cross is also broken off. The cross, which is a Listed Building Grade II, was previously in use as a gatepost and was moved to its present position in about 1900. No socket stone is visible. The cross is now 1.5m high.
The shaft is neatly rectangular in section, measuring 0.42m by 0.24m. The south eastern arm, which is broken off, extends 80mm from the shaft, and has a depth of about 0.3m. The head survives for a maximum of only about 80mm above the arms. There is a complete incised cross between the arms of the south western face, and remnants of one on the north eastern face. That on the south west face measures 300mm vertically by 195mm horizontally, with a cut 30mm wide and having a maximum depth of 10mm. The vertical line of the incised cross on the north eastern face has been destroyed by the cutting of a slot, but the horizontal line survives either side of the slot, giving an original total width of 200mm. The cut is 30mm wide and has a maximum depth of about 7mm. Three vertical slots, a round hole and a half slot are all visible in the centre of the north east face of the shaft. The slots may have been for an early form of gate hanging but are rather narrow, and may have been intended to split the shaft in two. From the central slot a horizontal crack extends north westwards to the edge of the shaft, and vertical cracks link the lower and middle and upper slots. On the north west face of the shaft, 0.56m below the top, there is an iron plug, which has caused some damage. Several cracks radiate out from this point. On the same face, there is a round hole near the base of the shaft, 30mm in diameter and 65mm deep.
Linscott Cross is a fine example of a medieval wayside cross, exhibiting interesting evidence of use as a gatepost and/or attempts to split the shaft in more recent times. There is a good photographic record of the cross from about 1900 when it was still in use as a gatepost. It is well-positioned above the roadside and forms a striking feature.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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